World of Health

Cosmetic Hair Transplant Surgery

2009-01-16T02:35:00.001-08:00

The mention of a hair transplant evokes images of balding men and Elton John, but this outdated stereotype of hair replacement patients is about to be quashed for good. The advances in surgical procedures and the increase in the rate of success have led to an interest from the women too. Although it is predominantly men that suffer from hair loss, women can be affected too, but the treatments available now form part of a complete body enhancement package by offering eyebrow and eyelash hair transplants.

Just as plastic surgery started out as a medical treatment for reconstructive purposes, hair transplant surgery has been for people that have suffered hair loss from illnesses such as cancer or those that have suffered psychologically from extreme hair loss. But just as reconstructive surgery became cosmetic surgery, hair transplants are becoming the choice du jour for those wanting to make themselves more attractive.

The irony of women having eyebrow transplants because of over-plucking is amusing in itself, but eyelash transplants seem a little spooky. The trouble with some cosmetic procedures is that often the cosmetic element follows a fashion trend, and fashion is always changing. It reminds me of the trend just a few years back for tattooing eyebrows to save time applying make-up to fill in over-plucked eyebrows. It was also possible to do the same around the eyes, effectively tattooing eyeliner on. All well and good until heavy liner is no longer in vogue.

I remember my mother once telling me about seamed stockings during the war. They were incredibly expensive, but highly fashionable, and for those that could not afford to buy them, there was the option of getting the lines tattooed on instead. Nice idea while you're all dressed up and ready to go out. Not such a hot look in a swim suit on the beach I should imagine! But it is not just women that are taken in by cosmetic enhancement, and hair transplants for vanity are no exception.

In an era where it seems that most men endure the notorious waxing procedure inventively called the 'sack, back and crack', it is surprising to find out that some men are planting hairs on their chest and face to achieve a more masculine look. Designer stubble has never been so interesting. It is possible to transplant a goatee, chinstrap or a full beard with success time after time. Understandably, it is important for a man to feel manly, and as eating your crusts doesn't really put hairs on your chest, I suppose another solution had to be found.

The advancement in the procedures is thanks to a new surgical method. Previously, hair was taken from a donor area in strips and transplanted accordingly, unfortunately with a high rate of rejection and the infamous dolls head look. Today transplants are conducted with donor samples that contain between 1 and 4 follicles, reducing rejection and achieving a more natural and precise result. Admittedly the results are stunning, but caution still needs to be exercised when opting for treatment that is not for reconstructive purposes. The difference between reconstructive and cosmetic procedure lies in the patient. Reconstructive surgeries give a natural result, because these patients want to look normal again. For those that are already normal, cosmetic surgery is about achieving an unnatural result, to create an enhancement that stands out.

How smoking is injurious to health

2009-01-16T02:28:00.001-08:00

It is known to everyone that cigarette smoking is harmful and addictive. But very few know the risks of cigarette addiction. Smoking inflicts body with many irreversible damages and reduces the human life span by 25 years.

Effects of Smoking on Body:

Heart : Smoking is the biggest risk factor for all heart diseases. It accelerates the process of fat deposition in the inner walls of arteries (atherosclerosis). It increases blood pressure and heart rate. Not only these, smoking increases tendency for the blood to clot. It reduces the capacity of a person to exercise. (Exercises always keep heart healthy).

Lungs : Smoking destroys small hairs present in upper parts of airways. In normal persons these hairs protect lungs from germs, dust and other harmful particles. When this natural cleaning system is damaged germs, dust, smoke and other harmful chemicals enter lungs causing infection, cough and lung cancer. The air sacs of lungs (alveoli) get permanently damaged causing difficulty in breathing.

Digestive system: Smoking causes heart burn ,delays healing of peptic ulcers, increases risk of crohn's disease and formation of gall stones. It affects liver and increases chances of stomach cancer.

Legs: Smoking affects blood vessels of legs causing chronic pain in legs. This may further progress to cause gangrene of toes or feet.

Eyes: The sensitive blood vessels of eye are easily damaged by smoking. This causes blood shot appearance of eyes and itching. In heavy smokers it may lead to degeneration and loss of eyesight. Smokers are at an increased risk of cataracts.

Skin : Due to smoking the skin is deprived of oxygen and it loses its texture. An average smoker looks 5 years older than his healthy non smoking counterparts. The skin loses its healthy glow and takes on a yellowish-gray cast. The more cigarettes smoked, the worse skin will look. Wrinkles start appearing very quickly as smoking affects elastic tissues of skin.

Bones: It accelerates the process of osteoporosis

Cancer: Smoking causes cancer of lungs, larynx, oral cavity, pharynx, oesophagus and bladder. Tobacco smoke contains more than 60 substances which cause cancer. 87% lung cancer death occurs due to smoking.

Reproductive system: Smoking reduces fertility in both men and women.

In women: Smoking imbalances estrogen hormone in women. It causes dryness of vagina and reduces blood flow to genital organs. Women who smoke can get diseases of fallopian tubes and their egg production is affected. Smoking can cause abortion. It accelerates aging process and can cause early menopause.
The growth of baby retards when mother smokes in pregnancy. It affects the brain development of baby and reduces IQ. This happens even when mother is a passive smoker. The chances of miscarriage, premature birth and fetal death increase.

In men: Smoking impairs erections and can become a reason for erectile dysfunction. It also reduces sperm count and impairs sperm motility. But these are reversed after stopping smoking.

Hence quit smoking. Quitting smoking has immediate as well as long-term benefits for you and your loved ones

Are Hair Loss Websites Reliable?

2009-01-16T02:23:00.001-08:00

A hair loss website can help those who are in need of good solid information regarding hairloss treatments and procedures. The loss of hair affects a large amount of individuals, both men and women. Thankfully, there are many different methods today that can help stop hair loss, and at times can even reverse it.

While the internet is a great place to research for information, it should be noted that not every hair restoration procedure or treatment will work the same for everyone. However, careful research can help those who need treatment to find something that will work for them.

Hair loss websites can list all of the things that cause hair loss. While you may think that you know the reason why you are having the issue, there may be underlying factors that have not been thought of. The problem may be hormonal; as people age the hormones can cause many different bodily issues, including negative effects on the hair.

Another reason is heredity. This doesn't mean that just because your father or mother had issues with the loss of hair, that you will too. But it can mean that it is more likely to happen. Discussing the situation with a physician is always the best way to help determine hair loss causes, and what can be done about it.

Just as there are many reasons why a man may start to experience male pattern baldness, or a woman may start to experience female pattern baldness, there are as many ways to treat it. If you conduct some online research for hair loss information, then you will find out about creams, gels and medications that can be taken orally, including herbal treatments.

Topical ointments can work well for many individuals, while other people may need an oral medication that will require a period of time to work. There are also other types of remedies that can be used to cover a bald head, such as hair transplants or toupees.

If you are looking for information on baldness, hairloss products or remedies, then you need look no farther than the internet. Everything from herbal remedies to topical ointments, to transplants can be found online.

While the information may give you some great ideas, it is always best to talk to your doctor who can help you to decide what is best for you and let you know if the remedies are legitimate and really work. With this in mind, do not discount hair loss websites for good information.

Is Yoga Your Best Route To Total Fitness

2009-01-16T02:18:00.001-08:00

So you've reached the point in the new year that you're thinking about your wellbeing, physical, mental and spiritual. The new year is a time when lots of people look forward and true to put right the things that they didn't the previous year. It's a time when a lot of people are thinking about taking up new challenges, and making changes. One of the many vows that people make in the new year is to engage in more physical activity and to 'get fit'. If you are one such person, then you might want to take a look at Yoga as a way of achieving this.

The term Yoga comes from the Sanskrit that means 'union' or 'merger'. The essential purpose of the practice of Yoga is to achieve a good and stable balance between the body and mind. When applied or practised, Yoga will help you to achieve self-enlightenment through a combination of breathing, pose, meditation and relief. By using the techniques that you will learn from a Yoga instructor you will achieve the means to maintain a healthy and balanced approached to life.

Yoga is not a religion, although it does have it's roots in the Hindu religion. There are no codes of belief in Yoga, one is merely given the tools and techniques you need to gain a better understanding of your bodies potential. When mind and body work in tandem, you will feel better, you will look better and you will have a very different perspective on life.

You do Yoga to because it is more than just one workout. If you're a runner or you do weights, you know that each form of exercise helps to develop your cardiovascular or muscle strength. Yoga however is one form of exercise that does both strength, and cardio and much more. It's more than stretching and relaxing. When you complete a Yoga session, you will feel totally relaxed and at the same time full of energy. You get to work on your physical shape, as well as learning how to breathe deeply, therefore providing more oxygen for your heart, brain and lungs. Awareness of your body makes it easier to experience total relaxation and as such, each Yoga session will help you to alleviate stress.

If you are wanting to learn more about how Yoga can help you change your life in this new year, you can search for Yoga instructors in your local area, or you can buy a yoga instruction book and learn it at home, whichever suits you. Whatever method you choose, you will enjoy this form of exercise and once learned, the techniques and skills will benefit you for the rest of your life.

BETTER Meal for Health & WEALTH & Stay Fit for Long Life

2009-01-16T02:15:00.000-08:00

Since the beginning of time one aspect of human social experience has stood out as the â€˜place to beâ€™ for communication and family bonding: the meal. In contemporary human life the evening dinner is often the only place and time that a family all sits down together. In tribal times (of course there are still tribes today) the cooking of a slaughtered animal or cultivated vegetables brought the group together to share ideas and feelings. Think about it these days; when you want to take someone out for a meal, meet business colleagues, get together with old friends and acquaintances, we go out for a bite to eat. What is it about sharing some food that puts us in such a relaxed and communicable state? Could it simply be science, and the fact that if you are tense when you eat, the food doesnâ€™t digest as well? Or, could it have some psychological basis having to do with the idea that you are sharing some life-giving sustenance with your fellow species instead of warring over it? Subconsciously do we recognize the facts that we will be able to live another day as well as sew healthy seeds for future generations?

Itâ€™s easy to eat right during the summer months with an abundance of fresh produce available from a wide variety of sources. But as winter rolls around, those juicy ears of corn is just a memory. That doesnâ€™t mean, however, that you drop your healthy eating habits with the dropping temperatures.

You still need to get your five servings a day of fruits and vegetables. Make an effort to include fruits and vegetables at every meal. Since your options are more limited during the winter months, nowâ€™s the time to get creative by trying new recipes as well as sampling produce you havenâ€™t eaten before.

Winter brings a bumper crop of root vegetables like turnips, rutabagas and parsnips; squash; Brussels sprouts; and more. Apples and pumpkins are the foundation of a variety of comforting, homey desserts. Here are some tips to help you chase away the winter chill by adding the flavors and healthy benefits of winter produce.

Here are two delicious recipes sure to warm you up this winter:

Pesto Minestrone

This full-flavored soup is also full of healthy vegetables.

2 cups cauliflower (2 small heads), coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups zucchini (1-2 medium), chopped

3 cans (14.5 ounces) chicken broth, reduced sodium

1 16-ounce can tomatoes, diced, drained

1 cup elbow macaroni or small pasta shells

3 cups kidney beans or black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed (1 cup dry makes 3 cups cooked) or 2 cans (15 ounces each)

1 cup carrot (1 medium), sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil (for pesto)

2 garlic cloves (for pesto)

1 cup basil leaves, fresh, loosely packed OR (for pesto)

1 cup Italian parsley plus 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves (for pesto)

1 tablespoon water

Directions

In a 5 to 6 quart saucepan bring to boil 1/2 cup water, tomatoes, cauliflower, onion and carrots; reduce heat and simmer covered 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add zucchini, beans, broth and pasta. Return to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered 10 minutes. Meanwhile put all pesto ingredients in food processor or blender and process until very finely chopped. Just before serving, remove soup from heat and stir in pesto. Makes 8 servings.

Golden Apple Oatmeal

Start your day off right with a steaming bowl of this hearty (and heart healthy) oatmeal.

1/2 cup Golden Delicious apples, diced

1/3 cup apple juice

1/3 cup water

1/8 teaspoon salt

Dash of cinnamon

Dash of nutmeg

1/3 cup quick-cooking rolled oats, uncooked

Directions

Combine apples, apple juice, water and seasoning; bring to a boil. Stir in rolled oats; cook 1 minute. Cover and let stand several minutes before serving. Makes a 1- cup serving.

Exercise For Better Sex

2009-01-16T02:10:00.001-08:00

Do you get winded by simply walking up a flight of stairs? Are you straining to pick up a gallon of milk? Do you crawl into bed shortly after arriving home from work? If so, you shouldn't expect to have the energy for a sexual marathon. But with proper exercise, one can get on the right track to feeling young and energetic in bed again.

At Ask UncleTerry.com we regularly have people emailing us - asking how they can improve their sexual stamina, get better aroused, last longer in bed and enjoy better enjoy sex. One of the best ways to achieve all of these desires and a whole lot more is exercise. Unless you're a cold fish, there's a great deal of body movement during sex. Together as a couple, go running or bike riding. This is a great way to spend quality time together while building physical endurance. Having healthier arteries will allow the blood to flow better to the genitals. With a healthier blood flow, men will develop a harder erection, and women will be more easily aroused.

With a conditioned body, one is able to last longer in bed and have sex numerous times. After climaxing once, break the habit of falling asleep afterward. Pleasure your mate for a while, instead. When the blood gets flowing again, "round two" can commence. This will keep both of you interested, and make your mate go wild with anticipation during intermission.

With endless positions to choose from during intercourse such as those found at AskUncleTerry.com, don't stick to the same routine. If you work your upper body, it will be easier to grab your mate with authority and try a new position. Different positions will keep the spark alive. Use each muscle. Guys, this doesn't mean you should just lay back and let the woman do all the work. You need to be engaged, as well. Sexual energy will increase exponentially if both bodies thrust towards one another. Exercising your legs, arms and chest is great, but working the hidden muscles will help build stamina, as well.

Kegel exercises work for both men, and women. This exercise will thoroughly help each partner to gain control of his or her body. To do Kegel exercises, participants must tighten the muscle as if they are holding back urine. This is not about squeezing your stomach, or rear end. Next time you are going the bathroom, try holding back the stream. This should give you a feel of where that muscle is. Once you have found it, try working the muscle with reps of about 10 to 30 times. Then try repeating this at least 50 times a day. Once you are able to do 50, step it up to 30 reps at 200 times a day. It may seem like a lot of work, but you can do these while reading the paper or typing on the computer. If you are faithful to the routine, you should feel results within a month. A woman who does Kegel exercises can control and tighten her vagina. To help stimulate the male, she can use this muscle to get a firmer grab on the penis. Men who are going to climax should tighten their pubococcygeal (PC) muscle and release as desired. This will help them develop a skill to control ejaculation. Every time you hold back an orgasm, try to last a little longer than the previous one. Remember, practice makes perfect and the ladies love a man who can hold his own.

Climb the stairs to your bedroom without feeling exhausted. Pick up that gallon of milk after a glorious morning of sex. After work, you should plan on another sexual marathon. Sex is a great stress reliever and an amazing way to show the teamwork of a couple. Although exercising may seem hard at times, your body and your spouse will thank you.

Writer Terrance Lile brings you Ask Uncle Terry & ForumErotica, the fastest growing sexual education experience in cyberspace. Through a blend of morality, sincerity and humor this website provides sexual information for the enjoyment of diverse and safe sexual practices, while at the same time encouraging abstinence until in a committed relationship

How to get a massive chest

2009-01-16T02:06:00.001-08:00

A novice guide to developing a good size chest.

Your pectoral muscle group is rather large and can become very powerful if your train it correctly. It has been designed mainly as a pushing mechanism. The chest muscles respond well to heavy compound movements such as the bench press. The large white, slow twitch fibres can grow to a considerable healthy size. A man who achieves a good size chest looks powerful.

Bellow is a training programme that will give you an idea on how to develop a strong and desirable chest.

The press up.

This form of exercise is great for total failure. It will force plenty of blood deep inside your muscle fibres. Your set and rep range depends on your personal fitness levels but a good way to push yourself forward is just to add one rep every day to your routine.

Example: if you can do 10 press-ups. Try and get to 11 the next day.

The positioning of your hands while in press mode will determine which part of the chest you are training.

Close position. Medium position. Wide position.

The close hand position will develop your inner chest region. This also benefits the development of your triceps and inner shoulders muscles.

The medium hand position will centre your body position and hit the majority of the pectoral muscle group. A great all round position for complete development.

The wide position will develop the outer chest, close to the shoulders. This position will also catch the outer shoulders and back area.

The press up is a great starter exercise and will help you with balance, control, and strength for weight lifting.

The bench-press.

If you get started in the gym and decide that you would like to add as much muscle to the chest as possible. Then the Bench Press will become one of the main exercises you will use to develop the chest area on your body. The positioning of your hands as above will also have the same effect. However, you can also position the bar at different intervals on the chest.

Example:

Upper chest. Middle chest. Lower chest.

The positioning will work out the desired area of chest. Training using this method will pre- exhaust your chest for the next movement. With this, what you're doing is tiring the muscle by lifting heavy weights for your desired rep and set range. This is also known as a compound movement because it will add size to your chest.

Flys.

The movement of the Fly exercise is designed to stretch and squeeze your pectoral muscles. Always start with light dumbbells. This will help prevent injury and keep the movement strict for the heavier rep range to come. The key to this exercise is to control and stretch the muscles on the way down. Once you feel the full stretch, force the dumbbells back to the top of the movement. Now focus all your effort in squeezing the pectoral muscles together. This is a great all round movement for that massive look.

Cable cross overs.

Using cables help shape your chest while adding depth and character. Once again take your time with the movement. It's not a race to complete each rep and finish a set. The cable movement will also help with your shoulders and biceps. Bend you knees slightly and keep your feet, shoulder width apart. This helps you isolate the movement solely on the chest area.

Peck deck.

The peck deck machine is a great finishing exercise. It allows you to completely break down those last deep inner muscle fibres. This type of movement will help you complete each set until complete failure.

Tips:

* Try and vary your routine. You don't always need to start with the bench press. Try working backwards or starting with an exercise you don't particularly like.

* Change your set and rep range. Aim for 20 reps on every set. This will limit your weight range but will work the muscle in a different way.

* Don't train heavy every time you go into the gym. You don't need to be lifting as much weight as possible in a particular session. This will only play havoc with your joints later on in life. Try 8 weeks of heavy then 8 weeks of medium weight.
Then 8 weeks of light. Again this will change your rep and set range, depending on how you're pushing yourself.

* Train to failure. Keep lifting the weight beyond the desired rep range. Don't stop once you hit the number in your head. Keep going and feel the burning sensation within your muscle. Even when your mind shouts out to stop. Keep going. This hurts and you are going to feel it in the morning, but this type of training will make you grow.

* Keep a good eye on your diet.

* Change your gym. Different gyms have different machines and weights. This variation will train your muscles slightly different. This system allows the muscle memory to change and slow down the adaptability of your muscle density.

5 Ways to Avoid Breast Cancer

2009-01-16T02:03:00.000-08:00

Worldwide, breast cancer is the second most common of all the cancers after lung cancer and it is the most common cancer in the UK. In the last ten years the breast cancer rates in the UK have increased by 13%. So what can you do? Just because the rates of breast cancer have been becoming larger of late this doesn't mean that you cannot do anything positive to reduce your chances of developing this cancer.

These 5 simple steps have been scientifically proved to reduce your chance of developing breast cancer and following them will improve your general health as well.

1. Drink less (alcohol)

The increase in drinking and binge drinking in the UK could be one of the main reasons that numbers of cases of breast cancer recorded are increasing. There is an increased rick of about 7% for every alcoholic drink consumed on a daily basis for women. Researchers estimate that around 2,000 of the 40,000+ yearly cases diagnosed is due to alcohol consumption. However, drinking moderatlely is probably the best idea for your all round health as some drinks (for example red wine) can be beneficial to other aspects of you health such as your heart.

2. Change your Diet

Researchers have estimated that 25% of diagnosed cases of cancer could be avoided by a change in diet. You have all heard the advice that we should get our "five a day" and where breast cancer is concerned, this could really pay off. Scientists suspect that consuming large amounts of animal fat could increase your risk of breast cancer. These factors are demonstrated in Japan. Japanese women have a diet very high in fruit and vegetables and very low in animal fats and the cases of cancer found in these women is very low.

3. Check yourself regularly

It is important to check your breasts regluarly, but few people know just how easy it is. The best way to check your breasts is to use your hand in a "paddle" shape and gently rub in a circular motion to check for hard lumps, often a way to tell if these lumps are anything out of the ordinary is if the lumps have a very defined edge. Breasts are naturally lumpy, especially when you're on your period, but once you begin to check yourself regularly you will be able to tell if there are any unusual lumps. Another thing to look out for is signs of an unusual dimpling of the skin. Stand infront of a mirror and raise your arms slightly, this should make it easier to spot any dimpling. If you spot any of these signs or your breast or nipple shape changes suddenly you should go to your GP and get yourself checked out.

4. Exercise

Obviously, exercising is a beneficial step to take for your all round health and fitness, including decreasing your risk of developing all kinds of cancer. A study carried out in the US found that women who exercise regularly before their menopause can decrease their risk of dveloping breast cancer by 23%. They also found that the exercise is most beneficial for girls and women aged 12 to 22.

5. Maintain a healthy weight

This step goes hand in hand with point 4. Obesity has been directly linked to diagnosed cases of breast cancer but only with women who have already gone through the menopause. It has been estimated that maintaining a healthy weight could mean that 12,000 people in the UK would avoid developing breast cancer. Obesity also increases the likelyhood of developing many other types of cancer.

Health visitors 'aid birth blues'

2009-01-16T01:46:00.001-08:00

The risk of new mothers developing postnatal depression is cut if health visitors are trained to spot signs and offer psychological help, a study says.

Health visitors were trained to spot symptoms of depression six to eight weeks after birth.

Women who were then given psychological support by health visitors, rather than the usual process of being referred on to a GP, fared better.

University of Sheffield researchers looked at 4,000 women.

At the six or eight-week check, 600 women were found to have signs of postnatal depression.

A third were offered the usual care of a GP referral, while the rest were offered eight sessions of cognitive behavioural therapy, which aims to change behavioural responses, or person-centred therapy where the patient is encouraged to discuss their feelings about their situation.

Only by overcoming the barriers to treatment, providing comprehensive screening programmes, and ensuring the delivery of appropriate and timely care will we effectively prevent and treat postnatal depression

Dr Cindy-Lee Dennis
University of Toronto

Both forms of psychological support led to a reduction in depressive symptoms when compared with women in a control group who received the usual level of care.

A third of women who had been given therapy still had symptoms of depression six months after their baby's birth, compared with just under half of those in the control group.

The difference in outcomes remained when women were assessed again at 12 months.

Mothers' help

Writing in the BMJ, the researchers led by Dr Jane Morrell, said: "Training health visitors to assess women, identify symptoms of postnatal depression, and deliver psychologically informed sessions was clinically effective at six and 12 months postnatally compared with usual care."

In a second study published in the journal, University of Toronto researchers examined the effectiveness of telephone support to prevent postnatal depression.

Seven hundred women who tests showed were at high risk of developing the condition either received telephone support from volunteer mothers who had experienced postnatal depression themselves, or could seek help from health professionals themselves if they felt it necessary.

Those who were supported were around half as likely to develop postnatal depression 12 weeks after birth.

Around 13% of women are thought to experience postnatal depression following the birth of a child but it is often undiagnosed and untreated.

Antidepressants have been shown to be an effective treatment, but many women are reluctant to take the drugs, especially when they are breastfeeding.

Writing in the BMJ, Dr Cindy-Lee Dennis, who led the study, said their work and that of the UK team provided more evidence that postnatal depression could be effectively treated, and possibly even prevented.

But she said the condition was still undiagnosed and untreated in many women.

"Only by overcoming the barriers to treatment, providing comprehensive screening programmes, and ensuring the delivery of appropriate and timely care will we effectively prevent and treat postnatal depression."

Insufficient sleep and common cold

2009-01-15T21:37:00.000-08:00

People who get less than seven hours of sleep per night appear about three times as likely to develop respiratory illness following exposure to a cold virus as those who sleep eight hours or more.

Experimental studies have demonstrated that sleep deprivation results in poorer immune function. However, there is little direct evidence to back up the theory that sleep affects susceptibility to illness.

Researchers from America interviewed 153 men and women (age range, 21-55 years) daily for 14 consecutive days regarding how many hours they slept per night, what percentage of their time in bed was spent asleep and whether they felt rested. The study subjects were then quarantined and administered nasal drops containing the common-cold-causing rhinovirus.

It was found that the less an individual slept, the more likely he or she was to develop a cold. Lower sleep efficiency was also associated with developing a cold - men and women who spent less than 92 percent of their time in bed asleep were five and a half times more likely to become ill than those whose sleep efficiency was 98 percent or more. Feeling rested was not associated with colds.

The above data supports seven to eight hours of sleep as a reasonable target. However, even a minimal habitual sleep disturbance (sleep losses of 2 percent to 8 percent, 10 to 38 minutes for an 8-hour sleeper) is associated with 4 times the risk of developing a cold.

How Does Breast Actives Enhancement Cream Work

2009-01-15T21:31:00.001-08:00

Do you hate wearing bathing suits and skimpy clothing because you're unhappy with the way your breasts look? You're not alone. Millions of women feel the same way. That's why breast enlargement surgery is so incredibly popular. But surgery is expensive, painful, and can even be dangerous. Instead, many women have turned to natural breast enhancement products such as Breast Actives to make their breasts bigger and firmer.

Breast Actives enhancement cream is made with a variety of herbal ingredients that increase the body's production of human growth hormone. This hormone then tells your glands to start creating more breast tissue. This is essentially the same thing that happens during puberty. Breast Actives enhancement cream is safe to use and you won't gain weight. You just rub the cream onto your breast every day.

You'll also need to take the herbs orally as well. It's just like taking a vitamin. This supplement will boost your body's production of estrogen, which also tells your glands to create more breast tissue. So the cream makes your breasts bigger and firmer from the outside of your body, while the supplement works on them from the inside.

Breast Actives enhancement cream takes about six months to work fully. Patience is advised. And six months of cream can get a little expensive, but it's not nearly as expensive as implant surgery. And your breasts will look better than surgically enhanced breasts because they're real. Breast Actives enhancement cream is highly rated because it uses a superior grade of herbs in a sufficient dosage.

Since breast enhancement herbs affect the hormones, they can have other benefits as well. For example, many women report that these herbs relieve menstrual cramps. Some even claim they increase libido.

It's depressing when you feel lousy about your appearance. It can negatively affect every aspect of your life--at home and at work. But when you feel confident about the way you look it's a truly great feeling. You want to go out. You want to be around people. And they want to be around you.

Can Breast Actives enhancement cream really help make your breasts bigger and firmer? It already has for thousands of women. Why not you too?

Understanding Anxiety And It

2009-01-15T21:16:00.000-08:00

Anxiety is a disorder that can disturb a persons mind to an extent where they lose control over their actions e.g. thinking and decision making. This sense of instability makes it hard for a patient to carry on leading a normal life. When anxiety takes hold it forces the patient into believing that they no longer have any say on matters of importance like decision making etc. All this can have a devastating effect on the sufferer as well as all concerned parties around them.

With the help of modern science we have modern medicine and treatments and if supervised by a governing body of the medical profession along with your modern way of thinking and that is to believe in yourself and recognise your illness then the help out there will certainly give you hope in having a brighter future.

It is no wonder why anxiety is diagnosed as a mental health disorder when it can cause so much havoc in the upper region. Some patients lost hope where they believed their anxiety was beyond repair. Unfortunately they became a victim of their own thoughts that was to give them the only solution to their problem and that was to commit suicide. We all know the feeling of anxiety where the fear factor sets in and we imagine that something awful or nasty is about to happen. If faced with difficult times e.g. like an upheaval in life, divorce or losing someone close are all situations that can be identified to the cause of anxious moments. There are different types of anxiety; therefore the importance of speaking with a doctor is imminent so the right course of medicine or treatment can be prescribed. Mild bouts of anxiety are common and present in a great many of our lives, but for the more severe cases anxiety bouts now become attacks which is a major worry.

Doctors dedicated in this field will diagnose an anxiety disorder if the patients tension level scales to high and stays with the sufferer for several months. If the patient can not pin point a reason behind his anxiety then it is right to stick with the prognosis of it actually being anxiety. The reason being is, depression stands in the way of diagnoses due to similarities of symptoms for both disorders. What the doctor has to decipher is whether the patient has depression with anxiety symptoms or vice or versa as in i.e. is anxiety the cause of their depression.

The effect anxiety has on each individual differs in many ways; some people are prone to the psychological/emotional side of things. When other people are tortured by the effects physically

The Psychological downside to anxiety comes in the form of inability to concentrate along with irritability. A patient experiences constant worry which can lead to sense of fearful anticipation. Lack of sleep is a strong symptom causing fatigue to take the whole body. The Physical effects can be pains where the patient feels tightness in the chest. Breathing is affected. Loss of appetite, sex drive goes down hill and visits to the loo are more frequent (Urinating) sickness dizziness headaches and muscle tension are just a few to mention of the symptoms.

Anxiety if permitted will devour any thoughts you have on leading a normal life. This can be all prevented if you seek advice early on any concerns you may have relating to your health or that of someone close.

Varicose Vein Treatment

2009-01-15T21:10:00.001-08:00

Varicose veins are veins that are swollen and agonizing. They can become huge and twisted to look similar to ropes. In the normal vein there are valves that keep blood moving forward toward the heart, but with varicose veins the valves do not perform properly, this permits the blood to pause in the vein and it pools, causing it to enlarge.

Warnings to look for are distress and a feeling of fullness in the legs, visible dilated veins, mild bulging of the ankle and discoloration of the skin around the ankle. If you begin to have a lot of pain, and your veins do not answer to your own healing, you should see a varicose vein doctor. When you begin to have indications, sitting or lounging with your feet tilted may help.

Varicose vein remedy will be conservative at the beginning. Your doctor will probably order you to abstain from standing, especially for long periods of time. Remain off your feet as much as possible, and wear elastic support stockings when you are on your feet.

Should you ensue a sudden surge in pain, swelling, fever, or redness, you should touch base with your doctor directly, as you can develop complications such as soreness of the vein (Phlebitis), leg ulcers, or the rupture of a varicose vein. You can treat your varicose veins for as long as it helps, by keeping your feet tilted, by staying off your feet as much as possible, and by wearing elastic support stockings. Varicose veins, however, will only worsen over time. However, by taking the proper care of yourself, you can hold off the worst for as long as possible.

If you get to the point that your ache is unbearable, you may have to have surgery done. There is a treatment called Sclerotherapy which is executed while the patient is standing. A solution is injected into the vein to cause thickening. This closes off the vein. Afterwards an elastic bandage is wrapped snugly around the leg or part of the body where the varicose vein was situated.

Another remedy is called Endovenous ablation therapy. This procedure uses heat to destroy vein tissue. A slender tube is put into the vein through a small incision under local anesthesia. Then by using laser or radio wave energy the vein is cauterized, closing it off. This is an outpatient procedure.

Surgical vein stripping (or varicose vein removal) is a procedure that is done under general anesthesia. You are asleep and do not feel pain. This is also an outpatient procedure. The doctor makes a cut at the top and the bottom of the varicose vein. A thin, plastic, tube like tool is put into the vein and is linked around it, then when the tube is pulled out the vein is removed with it. The vein stripping is not done as often nowadays as it was in the past, since the Endovenous ablation treatment has been shown to work as well, or better, than the stripping procedure. There looks to be less pain, also, and patients typically recover swifter. These therapy will, more than likely, cause scarring.

Treating Anxiety is a Process

2009-01-15T20:49:00.001-08:00

Many people proudly announce that they are perfectionists. This condition of trying to do everything perfectly can eventually cause overwhelming anxiety. They may believe that being a high achiever and working so hard at everything they tackle will gain admiration. But it is more likely to result in creating additional insecurity and anxiety in their lives, which drives them to try harder. The anxiety increases stress and begins to affect their lives. If they can lessen the desire to be perfect so their anxiety and stress levels will lessen too. Treating anxiety is a process and here are some basic rules.

1 Accept that the anxiety can be controlled and that you can be in command of it. This is half the battle won. Accept that you have a problem and decide that you are going to control it. Get out of the habit because that is what it basically is.

2 Recognize the symptoms and make a conscious effort to shut them down.A widely accepted aid to help identify the tendency is to wear an elastic band around your wrist. Every time your thoughts begin to dwell on the desire to be perfect, or you feel anxious, snap the band. It reaffirms your determination to not go there.

3 Do not blame others, for the situation you are in or conditions for your anxiety. Blaming others for the situation is just too easy. Life is tough at times and full of knocks and pitfalls, so acknowledge that. Finding a workable solution to your problem is the healthy challenge of life.

4 Take each day at a time. A lifetime of conditioned thinking and reaction is not easy to change. However, it can be done by taking small steps at a time. Take care of yourself by keeping clear of stressful situations and do not take on more than you can cope with.

5 Adopt a positive attitude. Confidence and self worth is what you are after even if do not feel like it. Act the part and eventually you will be the part. You should not believe that you are being judged continually.

6 Seek help. There are many professionals who are well trained and experienced at helping to deal with anxiety once it becomes a real problem. There are also many remedies which help to calm your anxious state. Start with a natural remedy that is not habit forming.

Many high achievers have discovered the African indigenous plant called Kanna for treating anxiety. The remarkable thing about this herbal plant is that it is safe. It is completely non addictive and no severe adverse effects have been documented. Those relaxed, happy ancient tribes had the secret of not only basic survival, but on how to enjoy life. The plant was greatly prized because when chewed they experienced a feeling of goodwill and benevolence. The good news is that it is now available in a natural milled powder form in capsules.

I have suffered the effects of anxiety and stress and vowed no more. I since made an extensive study of the symptoms, the causes, effects and management of stress and have helped countless people turn their lives around If you would like to rid yourself of stress and look forward to each day, go to my website for a FREE guide which sets out the Golden Rules on how to manage stress and anxiety.

About the Author

Philippa has suffered from both anxiety and stress related problems. She decided that enough was enough and decided to research the reasons,causes and management of stress and anxiety related problems. Over the years and as a result of her studies she has helped countless people deal with their stress and anxiety

Scientists dismiss 'detox myth'

2009-01-15T20:45:00.000-08:00

There is no evidence that products widely promoted to help the body "detox" work, scientists warn.

The charitable trust Sense About Science reviewed 15 products, from bottled water to face scrub, and found many detox claims were "meaningless".

Anyone worried about the after-effects of Christmas overindulgence would get the same benefits from eating healthily and getting plenty of sleep, they said.

Advertising regulators said they looked at such issues on a case-by-case basis.

The investigation, done by research members of the Voice of Young Science network, was kicked off by a campaign to unpick "dodgy" science claims - where companies use phrases that sound scientific but do not actually mean anything.

The minimum sellers of detox products should be able to offer is a clear understanding of what detox is and proof that their product actually works

Tom Wells, chemist

They challenged the companies behind products such as vitamins, shampoo, detox patches and a body brush on the evidence they had to support the detox claims made.

No two companies seemed to use the same definition of detox - defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as the removal of toxic substances or qualities.

In the majority of cases, producers and retailers were forced to admit that they had simply renamed processes like cleaning or brushing, as detox, the scientists said.

Toxins

One researcher investigated a Garnier face wash which claimed to detoxify the skin by removing toxins.

''Your body is the best detox product you have'' - Sense about Science

The "toxins" turned out to be the dirt, make-up and skin oils that any cleanser would be expected to remove, she said.

A five-day detox plan from Boots which claimed to detoxify the body and flush away toxins was also criticised for not being backed by evidence.

Evelyn Harvey, a biologist who looked into the product, said that if consumers followed the healthy diet that was recommended alongside the supplement they would probably feel better - but it would have nothing to do with the product itself.

The researchers warned that, at worst, some detox diets could have dangerous consequences and, at best, they were a waste of money.

Tom Wells, a chemist who took part in the research, said: "The minimum sellers of detox products should be able to offer is a clear understanding of what detox is and proof that their product actually works.

"The people we contacted could do neither."

Alice Tuff, from Sense About Science, added: "It is ridiculous that we're seeing a return to mystical properties being claimed for products in the 21st Century and I'm really pleased that young scientists are sharing their concerns about this with the public."

The Advertising Standards Authority said it would investigate such claims on a case-by-case basis if a complaint was made.

"If a product is making claims not substantiated by the evidence submitted by the company we would challenge that."

A spokeswoman from Boots said its five-day detox plan encouraged people to drink water and includes ingredients that "battle against toxins and help protect from the dangers of free radicals".

And Garnier commented: "All Garnier products undergo rigorous testing and evaluation to ensure that our claims are accurate and noticeable by our consumers."

A&E must do more on pain control

2009-01-14T00:45:00.000-08:00

Thousands of people have expressed concern about pain management in A&E units in a poll of patients.

The Healthcare Commission survey of nearly 50,000 people found less than two thirds felt staff did everything they could to manage pain.

But overall nine in 10 patients said they were happy with the standard of service in hospitals in England.

A&E doctors admitted there were some areas that needed improving, but the government said it was pleased.

In total, 88% of patients rated their care as good, very good or excellent, with the numbers giving hospitals the top score rising slightly since the last survey in 2004.

'Worrying'

But the watchdog said the overall performance could not hide some worrying trends for individual aspects of the care package.

Just 59% of patients said they felt staff did everything they could to manage pain.

One in four people who requested pain relief said they had to wait more than 15 minutes, and 9% said they never got the relief they requested.

Concerns were also raised about the information patients were given.

Only 37% said they were given a complete explanation of possible side-effects of medicine they were given.

Pain management is a critical part of care

Katherine Murphy
Patients Association

Another third reported they were not told about the danger signs associated with their illness or injury that they should look out for after being discharged.

The poll also showed slight drops compared to the last survey in the ratings for privacy and respect and the way patients felt they were involved in their care.

And it revealed regional variations in the quality of services with London performing worse on many aspects of care.

The performance of hospitals in the capital has been an issue in previous reports from the watchdog and officials said they were looking into the trend.

Healthcare Commission chief executive Anna Walker said while the overall rating was good, hospitals still had lessons to learn.

"Patients have raised important issues."

And Katherine Murphy, of the Patients Association, claimed patients deserved better, adding: "Pain management is a critical part of care."

The watchdog also highlighted a concern about the four-hour waiting time target.

More than a quarter of patients said they were in A&E for longer than four hours.

Accusation

The Healthcare Commission suggested this could be because patients were being sent to assessment units, a kind of half-way house between A&E and the rest of the hospitals.

Managers have been accused of using these units as a way of getting round the target when they have not been able to treat or admit the individual within four hours.

Time spent in the assessment unit does not count towards the target.

The watchdog refused to get drawn into whether this was a deliberate tactic to hit the target or part of the proper assessment process.

But both the Lib Dems and Tories said hospitals were being pressured into manipulating waiting times.

Martin Shalley, of the College of Emergency Medicine, agreed it was probably happening "in some places".

And on pain he said: "More needs to be done.

"I think it is probably to do with time pressures. Staff do not always have the time to keep asking patients about pain during their visit to A&E. It is something we are trying to improve."

But he added: "Overall, however, we should be pleased with the performance."

Health minister Ben Bradshaw also said he was pleased with the results.

"There has been a dramatic improvement in recent years."

Arthritis 'woes' worse in women

2009-01-14T00:42:00.000-08:00

The condition attacks the joints

Women may suffer more from rheumatoid arthritis than men, findings suggest.

Female patients say they experience more symptoms like aches, pains and tiredness even when they appear to have the same level of disease as men.

The Finnish researchers believe their findings may be down to physical strength - women are naturally weaker than men and thus feel the strain more.

Details of their study of over 6,000 patients from 25 countries is published in Arthritis Research and Therapy.

It is already known that the disease is more common in women than in men - more than 70% of those with rheumatoid arthritis are female.

Women tell us they have more severe symptoms

Lead researcher Dr Tuulikki Sokka

In the latest study, the men and women were asked to complete questionnaires about their disease and underwent x-rays and blood tests to gauge how advanced their arthritis was.

'Weaker' sex

Lead researcher Dr Tuulikki Sokka, a consultant in rheumatology at the Jyvaskyla Central Hospital, said: "The level of rheumatoid arthritis appears to be pretty much the same in both sexes but the symptoms of joint tenderness and things like that appear to be worse in women.

"The problem is that the only real measure we have for rheumatoid arthritis is the X-ray, which only measures damage.

"This is not a very valuable tool in the everyday clinic and so we need to rely on what patients tell us. We found that women tell us they have more severe symptoms."

Dr Sokka believes this relates to women being physically weaker than men.

"Our findings were particularly obvious in older women, who are losing their muscle mass little by little every year.

"Given that woman is the 'weaker vessel' concerning musculoskeletal size and strength and her baseline values are lower than men's, the same burden of a musculoskeletal disease may appear to be more harmful to a woman than to a man."

Macho façade

Alternatively, it may be that women feel less inhibited about admitting they are having difficulties, or that men tolerate more pain, she said.

Hormones may also play a role.

Professor Alan Silman, a spokesman for the Arthritis Research Campaign, said: "One of the most fascinating and unexplained aspects of rheumatoid arthritis is the strong female excess in incidence, although this narrows substantially after the menopause.

"This provides powerful evidence that hormonal factors are involved in the disease.

"Furthermore men who develop the disease need to have a stronger genetic background than women.

"Thus it is not surprising that the disease behaves differently between the genders and the differences in severity are not likely to be totally explained by external factors such as body build and physical activities."

Dr Chris Deighton, a consultant rheumatologist at Derbyshire Royal Infirmary, said it was possible that women had more severe joint disease than men.

But the study also showed that the way disease activity is measured in patients could differ between men and women.

Dr Deighton said: "My impression is that there's still a possibility that women have more severe joint disease than men do.

"When they looked at the data, they noted that women tended to have more erosions (of bone) than men did."

Here is your Horoscope for the year 2009....enjoy reading it...

2009-01-13T07:43:00.000-08:00

Wish you very Happy new

2009-01-13T00:00:00.001-08:00

Wish you very Happy new

How To Control Panic Attacks in economic uncertainty

2009-01-12T23:05:00.000-08:00

How To Control Panic Attacks in economic uncertainty by Philip Harman

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Anxiety and Panic Attacks are very high in these times of economic uncertainty. Here are some helpful ideas on How To Control Panic Attacks.

Typically panic attacks are characterised by the very rapid oncoming of crippling anxiety or terror, accompanied by any number of physical symptoms such as shortness of breath, tightness in the chest, chest pain, lightheadedness, nausea, perspiration, tingling or numbness in the hands and fingers or Feeling a loss of control. These episodes can take place at any time, even during sleep. A person experiencing a panic attack may believe that he or she is experiencing a heart attack or that death is close at hand.

The first time a individual goes through a panic attack it can feel like their whole world is coming down around them. No place feels safe to them anxiety becomes like a freight train about to run them down and no place to run. Once this happens people start to either avoid situations that make them anxious or they medicate themselves to the point where they are numb to the fear. I am sure you will agree neither of the above is a acceptable solution. Millions of people around the world are looking for outstanding and powerful tips on how to control panic attacks. Why? Because the symptoms of these episodes are so frightening, that people have virtually gone crazy trying to stop them. Severe anxiety is possibly the single most unpleasant emotional state a human can experience, and you don't want to expose yourself to it for one day more than you have to. Pleasing news, panic attacks are very treatable!

The most beneficial way to stop or control panic attacks is to stop them before they happen. Reduce you overall stress level. This can be done by exercise, meditation, or a occassional massage. Identify all the thoughts you have that are contributing to the panic attacks. Then you think of all the reasons those thoughts are arousing the situation and counter them with thoughts that are positive. Utilize things like constructive self talk and deep breathing exercises breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Cut back on your use of Caffeine, Sugar and Alcohol all of these make symptoms worse. Catch some Z's (sleep) this is very important but overlooked by many.

About the Author

Written by Philip Harman who lives in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. You can learn a lot more about how to control panic attacks at: http://videos4you.com/public/anxiety_panic_attacks.htm

How to Gain Weight Fast - Why Do People Think Skinny People Have it Easy

2009-01-12T23:04:00.002-08:00

by Dennis R. Ward

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I would say that 75% of people who are working out are trying to lose weight. Excluding body builders the majority of people that are slightly overweight will look at a skinny person with a little bit of envy. I have heard it more than once from people claiming that skinny people have it easy. Trust me we when I tell you that most skinny people would gladly trade places with you or pay you to tell them how to gain weight fast. Why? Keep reading and I'll explain.

Skinny people are blessed or cursed, depending on how you look at it, with a fast metabolism. Basically skinny people can eat what they want, when they want and not gain weight. Now to some that may sound like finding the fountain of youth but try and look at it from the other side.

If you are a little overweight it did not happen overnight. Most times people who used to be in pretty good shape just stopped being as active as they once were and put on a few pounds. Gradually you put on a pound or two and over the course of a year it added up to ten pounds. But you know that with a little work you can get back to the shape you had in your prime. A skinny person can eat and eat and eat but never gain anything. That means that they are just stuck being skinny no matter what they do.

Talk to someone who is skinny and most of them are just as embarrassed to get into a bathing suit at the pool as someone who is quite a bit over weight. There is not much worse than hearing bird noises from people when you take your shirt off due to how small your chest is.

The good news is you can learn how to gain weight fast. You just have to follow a few steps that will force your body to put on some weight no matter how fast your metabolism is.

About the Author

I have been there when it comes to not wanting to take of my shirt at the pool party. I know how uncomfortable that feeling is, but I also know from experience that you can change it. If you're ready to work and break out of being skinny then Click Here You'll thank yourself when you begin to see the difference it will make to your body.

India Intersex Society, Intersex support India, Intersexed, Hermaphrodite in India, Hermaphroditism,

2009-01-12T23:04:00.001-08:00

by Sam

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Intersex / DSD ( Disorders of Sex Development)

Uday Foundation is devoted to systemic change to end shame, secrecy, and unwanted genital surgeries for children born with an anatomy that someone decided is not standard for male or female. In India Intersexuality is primarily a problem of stigma and trauma, not gender.

Congenital Heart Defects

3-8 children out of every thousand live births are born with heart disorders and two-thirds of them are liable to die before they cross their first birthday. Key Result Area of this project is to to give underprivileged children in India born with heart diseases appropriate treatment. Uday Foundation aims to assist early diagnosis and availability of monetary assistance for diagnostic purposes and surgical interventions.

Please Visit : Uday Foundation

About the Author

Living with DSD

Work Stress for Women

2009-01-12T23:03:00.001-08:00

Work Stress for Women: There Are Ways To Manage It by Faith

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Women are more prone to workplace stress because of the many roles they play in life: as career woman, wife, mother, daughter, and friend. Women work way beyond the 9-5 shift, often having to rush home to cook dinner, help the kids with homework, and prepare the next day's office attire for the hubby. The stress and anxiety caused by endless tasks and impossible deadlines in a high-speed, high-tech world has made women's lives a living web of complexity.

The question is: How can women cope with stress and anxiety? The first step is to dissect the problem and understand how these psychological and emotional conditions make women's lives more difficult.

Stress is a combination of fatigue, restlessness, depression, over-focusing, and over-all gloominess that is a consequence of overwork and other domestic or personal problems. The difficulty of trying to balance time between work and the home has caused many women to suffer from stress. Personal or relationship issues like divorce or separation have also been the cause of anxiety panic attacks among women. Women who own and manage their own business are also prone to stress. Their high drive for business success cannot always protect them from times of depression and overwork. Career women, on the other hand, have to confront office politics, gender discrimination, sexual harassment, and the fear of being laid-off.

But there's still hope for over-worked, stressed women. Here are some practical ways for women to reduce and manage work-related stress:

1. Put up relaxing scenes- It could be a poster or a small painting with beautiful scenery. You can even download screen savers of beaches, waterfalls, clear lakes and other scenes that help create a serene mood.

2. The To-Do-List- Use that Post-Its or other stick-on note pads. Color-code your notes and even put up an "alarm" in your computer to remind you of priority tasks. The key is to know what to do first.

3. Time out - As they say, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." Take some time out to take a breather. Do way from reading emails the mostly junk. Do stimulating activities like sudoku or brainteaser. Reading some inspirational books like Chicken Soup for the Soul.

4. Rearrange your workstation - Add some "homey" look to your workstation... put up photo frames of your family or favorite pet. When ever you feel stressed out just glance at their happy faces or cuteness ---and you'll find yourself smiling back!

5. When a plant isn't just a plant - Having a plant around your workplace is good stress relief. Studies show that looking at something green like a plant helps soothe your eyes after facing the computer monitor all day or after reading for a long time. Focusing on a green plant will have a soothing effect.

6. Exercise - Walking, climbing the stairs, or going out to run helps fight stress. Physical activity help get rid of tension. During a workout, your body releases endorphins which helps your body to relax. Endorphins also act as natural pain killers. There are a lot of exercise videos that you can use ranging from the standard aerobics to pilates, tae-bo, and a host of other fitness programs.

7. De-clutter- A cluttered workstation like pens,pencils, notepads,tons of papers spread around every inch of your work place adds to your stress. Make your work environment more appealing by organizing your things and throwing away things you no longer need.

8. Set Boundaries- Communicate and assert yourself, make your co-workers know when you are more available for chit chat.

9. Go less in your caffeine intake- caffeine even is popularly known as a stimulant, too much of it adds to stress even leads to depression.

10. Eat a good breakfast- Don' skip meals even if you are indeed in a hurry. Studies shows that if you make it a practice to eat breakfast every day, you're body gets more the needed proteins to give you an energy boost to face the working day.

Beat work-related stress without beating yourself up. Learn how to relax. Sure...we have duties and responsibilities but if you don't learn to relax---burn out is what you get! Make an effort to relax. Listen to good music. Try not to smoke. Because if you don't watch out, the results would be hypertension...depression... and a plethora of other ailments that can sidetrack your career and home life. It's time to regain a sense of balance if you want to stay alive for a long, long, long time.

About the Author

Faith is an expert writer on a variety of topics. She writes and reviews on many top end products. Visit her blog at, http://panicaway-now.blogspot.com/

Natural Male Enhancement

2009-01-12T23:02:00.001-08:00

Natural Male Enhancement : Your Best Option Aside from Surgery by David Edge

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Natural Male Enhancement : Your Best Option Aside from Surgery

When you are contemplating on what is the ideal option for you in terms of male enhancement, natural male enhancement is best the answer if you cannot afford surgery. Numerous male who have tried the product, including that quoted in the male enhancement review states that of the many enhancement methods available, there is nothing compared with natural male enhancement that is made out of the various herbal medicines found worldwide. If you are having problems with your sexual life, yet you are not willing to spend thousand on surgery, then give yourself a break and try male enhancement supplements instead. There are about four male enhancers that is being introduced and applied by males who are not satisfied with their size. Male enhancement such as Natural male enhancement pills, sexual enhancement patches, penis enhancement exercises, and penis enlargement surgery are the known enhancements in the male enhancement review read by males across the globe. Of the four major male enhancements, surgery is the most expensive. However, the best male enhancement pill depends on the user itself because each has its own reaction to the body. In deciding which male enhancement procedure works best for you, it is imperative that you check out the facts available before you decide. Natural male enhancement supplements came from the combination of several herbal products found all over the world. What is does is help increase the blood flow in the male organ and testicles. Once taken, the herbal ingredients will force the corpora cavernosa (it is the one responsible in creating an erection) to create an erection to produce a stronger sex drive in the male organ. Now, how are you going to determine, which among the male enhancement pills available is the best male enhancement pill? Aside from reading facts and recommendation, you yourself should make your own examination before you make a decision. Different manufacturers have introduced various natural male enhancement pills in the market. Most came from similar and the same ingredients, which vary from the number of herbal contents and the procedure, and of course the manufacturers' origin. There is no guarantee that on works best over the other because certain people have certain reactions towards medication or any supplement for that matter. Any one using male enhancement should know which works for him best. However, if you are new to the procedure, you can take caution by looking at the labels and ingredients written. Some factors to consider are the side effects mentioned and the prices of there male enhancement supplements. When you are deciding what supplement to buy, check out the composition of the pill. The herbal component, the chemicals added, side effects and the prohibition for people with certain conditions, and of course, the frequency of use allowed. The price should also be ideal and not too cheap or expensive. Male enhancement should offer only the main thing it is made for. If there are other side effects, then find other supplement that works best for you. Check out the male enhancement review and see, which among these mentioned male enhancement method have the highest patron.

About the Author

David Edge is author of this article on Male Enhancement Pill. Find more information about Male Enhancement Reviewhere.

Generic HIV

2009-01-12T23:01:00.002-08:00

Generic HIV/AIDS Drugs in 2009 by Jason Hachkowski

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The US economy is going down fast, and it is bringing a lot of people down with it. Those with high health-care costs are being affected the most, and often it will come at the expense of their health.

Often, when facing financial hardships, people have to make decisions between the basic essentials: water, utility bills, food, and for those who require them, life saving medicines. Sometimes, when there isn't enough money to go around, and decisions are made which can adversely affect ones health.

Pill-splitting is a common tactic being employed by people who are attempting to allocate money between the basic essentials. The trouble here is that when a prescription is written, it is meant to be followed to a 'T', and pill splitting actually reduces the effectiveness of the medication by a factor greater than one half! Medications often need to be built up in the blood before they reach their maximum efficacy.

This is especially true in the case of HIV/AIDS medicines. Due to the somewhat 'difficult' nature of the virus (or is it adaptable?), changing, altering, or missing doses gives the virus the opportunity to evolve, or adapt. The likelihood is that over time, the medications will become less effective. What may have started out as a one-medicine therapy now turns into a cocktail therapy, or HAART therapy.

There are several combination therapies on the market today. Some of the more common ones are: Combivir ($513/60 tablets), Kaletra ($833/180 capsules), and Atripla ($1200/30 tablets).

The costs of these medicines are quite high, and depending on the individual, it can be difficult to manage the extra pharmaceutical expenses, in addition to, living expenses, and doctors' visits. At the expense of their own health, some are choosing to skip their life-saving medications, in favor of putting food on the table. For some, the option becomes generic medication.

Generic medicine is readily available online. There are a variety of generic products which can replace the brands mentioned previously, and are actually manufactured in FDA approved facilities! Did you know that India has the highest concentration of FDA approved manufacturing facilities outside of the U.S.? In fact, much of the pre-production and precursor products are being made outside of the U.S. by companies in India.

One company has created several generic versions of the top selling brands of the U.S. pharmaceutical companies. Cipla Ltd of Mumbai India has created generic versions of: Combivir - Generic Name Duovir ($94.50/60 tablets), Kaletra - Generic Name Lopimune ($562/180 capsules), and Atripla - Generic Name Viraday ($250/30 tablets). All of these products which Cipla manufactures are currently being used to treat HIV/AIDS in Africa, but are not commonly available in North America as they are currently still on patent. With that being said, the FDA originally altered its policy on personal importation of pharmaceutical products in the late 1980's to address the HIV/AIDS crisis at the time. At a time when treatments were scarce, and people had few options to help manage the disease, the FDA created the personal importation clause for the purpose of importing medicines that were otherwise unattainable in the U.S. It's interesting to note as well that nearly all nations with a similar pharmaceutical regime all carry a similar clause.

For those who need it, the personal importation clause can be a much-needed lifeline. Considering that as a society, we appear to be entering into a era of frugality and saving, the future likely holds that many more people will be invoking this clause for personal health and financial reasons. Could it be that we will also see government itself open the doors and allow people to reach out and make empowered decisions regarding their own health and well being? The latter of which is unlikely.

Do not expect government to open up the floodgates to low-cost generic medications, but do expect to see the proliferation of online healthcare to continue.

About the Author

http://www.aids-drugs-online.com/index.php

Healthy Fats and Dieting

2009-01-12T23:01:00.001-08:00

Healthy Fats and Dieting by Anna Williams

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An essential but often overlooked part of any nutritional diet or weight loss program is the consumption of sufficient healthy fats.

Fats have incorrectly been given a bad name and have been wrongly viewed as something to avoid.

There are unhealthy fats which can cause weight gain and health problems when consumed in excess. On the other side of the coin, there are healthy and essential fats which are necessary in the body and which actually assist in weight loss efforts.

This article is not an official medical document and does not serve to give specific instructions on how much of which types of fats should be consumed by whom, or under which circumstances, etc.

It only serves to raise awareness on the existence and importance of healthy and essential fats, and what some of them are.

"Good fats" contain essential fatty acids.

Essential fatty acids are the fats which are needed in the body, but which the human body can not synthesize. In other words, the body can not make these fats on its own, and it can not use components from other foods to create these fats. It has to obtain them directly from food.

They are called:

Linoleic Acid

Arachidonic Acid

Linolenic Acid

But don't worry if these seem like big confusing words. They are just the scientific names of the three essential fatty acids.

Principle sources of essential fatty acids include the following:

Natural vegetable oils, corn oil, soybean oil, and cottonseed oil (containing 35%-70% essential fatty acids) Safflower oil (containing 85%-90%).

One can also obtain essential fatty acids from other foods, in smaller amounts. Some of these foods are not the healthiest though. These include:

Animal Fats

Cream

Butter

Fish-liver Oils

Egg Yolk

Natural Lard (the richest animal source, containing 5% - 11%)

Avocados

Almonds

Olive Oil

Now lets look at the difference between essential fatty acids and that fat that accumulates in our bodies when we eat more sugar or starch than the body can immediately use.

Since the body can not create these essential fats, which we need for our health, that also means that the an over-abundance of body fat will not replace our need for them.

Therefore it is incorrect to consider that one "does not need to eat anything with fat" just because one is overweight.

On the contrary, a lack of essential fatty acids can contribute to weight gain!

Eating too little of these healthy fats is possibly one of the principle causes of weight gain. The following are a few of the reasons for this:

1. When the body contains an insufficient quantity of essential fatty acids, it changes sugar into fat much more quickly than it normally would. This fast change of sugar to fat also causes the blood sugar to go down fast, which can lead to cravings for more food, overeating, and hence weight gain.

2. Fats are satisfy hunger better than other foods do. You might avoid 100 calories of fat in a meal, and as a result become so hungry that you wind up consuming an extra 500 calories of sugars and starches, in order to satisfy your hunger. And thus you would gain more weight than you would have, if you had eaten those essential healthy fats.

3. Many overweight person simply have an excess of water in their bodies. Adding adequate healthy fats to their diets (such as in salad dressings) has caused them to lose pounds.

There is quite a lot more that could be said about healthy fats and essential fatty acids. But this gives a basic summary. As a general rule, try to eat these fats in as raw and unadulterated (unprocessed) form as possible. Fats can be harmed and made very unhealthy when they are heated and processed. I would suggest making home made salad dressings with raw oils, and/or adding raw nuts and seeds to one's salad, and then eating salad as frequently as possible. This encourages you to eat more vegetables as well. Salads can be varied in thousands of ways and can become gourmet works of art while retaining their health value.

So a great dieting rule of thumb would be to use salads liberally, and don't forget to put some healthy fats in your dressing!

About the Author

Anna has studied health from the age of nine and believes in common sense principles of nutrition. For more information on, visit her website at http://www.low-calorie-and-vegetarian-recipes-4u.com .

Grandparents Can Get Involved with Paternity Testing As Well

2009-01-12T23:00:00.002-08:00

Grandparents Can Get Involved with Paternity Testing As Well by Patricia Denny

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Summary: Traditionally, we think of paternity testing a something that involves a wronged spouse or a father looking to see if he has a paternal relationship with a particular child, but there are other instances where dna testing is used for the betterment of people as well.

Traditionally, we think of paternity testing a something that involves a wronged spouse or a father looking to see if he has a paternal relationship with a particular child, but there are other instances where dna testing is used for the betterment of people as well.

DNA Testing

We're all familiar with the fact that dna testing is widely used to solve criminal activities as well but one of the places where people might be surprised to find it being implemented is with cases concerning the grandparentage of individuals. Generally, this kind of test is used to determine if two people can be the biological grandparents of a child. Like other kinds of dna testing and including a paternity dna test before birth, this process requires both the consent and samples be collected from all the parties involved.

This is a procedure used to determine the way a family's relationship works with each other when the father isn't available for testing. As with the other kinds of dna testing, there's a need to find these relationships as they pertain to claims that are being made for social security and other inheritance claims.

Reputation

Of course the need for this kind of dna testing generally means that the people involved want to make sure they get in touch with the best facilities that can carry these tests out in a reasonable and timely manner. That's where reputation means everything to these paternity testing companies. It's easy to find the best of these places online but there are a few other routes that you can take to ensure that the facility you choose will give you the best service possible. You can check their reputation several ways including:

- Asking friends and relatives what they know.

- Looking on the Internet to see what's been posted about any particular paternity testing company.

- Asking professionals like lawyers in your community who they use.

About the Author

Patricia Donaldson is a nurse who works with paternity testing. She knows all areas of the business and is considered an expert in the dna paternity testing version of the procedure.

If You Are Accused of a Crime

2009-01-12T23:00:00.001-08:00

If You Are Accused of a Crime, Always Get the Best Help by Groshan Fabiola

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Sometimes when luck isn't favoring you, you might get into circumstances where correctly or incorrectly you're booked for a criminal offence. It's a terrible thing to be booked for a crime, and the results can be terrible. I just don't mean jail here. In order to put up a good fight in Minnesota, you need a good Minnesota criminal lawyer. Without a good Minneapolis criminal lawyer, you could be giving away your case.

When you're booked for an offence, the police and the state prosecutor will do everything to pin it on you, and they will do everything to make sure you get a hefty sentence. That's their job, and they will do it. Your only friend in this situation is your Minneapolis criminal lawyer. He can advice you about what you need to say, how you need to say it, and what kind of outcome can you expect. A good Minnesota criminal lawyer will study your case deeply and then give you his counsel.

Unless you really can't afford it, try not to depend on the state to provide you a lawyer. The lawyer provided to you by the state may not be interested in taking it at all, and could be doing it cause it was his turn. Not every lawyer is a criminal lawyer. Only a specialist Minnesota criminal lawyer will have the necessary knowledge to give you accurate advice. And the counsel provided to you by the state may specialize in something entirely different. That's why you need to hire a good Minneapolis criminal lawyer to fight your case.

The lawyer's job is to try to ensure that you're acquitted, and often a good Minnesota criminal lawyer will be able to see technical points that you will miss, but that will be vital for the case. For example, many a people have been acquitted because the police made a technical mistake that damaged the case in court. But to be sharp enough to notice these things requires a lot of experience and only a dependable Minneapolis criminal lawyer has the required insight.

The best way to recruit a lawyer is through recommendation. If you know anyone who knows the legal circle and tell you who is a good lawyer, ask her. You can also approach the bar association and ask for a referral. Or you can ask any lawyer that you happen to know. Most lawyers are aware of the best professionals in their profession, and he should be able to tell you who is a good Minnesota criminal lawyer. Don't be afraid to ask for the credentials of the Minneapolis criminal lawyer when you meet him.

The most important thing you need to understand is that the client-lawyer relationship is very special. Don't hire a lawyer you're not comfortable with. If you feel your lawyer is sympathetic, hears your case patiently, and gives you well-thought advice, hire him only then. A good Minnesota criminal lawyer will never give you bad advice.

About the Author

For more resources about Minnesota Criminal Lawyer or even about minnesota dwi lawyer please review this page http://www.thelawway.com

Females are less physically active at both ends of life than their male counterparts

2009-01-12T22:59:00.001-08:00

Females are less physically active at both ends of life than their male counterparts, two studies suggest.

Researchers studied activity levels in school children and the over 70s - and in both cases found males tended to be more active.

The studies are being presented at the UK Society for Behavioural Medicine annual conference.

Liverpool John Moores University found girls take part in 6% less vigorous playtime activity than boys.

It is a concern that girls' activity levels are lower than boys

Researcher Dr Nicky Ridgers
Liverpool John Moores University

The researchers, who focused on 10 and 11 year-old children in the school playground, found that boys and girls tend to play differently.

Girls tended to spend time in smaller groups and engage in verbal games, conversation and socialising.

Most boys, however, played in larger groups, which lend themselves more to physically active games, such as football.

Researcher Dr Nicky Ridgers said: "It is a concern that girls' activity levels are lower than boys and, although it is just one piece in a complex picture, this could be contributing to girls being overweight and obese.

"Schools should be aware of the differences between the way girls and boys behave in the playground and the fact that girls tend to favour small group activities.

"They could then consider the availability of equipment and provision of playtime activities that would encourage girls to take part in more vigorously active play."

Older people

The gender difference was mirrored in a second study, led by the University of Bristol, which looked at activity levels among the over-70s.

Women do more lower intensity activity which probably represents daily tasks around the house

Researcher Professor Ken Fox
University of Bristol

In general, levels of physical activity were very low among most people of both sexes aged over 70.

More than 70% of the people who took part in the study walked for fewer than 5,000 steps a day.

However, women were more likely to be less active than men.

Researcher Professor Ken Fox said: "Men accomplish more higher intensity physical activity than women and this seems to be explained by trips out of the house.

"However, there is evidence that they also sit down for longer periods in the day.

"Women do more lower intensity activity which probably represents daily tasks around the house.

"This would suggest that traditional family roles are still identifiable in this generation."

Professor Adrian Taylor, of the University of Exeter, which is organising the conference, said development of ways to promote greater physical activity across all age groups was vital.

He said: "Society and our environment are leading us to do increasingly less physical activity with adverse health consequences such as heart disease, diabetes and mental health problems for people of all ages."

Professor Alan Maryon-Davis, president of the UK Faculty of Public Health, said both findings had important public health implications.

He said: "Vigorous activity helps build strong bones and joints. I'm worried that girls who are less active at playtime could be more vulnerable to osteoporosis (brittle bone disease) in later life.

"All the more reason to ensure that girls have plenty of organised sports and active games.

"For people in their 70s the key needs are mobility and flexibility, so a mix of activities is important for men and women alike to keep up their suppleness, strength and stamina - all the more reason to take up dancing!"

Correct Hand Washing

2009-01-12T01:41:00.001-08:00

Correct Hand Washing - Simple Yet Effective by Geoff Cummings

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Most ailments are transmitted through the air. WRONG! According to the U.S. Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, at least 80% of ailments such as colds and other infections are transmitted by our hands, not through the air.

A review of more than 30 studies found that hand washing with soap cuts the incidence of diarrhea by nearly half.

Intestinal worm, skin infections, and eye infections can all be reduced by proper washing of the hands.

Hand washing with soap also reduces the incidence of skin diseases; eye infections like trachoma and intestinal worms, especially ascariasis and trichuriasis.

The first Global Handwashing Day was held on October 15 2008, the International Year of Sanitation.

Hand washing is generally considered to be the single most important way to prevent the spread of illness. Yet, many do not always wash when they should. This means after using the bathroom, sneezing, touching the nose, touching a pet or other animal, touching anything soiled with body fluids or wastes (such as blood, saliva, urine, stool, or vomit). Before and after eating, cooking, or otherwise handling food. Some studies have shown that there are more germs on the lid of a trash can than there are on a toilet seat. Some people use an infrared-powered trash can which has the advantage of hands-free disposal of such things as food packaging, left over food etc.

The potential for infection does not disappear after a quick, perfunctory job of hand washing.

Drying hands properly can be equally important. Researchers at the University of Westminster in England found that many people do not dry their hands thoroughly after washing, especially when using electric warm air hand dryers. Many complete drying by wiping their hands on their clothes. This can spread any dangerous microorganisms left on the hands. According to the researchers, it is best to dry hands completely, preferably using disposable paper towels or a clean, unused cloth towel.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers the following hand-washing advice:

• Always use warm running water and mild soap. If forced to use a basin instead of running water, clean and disinfect it each time it is used. Premoistened towelettes do not effectively clean hands.

• Rub hands together vigorously until a soapy lather appears, and continue rubbing for at least 15 seconds. Scrub the tops and palms of the hands as well as between fingers and under fingernails.

• Rinse hands under warm running water.

• Dry with a clean disposable, or single-use, towel, and avoid touching the faucet or towel holder with clean hands.

• Turn the faucet off using the towel as a barrier to keep from touching the handle.

• Children should wash standing at a height where their hands can hang freely under the running water. Assist the child to perform all the above steps, and then wash your own hands.

About the Author

Geoff owns the site at http://www.ourhometools.com where personal and home cleaning products are on sale.

IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME Suffering in Silence Irritable bowel syndrome

2009-01-12T01:40:00.002-08:00

IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME Suffering in Silence Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), is a common disorder of the intestines that affects nearly one out of five people in the United States. According to the book, Irritable Bowel Syndrome & the Mind-Body-Brain-Gut Connection by William B. Salt II, IBS is the most common functional gastrointestinal disorder. The symptoms include constipation, diarrhea or alternating bouts of both, bloating, abdominal pain and many other problems. Symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome usually begin during adolescence or early adulthood. Altered bowel movements occur over periods of days to weeks. Occasionally, symptoms may be continuous. In a given individual, both constipation and diarrhea can occur, or either can be the recurring symptom. The course of the disease varies from patient to patient, but individually, it can follow a consistent pattern. The diarrhea of irritable bowel syndrome is usually of small volume, but frequent. Episodes commonly occur during periods of stress. The initial morning movement may be normal, but followed by successively loose bowel movements throughout the rest of the day. Bowel movements may be associated with extreme urgency. The diarrhea rarely awakens patients from sleep and there is usually no associated fever or rectal bleeding. The abdominal pain of irritable bowel syndrome can vary in severity from mild to severe. It is usually felt in the lower abdomen, especially on the left side. The pain may be dull, sharp, crampy or continuous. It is commonly relieved by the passage of gas or by defecation *1*. Each year, 2.6 million people seek treatment for symptoms related to functional gastrointestinal disorders, and visits to physicians total 3.5 million (Salt xiv). The average age of onset of IBS is between 20 and 29 years of age, and IBS is prevalent throughout the world including China, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Scandinavia (Salt xiv, xv). The public is made aware of cases of HIV, heart disease, various forms of cancer, etc., on a daily basis, yet IBS is relatively unheard of. Because of this, millions of people who suffer from IBS feel there is a stigma attached to their disease and they must suffer in silence. IBS is not a rare disease. In fact, it is the second leading cause of absenteeism in the workplace, coming in behind the common cold *2*. Unlike the common cold, however, there is no over-the-counter drug that 859

Your Body is a Machine and the Food You Eat is the Fuel

2009-01-12T01:40:00.001-08:00

Your Body is a Machine and the Food You Eat is the Fuel by Jay Greene

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There once was a young promising college student who got his first car on his 21st birthday. His mom handed over the keys along with a few words of advice:

"Don't drink and drive. Fill it up with premium gas and remember to change the oil every 3,000 miles."

Nothing out of the ordinary; just basic car safety and maintenance. Beaming, the young man replied,

"Oh sure, ma. No sweat."

For the most part, it was easy. The car ran like a dream and he went everywhere in it all the time. The brakes and suspension were super tight. It also didn't cost a whole lot of money to keep the car running smoothly, especially since regular gas was much cheaper than premium and there wasn't any noticeable drop off in performance.

He did take note when the odometer zeroed out at 66,000 miles and then again at the 70,000 mark a few short months later, but his thoughts centered mainly around how cool all the zeros looked. All in all, life was pretty darn swell for the young man and his car.

Until it wasn't.

The first symptoms were hardly noticed: An occasional delay starting the engine; a sudden backfire here and there morphed into a stead creaking squeak in the chassis which eventually joined forces with a shuddering wobble whenever he braked hard. But after warming up on the road, the car ran pretty much like it always had.

Until it didn't.

The end came quickly one bitter cold morning. The young man jumped in his car and turned the key. Nothing happened. He turned the key again. He pumped the gas pedal twisting the key back and forth in a frantic panic.

No spark. No life. Nothing.

Looking back, he had no one to blame but himself. His mother had given him good advice. His car had let him know early on that things were going wrong. Granted he was inexperienced, but there was no excuse for ignoring the obvious.

Why the young man did nothing when he was given every opportunity to address the problems long before they became unfixable is at the heart of the matter. As for the young man, he moved to New York City and joined the ranks of the walking masses.

However, you can't just walk away from a health problem, at least not for every long. Your body has ways of forcing you to pay if you've ignore it long enough.

Things don't usually start out that way. Back when pizza, burgers snack cakes and bagels with cream cheese and butter were your friends you had no concerns about your health. You could drink beer after beer, down multiple tequila shots, puff on cigarettes, take multiple bong hits and get very little sleep with little or no consequence.

Then gradually, imperceptibly, those same foods cause a negative backlash. Now, that same slice of pizza and beer settle like bronze paperweights in your stomach. Your knees and elbows pop and creak when sitting, or standing, while your favorite red meat goes down easy then comes back again and again in a nasty backwash of acidic broth.

Toxemia (symptomatic illness) takes a decade or so to affect your everyday life. Yet, the funny thing is most people are ready and willing to accept this slow demise of their health, citing the "natural aging process" or a "bad gene pool" as the reason why they can no longer sleep or take a meaningful poop.

Misery always loves a house full of company and commiserating about the "good ol' days" of having some decent pep in your step is something we're fond of doing. There's a certain amount of comfort in knowing that everyone else feels just as terrible as you do.

Sadly, the laughter fades when someone gets cancer, Type II Diabetes, Candida Albicans, Lyme or Gall Bladder disease. Once our disparate symptoms coalesce into a frightening diagnosis, a disease with a familiar name, the pity party comes to a screeching halt.

This is when taking action to improve the state of our health becomes the most logical, natural thing to do next. But why must we wait for the situation to become dire before taking action?

Being too busy, too tired or too afraid to address the situation just gives Toxemia free reign over your body to accelerate into a life-threatening condition or disease.

It doesn't take a whole lot of time or cost lots of money to do regular maintenance on your health. There are no doctors or health insurance forms to fill out either. There are dozens of proven, legitimate, inexpensive health maintenance resources available to help you right now.

If you're human, you are worthy of having good health. Period. You don't need anyone's permission (other than your own) to have it either.

To feeling much better,

Jay

About the Author

Reclaiming your health is actually a very simple, easy thing to do once you accept the fact that you deserve it and that you are worthy of having it. The Ultimate Detox Reference Guide teaches you everything you need to know, including how to take that first step. See for yourself: http://tipsforhealing.com

HIV CULTURE

2009-01-12T01:39:00.003-08:00

HIV CULTURE by Johnson Pinto

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An HIV Culture test is not performed in isolation. Generally, a culture test is performed with most other STD's by swabbing the cervix or the urethra (in males). Culture tests are based on those cells extracted. Drawing blood and sending it to a lab for testing can ONLY perform an HIV test. It can take up to 3 months before the HIV virus is apparent in your system, so when in doubt, test monthly. HIV culture tests are used to detect the presence of the human immunodeficiency virus in serum, saliva, or urine. Such tests may detect HIV antibodies, antigens, or RNA. HIV Qualitative Culture is useful for obtaining HIV isolates from HIV-infected individuals and for diagnosing HIV in infants of HIV-infected mothers. The Final report issued no later than five weeks after culture is set up; may be issued earlier if culture is positive.

HIV Quantitative PBMC Culture is a test, which is less sensitive than the qualitative culture test. It can be used to measure changes in the amount of infectious virus in PBMC during the course of therapy. The turn around time will not be more than three weeks after culture is set up.

The objective of the HIV culture test is to evaluate HIV infection .It is a method through which peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBM) and plasma is cultured. At all ages, HIV culture test is 100% specific although the sample size is too small for definitive evaluation. After 3 months of age, sensitivity increases to 90-100% for HIV culture test. Some patients who initially test negative can became positive on subsequent testing. After age 6 months, all assays are equivalent in sensitivity and specificity. The predictive power of the combination of tests exceeds that of any single test.

HIV culture, formally termed peripheral blood mononuclear cell co-culture for HIV-1 isolation, is a very labor-intensive laboratory test that was used initially to establish HIV-1 as the causative agent of AIDS. There are also quantitative cell cultures and quantitative plasma cultures. None of these culture techniques is used very much anymore, as they are expensive, difficult to perform, and labor intensive. Basically, these tests try to measure virus or virally infected cells. The ELISA and Western Blot tests measure antibodies. Antibodies are specific proteins made by the body's immune system that are directed against HIV. Antibody tests and viral load testing by PCR are now the preferred methods for testing for and monitoring HIV infection.

To conclude the diagnosis of HIV in infants less than 3 months of age is problematic. HIV diagnosis in early infancy cannot be established based on one single test; a battery of tests may be necessary, especially in infants under 3 months of age.

About the Author

HIV, AIDS, HIV Cure, HIV Treatment, HIV Infection, HIV Dating, HIV Positive, HIV Symptoms

Free Fitness Website

2009-01-12T01:39:00.001-08:00

Free Fitness Website: Sparkpeople's Healthier Arkansas

Monday January 5, 2009

At the risk of sounding like an advertisement, I thought I'd mention SparkPeople and their fairly new "Healthier Arkansas" team. Sparkpeople is a free website I've used off and on for years to log calories and exercise. It's kind of a like a free version of Weight Watcher's online calorie logging system, if you're familiar with that. You also get access to great recipes, fitness advice and a community of people helping you to get fit.

I think it was around November or December that I received an announcement about their new Arkansas team. The new year is a perfect time to sign up. The Arkansas team has a lot of locals who are currently talking about gyms and posing fitness challenges. I find it can be more fun to participate in fitness groups, and it brings out your competitive spirit.

So visit the SparkPeople Arkansas Team and get fit in 2009.

Good Tips For Health

2009-01-12T01:38:00.000-08:00

Good Tips For Health & Vitality by Faith

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How many times have you gone to sleep at night, swearing you'll go to the gym in the morning, and then changing your mind just eight hours later because when you get up, you don't feel like exercising?

While this can happen to the best of us, it doesn't mean you should drop the ball altogether when it comes to staying fit. What people need to realize is that staying active and eating right are critical for long-term health and wellness -- and that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

The more you know about how your body responds to your lifestyle choices, the better you can customize a nutrition and exercise plan that is right for you. When you eat well, increase your level of physical activity, and exercise at the proper intensity, you are informing your body that you want to burn a substantial amount of fuel. This translates to burning fat more efficiently for energy.

In other words, proper eating habits plus exercise equals fast metabolism, which, in turn gives you more energy throughout the day and allows you to do more physical work with less effort.

The true purpose of exercise is to send a repetitive message to the body asking for improvement in metabolism, strength, aerobic capacity and overall fitness and health. Each time you exercise, your body responds by upgrading its capabilities to burn fat throughout the day and night, Exercise doesn't have to be intense to work for you, but it does need to be consistent.

I recommend engaging in regular cardiovascular exercise four times per week for 20 to 30 minutes per session, and resistance training four times per week for 20 to 25 minutes per session. This balanced approach provides a one-two punch, incorporating aerobic exercise to burn fat and deliver more oxygen, and resistance training to increase lean body mass and burn more calories around the block.

Here's a sample exercise program that may work for you:

* Warm Up -- seven to eight minutes of light aerobic activity intended to increase blood flow and lubricate and warm-up your tendons and joints.

* Resistance Training -- Train all major muscle groups. One to two sets of each exercise. Rest 45 seconds between sets.

* Aerobic Exercise -- Pick two favorite activities, they could be jogging, rowing, biking or cross-country skiing, whatever fits your lifestyle. Perform 12 to 15 minutes of the first activity and continue with 10 minutes of the second activity. Cool down during the last five minutes.

* Stretching -- Wrap up your exercise session by stretching, breathing deeply, relaxing and meditating.

When starting an exercise program, it is important to have realistic expectations. Depending on your initial fitness level, you should expect the following changes early on.

* From one to eight weeks -- Feel better and have more energy.

* From two to six months -- Lose size and inches while becoming leaner. Clothes begin to fit more loosely. You are gaining muscle and losing fat.

* After six months -- Start losing weight quite rapidly.

Once you make the commitment to exercise several times a week, don't stop there. You should also change your diet and/or eating habits,' says Zwiefel. Counting calories or calculating grams and percentages for certain nutrients is impractical. Instead, I suggest these easy-to-follow guidelines:

* Eat several small meals (optimally four) and a couple of small snacks throughout the day

* Make sure every meal is balanced -- incorporate palm-sized proteins like lean meats, fish, egg whites and dairy products, fist-sized portions of complex carbohydrates like whole-wheat bread and pasta, wild rice, multigrain cereal and potatoes, and fist-sized portions of vegetable and fruits

* Limit your fat intake to only what's necessary for adequate flavour

* Drink at least eight 8-oz. glasses of water throughout the day

* I also recommend that you take a multi-vitamin each day to ensure you are getting all the vitamins and minerals your body needs.

I suppose that's all I can think of for now. I should extend my thanks to a doctor friend of mine. Without him, I wouldn't be able to write this article, or keep my sanity.

Enjoy life, we all deserve it.

About the Author

Faith is an expert writer in a variety of topics. She writes and reviews on many top end products. Visit her blog at, http://freehealthfitnesstipsblog.blogspot.com/

Homoeopathy For Bad Breath Remedy

2009-01-11T19:17:00.001-08:00

by Paul Stevens

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Offensive smell from the mouth is a common complaint in the day to day medical practice. It mainly affects those who mingle with others very closely. Bad breath is noticed mainly by the friends and family members or some times person himself feel it and come to the doctor. Many bad breathers develop depression which forces them to be away from the society which in turn hampers their activities.

The proteins in the food debris are degraded by the anaerobic bacteria present in the mouth. Offensive odor is produced due to release of some gases like hydrogen sulphide, skatol etc due to bacterial activity. Formation of a thin sticky membrane on the tongue favours bacterial growth. Bacteria are also seen in the crypts of tonsils, dental caries, dental pockets etc. Bad breath is associated with oral hygiene, caries, gingivitis, tonsillitis, tonsillar plaques, food habits, water intake, tobacco chewing, stomach and liver diseases and etc.

Homoeopathy is a system of medicine introduced by a German physician Dr Samuel Hahnemann. Homoeopathy treats the diseased individual as a whole rather than treating diseased parts or organs. The physical, mental, emotional, social spheres of a person are considered for a permanent cure. This system believes that the diseases are caused due to the derangement of vital force which is an invisible power in every individual.

In a healthy state the vital force maintains the equilibrium of mind body and soul. During this man will have normal sensations and functions. When the vital force gets affected there will be external manifestations in the form of signs and symptoms. The imbalance in the body functions makes a shelter for foreign organisms(bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa etc) and allows them to proliferate and produce so called diseases. Homoeopathy believes that the real disease comes before the bacteria and viruses, hence the root cause of the disease has to be treated for a permanent cure. The antibacterial and antiviral agents only remove the secondary causes mentioned above.

Diseases are produced by noxious horrific agents called Miasms which are dynamic influences which affect the vital force. There are mainly three miasms psora, syphilis and sycosis. These three causes are accepted by other schools of medicine but called by different names. Psora causes functional disturbances, syphilis cause structural changes in the form of destructions and sycosis causes changes in the form of overgrowth. These three miasms can act individually or in combined form producing different disease conditions.

To treat bad breath with homoeopathic medicine is easy if correct remedy in suitable dose is given. In the homoeopathic medical repertory by Dr Robin Murphy there are 140 homoeopathic drugs mentioned for bad breath. So just giving one drug for bad breath may not give good result. To come to a correct remedial diagnosis we should have the symptomatology of the person. It is the total symptoms of a person which includes mental generals, physical generals, particular symptoms etc. Bad breath is considered as a physical general symptom. Even though it comes only from a part of the body it affects the whole individual.

Symptoms related with appetite, thirst, bowels etc. are included in physical generals.

All signs and symptoms (mental and physical) of the person are taken in detail. Knowledge about past illnesses, family history of diseases, food and bowel habits, relation to climatic changes and constitution etc are noted down in a systematic order.

Mental symptoms: Example: fear, anxiety, depression, anger, jealousy and etc...

Physical symptoms: Example: Body makeup, appetite, thirst, desires, aversions, bowels, urination, sleep, taste, nature of smell, discharges any abnormal sensations like pain, burning, climatic changes, thermal relations, and etc...

Peculiar uncommon symptoms:

This is the speciality of homoeopathic system of medicine. For the selection of a suitable remedy these symptoms are very important. Common symptoms which are seen almost in all patients are least important.

Particular local signs and symptoms:

This includes signs and symptoms related to body parts and organs.

Example: Coating on the tongue, nature of mucus membrane of oral cavity, tonsils, gums, teeth, ulcers, discolouration's etc. are considered here.

Systemic and general physical examination:

Bad breath can be due to various systemic and disorders. Hence all systems (respiratory system, digestive system, nervous system, cardio vascular system and etc.) and parts from head to foot should be examined.

Provisional disease diagnosis; Here probable diseases are diagnosed. In homoeopathy disease diagnosis is not that much important for the selection of a remedy, but needed for general management and to know the prognosis.

Investigations:

This includes lab investigations and other methods to find out any other major illnesses.

Final disease diagnosis:

After doing all investigations the disease is then diagnosed.

About the Author

The author Paul Stevens manages the niche health article directory website online which provides useful fitness and health information and an accompanying health, fitness and wellness blog on the website.

Healthy Fats and Dieting

2009-01-11T07:49:00.001-08:00

by Anna Williams

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An essential but often overlooked part of any nutritional diet or weight loss program is the consumption of sufficient healthy fats.

Fats have incorrectly been given a bad name and have been wrongly viewed as something to avoid.

This article is not an official medical document and does not serve to give specific instructions on how much of which types of fats should be consumed by whom, or under which circumstances, etc.

It only serves to raise awareness on the existence and importance of healthy and essential fats, and what some of them are.

"Good fats" contain essential fatty acids.

They are called:

Linoleic Acid

Arachidonic Acid

Linolenic Acid

But don't worry if these seem like big confusing words. They are just the scientific names of the three essential fatty acids.

Principle sources of essential fatty acids include the following:

Natural vegetable oils, corn oil, soybean oil, and cottonseed oil (containing 35%-70% essential fatty acids) Safflower oil (containing 85%-90%).

One can also obtain essential fatty acids from other foods, in smaller amounts. Some of these foods are not the healthiest though. These include:

Animal Fats

Cream

Butter

Fish-liver Oils

Egg Yolk

Natural Lard (the richest animal source, containing 5% - 11%)

Avocados

Almonds

Olive Oil

Now lets look at the difference between essential fatty acids and that fat that accumulates in our bodies when we eat more sugar or starch than the body can immediately use.

Since the body can not create these essential fats, which we need for our health, that also means that the an over-abundance of body fat will not replace our need for them.

Therefore it is incorrect to consider that one "does not need to eat anything with fat" just because one is overweight.

On the contrary, a lack of essential fatty acids can contribute to weight gain!

Eating too little of these healthy fats is possibly one of the principle causes of weight gain. The following are a few of the reasons for this:

3. Many overweight person simply have an excess of water in their bodies. Adding adequate healthy fats to their diets (such as in salad dressings) has caused them to lose pounds.

So a great dieting rule of thumb would be to use salads liberally, and don't forget to put some healthy fats in your dressing!

About the Author

Anna has studied health from the age of nine and believes in common sense principles of nutrition. For more information on, visit her website at http://www.low-calorie-and-vegetarian-recipes-4u.com .

Affairs can be exhilarating, exciting, passionate and romantic

2009-01-11T06:14:00.000-08:00

Affairs can be exhilarating, exciting, passionate and romantic. They can also - more commonly - be damaging, destructive, cruel, painful, time-wasting and demeaning.

But what is an affair? Well, what it's not is a drunken fumble at the firm's Christmas party. It isn't a one-night stand either. Neither is it a romance between two people who are both free of other entanglements.

An affair is a sexual relationship that lasts more than one night where at least one of the lovers is publicly committed to someone else.

And, sadly, affairs inevitably hurt someone and frequently they hurt all the parties involved including children, if there are any. Some affairs of course end happily for the couple - let's face it, plenty of good second marriages began as illicit romances - but the vast majority of extra-marital liaisons don't end in a new marriage or relationship. In fact I estimate that at least 80 per cent end up unhappily and cause misery all round. So starting an affair is not a brilliant step to take - and yet people do it all the time.

It's quite common for folk caught up in affairs to ask agony aunts like me whether affairs can 'help a marriage'. They also ask if affairs can be 'harmless,' or 'just a bit of fun'.

And often a single person who is romantically involved with a married one will ask if I think that his or her lover will ever leave home. Frequently in such situations single people feel quite desperate that yet another year has gone by in which they've had to live a lie and in which they've had to spend another birthday or Christmas or New Year alone.

People also ask for advice about whether or not to leave a hopeless marriage and start again with someone they love. And worried spouses frequently ask agony aunts, therapists and lifecoahces how to tell if a partner is being unfaithful.

So, let's look at these different problems and questions one by one.

Can affairs help a marriage?

Mostly, no. People ask this question to justify what is happening in their lives. But in my experience an affair only helps a marriage in two situations:

where one person in the marriage hates sex and is relieved that the partner gets sexual satisfaction elsewhere. So, a blind eye is turned and as long as the affair doesn't get too emotional, the marriage - such as it is - is preserved.
when a married person has a fling with someone but learns through that experience that he or she is still in love with the marital partner and is far better off at home. In this situation the marriage can be strengthened, but only so long as the innocent party has no idea that the affair took place. If the wandering partner feels the need to confess, he or she should confide in a priest, doctor or counsellor. Off-loading guilt on a spouse will not help anyone and may even precipitate the end of the marriage after all.

Can affairs be harmless, or a bit of fun?

The early days of an affair are usually all about illicit excitement and sex. And it's quite common for the participants to believe that they can control what's happening and just have a harmless bit of fun.

Unfortunately, 99 times out of 100, one of the lovers begins to want something more. Minds get involved as well as genitals. Love develops out of sex. And people start to want more time together, enjoy more and companionship and, frequently, a future.

Relationships don't stand still. People having affairs learn this the hard way every day. And life gets more and more complicated and painful as a result.

Will my lover leave home for me?

The short answer is that it's not at all likely. Indeed some experts believe that if a married lover fails to make plans to leave home within the first three months of an affair then he or she will never leave.

Whether or not this is 100 per cent true, it's certainly apparent that if an affair goes on for a long time - and sometimes they go on for 20 years or more - then the outcome is bleak. When women find themselves in long-term affairs of this kind with a married man, they often sacrifice their friends, their family and their chance of marriage and motherhood. When they're young they say they do this willingly, but they become very sad and often bitter in the end.

The harsh truth is that even if a married lover does eventually leave his wife, or even if that wife actually dies, the man will usually take up with someone new instead of marrying his long-term mistress.

Now that women have careers and reliable contraception they, too, start affairs when their marriages go stale. So nowadays there are plenty of single male lovers hanging on and hoping that their married lovers will leave home. But the chances of a happy future are no better for them than they are for women in a similar position.

So what can you do if you're having an affair with a married lover and you know the situation is hopeless, but you still haven't the strength to break away?

My best suggestion is that you ask yourself this question: 'Do I want to be in this relationship more than I want to be out of it?'

Think about it before making your decision. The chances are that at this stage you will answer 'yes'.

However, something interesting will happen after you ask yourself this question. For the first time, maybe for years, you will have put yourself in control of the situation. You will be able to say that you have chosen to be in the relationship - for now. And that's very significant.

You see, often in these situations we say that we're powerless to deal with them. We claim that we've been swept away and that everything is beyond our control. But this isn't the case for you. You've asked yourself if you want to be in the relationship more than you want to be without it and you have said 'yes'. You've made a decision. You've taken control.

Interestingly, now you have taken responsibility for the affair, you may feel you can start to take control in other ways. Maybe you'll stop hanging around all the time, just in case your lover happens by. Maybe you'll choose to see more of your friends. Maybe you'll start questioning whether you're being properly appreciated in this relationship and whether or not you deserve something rather better.

Just see where your thoughts take you.

Then, one month after you first asked yourself the question about whether or not you still want to be in the relationship, you should ask it of yourself again. And carry on doing this every month, without fail.

My experience is that once people take responsibility for the predicament that they're in, they start looking at it more carefully and they often realise that they don't like what they see. And one day when they ask the question, they are able to say: 'No. I don't want to be in this relationship more than I want to be out of it.' And then they can move on.

Can I leave my unhappy marriage and be happy with my lover?

It's difficult to get out of any marriage. Don't believe anyone who tells you that divorce is easy. It never is.

And, of course, it is much more difficult to leave a marriage, even if it is very unhappy, if your children are still at home.

I honestly believe that any person considering leaving should do everything in his or her power to stay for as long as possible when there are children under the age of about 16 involved. Quite apart from anything else, unless you know you have done everything possible, the guilt you're likely to feel if you leave will almost certainly ruin your new relationship.

So, go to Relate and also talk to your partner. If need be, live more separate lives, but stay under the same roof for as long as you can.

Some people deal with this period in their lives by planning their escape for some years. They train for a new job, or establish a savings account or a separate bank account in preparation.

Finally, when it does come to the split, do choose a lawyer from the Solicitors' Family Law Association to handle your affairs. These solicitors are committed to the idea of divorce or separation with as little acrimony as possible.

Leaving one partner and starting afresh with someone else is never easy. But people do it all the time. And quite often everyone, including the children, learn to come to terms with the split eventually. But don't expect to rush it; in most cases it takes years and years.

How can I tell if my partner is having an affair?

The one thing to look for is change. Everyone having an affair changes in some way. A guy might bathe or shower more often. He may take up running. He may start going to the gym or get himself a fashionable haircut. He may become more romantic within the marriage, or indeed he may become quite callous or indifferent towards you, and he will almost certainly start 'working late' or taking trips abroad on business.

These things on their own do not prove your partner is having an affair, but they are good indicators.

Women also change if they are having an affair. They lose weight. They buy more modern clothes and get new hairstyles. They start 'going for a drink after work' and have more nights out, supposedly with girlfriends. They may take up an evening class. They will frequently buy their live-in partner little loving gifts because they are feeling guilty, and sometimes they become extra keen on sex and become more randy and hot in bed than they have for years.

Again, these things in themselves don't mean for certain that they're being unfaithful, but they certainly show that something different is going on and can alert the spouse to a possible affair.

Finally, do remember that affairs tell us something is wrong with the original married or live-in relationship. So, if you discover that your partner is being unfaithful, you'll have a better chance of saving your relationship if you're prepared to accept that at least some of the reasons for your partner's infidelity may be attributable to you.

Source: www.netdoctor.co.uk
Author: Christine Webber

Learning More About Levitation

2009-01-11T00:42:00.005-08:00

By Jeffrey Kluger Wednesday, Jan. 07, 2009

Not quite yet: Jerry Lewis levitates in Visit to a Small Planet, 1960

Everett

Physics always seems to want to come out and play. Just when this most technical of sciences starts to become impossibly arcane, it goes goofy on you, as it did last year with the announcement that physicists at the University of California, Berkeley, had developed a tiny working model of an invisibility cloak. This week, the physics magic shop announced yet another wonder: levitation. Really.

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The ability to levitate objects is not an entirely new thing in physics. Lower the temperature of certain metals and ceramics far enough (–459°F is a good number to shoot for), and they carry electromagnetic charges far more efficiently and for a far longer time than they otherwise would. When the metals are magnetized, they become so powerful that their ability to repel one another can actually allow them to lift heavy objects off the ground. That's the elegant principle behind some kinds of magnetically levitated (maglev) trains. (See the 50 best inventions of 2008.)

But maglev takes a load of hardware and a ton of power and is useless for small, simple kinds of engineering. The new breakthrough — achieved by a joint team of researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Harvard University and published in a paper in the journal Nature — provides an alternative.

Everything in the universe — metals, gases, dogs, doughnuts — is made of materials with positive and negative charges. Opposite charges attract each other; identical charges repel each other. What prevents us from sticking to anything with an opposite charge is that all these forces have to be properly aligned before you can see them at work. "The materials are in motion, but sometimes the dance of the charges allows them to fall in step," says NIH physicist Adrian Parsegian, one of the authors of the paper. "When that happens, you get attractive forces."

What makes things trickier still is that not all attraction is equal. Some materials are drawn much more powerfully together than others — particularly on the nano (billionth of a meter) scale. And that difference can be exploited. In the Nature experiment, the research team began by placing a microscopically small sphere of gold on a glass surface. Gold and glass get along well enough and under the right circumstances will attract. But what they both like a whole lot more is a liquid called bromobenzene. When the researchers introduced a little bromobenzene to the other two materials, they both began drawing so much of it that the gold began to rise above the glass. In effect, it levitated on a thin bromobenzene film.

O.K., it's not Houdini. The microscopic pas de deux isn't even visible to the naked eye. Still, the phenomenon is not as uncommon as it might seem. Every time you ice skate, you experience something similar, as the shared properties of skate blade against ice create a thin film of water of a very particular thickness on which you, after a fashion, levitate. What makes the Harvard and NIH work so promising is its nano scale.

Increasingly, nanoengineers are working to develop medical devices, batteries, electrical switches and more made up of microscopic parts that float above one another on thin films of other materials. This increases efficiency, reduces friction and allows the hardware to be built to finer tolerances and tinier sizes. Design them small enough, and you can put them in microscopically tiny places machinery could never go before. "When you understand the forces you're manipulating," says Parsegian, "you can design efficiently at the nanometer scale."

By any measure, that's important stuff, though as with last year's invisibility cloak, it doesn't portend magical applications in the everyday world — and won't for a long, long time. "If you're looking for a free trip for your body on quantum levitation, you're not going to get it with this," says Parsegian. Even at its most fanciful, physics, it seems, can play around for only so long before it gets back to serious work.

See the top 10 scientific discoveries of 2008.

Breast cancer gene-free baby born

2009-01-11T00:42:00.004-08:00

Paul Serhal from the University College of London Hospital says he is delighted by the outcome.

The first baby in the UK tested before conception for a genetic form of breast cancer has been born.

Doctors at University College London said the girl and her mother were doing well following the birth this week.

The embryo was screened for the altered BRCA1 gene, which would have meant the girl had a 80% chance of developing breast cancer.

Women in three generations of her husband's family have been diagnosed with the disease in their 20s.

This little girl will not face the spectre of developing this genetic form of breast cancer or ovarian cancer in her adult life

Paul Serhal, University College London doctor

Paul Serhal, the fertility expert who treated the couple, said: "This little girl will not face the spectre of developing this genetic form of breast cancer or ovarian cancer in her adult life.

"The parents will have been spared the risk of inflicting this disease on their daughter.

"The lasting legacy is the eradication of the transmission of this form of cancer that has blighted these families for generations."

Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) involves taking a cell from an embryo at the eight-cell stage of development, when it is around three-days old, and testing it.

This is before conception - defined as when the embryo is implanted in the womb.

Doctors then select an embryo free from rogue genes to continue the pregnancy, and discard any whose genetic profile points to future problems.

Using PGD to ensure a baby does not carry an altered gene which would guarantee a baby would inherit a disease such as cystic fibrosis, is well-established.

But in 2006, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority said doctors could test for so-called susceptibility genes, such as BRCA1.

Everybody carries a version of these genes - in fact a properly functioning BRCA1 protein helps stop cancer before it starts - but some particular variations of the genes greatly increase the risk of cancer.

Increased chance

Carrying the key BRCA1 mutation in this family's case would have given the increased chance of breast cancer and 50% chance of ovarian cancer later in life.

However, carrying the gene does not make cancer inevitable, and there is also a chance the disease could be cured, if caught early enough.

This is nothing personal towards the girl, but I think we have gone too far

Josephine Quintavalle
Comment on Reproductive Ethics

The couple, who wish to remain anonymous, wanted to eradicate the gene flaw from their family.

The husband's grandmother, mother, sister and a cousin have been diagnosed with the disease.

If the 27-year-old woman and her husband had had a son, he could have been a carrier and passed it on to any daughters.

Josephine Quintavalle, of the campaign group Comment on Reproductive Ethics, said: "This is nothing personal towards the girl, but I think we have gone too far.

"Underlying all this is eugenics."

Mrs Quintavalle said the message was that "you are better off dead, than being born with this gene".

"I hope 20 years down the line we will have eradicated breast cancer - not eradicated the carriers.

"This testing procedure is being used more and more for less and less significant reasons."

But Kath McLachlan, of Breast Cancer Care, said those with the faulty BRCA1 gene would be very interested in the development.

"There are many complex issues to take into account before undertaking PGD, and the decision will finally come down to an individual's personal ethics."

And Professor Peter Braude, director of the Centre for PGD at Guy's Hospital in London, said: "The decision as to whether PGD is appropriate for a couple will be made after a thorough discussion with knowledgeable genetic counsellors and clinical geneticists.

"It will not be suitable for everyone who has experience of breast cancer in their family, nor where the chances of the IVF needed for PGD has a low chance of succeeding."

Mosquitoes make sweet love music

2009-01-11T00:42:00.003-08:00

By James Morgan
Science reporter, BBC News

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

During mating, the male and female beat their wings together in harmony

Amorous mosquitoes "sing" a mating duet by beating their wings together in harmony, US scientists have discovered.

They eavesdropped on a male Aedes aegypti mosquito pursuing a female in mating flight, and recorded the couple's courtship "love song".

The insects spread diseases like yellow fever and dengue, so scientists are seeking ways to control their numbers.

Understanding their mating habits could open up new avenues, says a team from Cornell University, writing in Science.

We're trying to discover what makes a male mosquito more attractive... We think females are assessing their fitness based on how well they can sing

Prof Laura Harrington,

Cornell University

The familiar buzz of a flying female mosquito may be irritating to humans, but for her male counterpart, it is an irresistible mating signal.

Males and females each have their own characteristic flight tone - which they create by beating their wings.

But when scientists from Cornell University listened in on a male Aedes aegypti pursuing his mate, they were surprised to hear a new kind of "music" playing.

Fever pitch

The amorous couple began to beat their wings together at a matching frequency - 1,200 hertz.

This love song is a "harmonic", or multiple, of their individual frequencies - 400 Hz for the female and 600 Hz for the male.

What's more, the high pitch hum exceeds the previously known upper limit for hearing in mosquitoes.

Superfly: the aim is to create mosquitoes which are sexy but sterile

It was thought that females may even be deaf. But the Cornell scientists were able to show that their hearing range extends to 2,000 Hz.

These discoveries may inspire new ideas for interfering with the mating process of both Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae, which carries malaria.

"This opens up a whole new world for mosquito control," says Laura Harrington, associate professor of medical entomology, at Cornell University, a co-author on the paper.

"For decades we have lacked new tools for the control of mosquito vectors.

"Malaria cases are at an all time high and emerging infections, such as dengue hemorrhagic fever, are increasing at an alarming rate.

"New strategies will only come with a clear understanding of mosquito behaviour - a topic that has been neglected by scientists."

Traditionally, mosquitoes which carry malaria and dengue are kept in check by spraying insecticides, with limited success.

Firing blanks

A drive is now on to develop more sophisticated control strategies - which may involve "breeding out" the mosquitoes.

By creating sterile males, and releasing them into the wild, females can be tricked into mating with a partner who will bear them no offspring.

If enough of these sterile insects are released over a long enough period, then in theory, the target population would decline.

More than 50 million people become ill with dengue fever each year

Another strategy is to release mosquitoes which have been genetically engineered so that they cannot transmit dengue virus.

"The big obstacle," says Professor Harrington, "is that females can tell if a male has been altered.

"Oh, they know. Believe me, they know.

"We see the female kicking out at the altered male, and after a while, he loses interest.

"So we're trying to discover what makes a male more attractive. It's a mystery. It could be his odour, or his bright black and white markings.

"But we think females are assessing the fitness of males based on how well they can sing."

Simply irresistible

She hopes in future to breed transgenic males that are "better singers".

These mellifluous males would be nigh-on-irresistible to females, who would mate with them "even though it's not in their best interests".

The partnership would yield offspring which are either inviable, or unable to transmit dengue virus.

"If we can interrupt mating and reproduction, we have a very strong tool for mosquito control," says Professor Harrington.

Lauren Cator prepares the mosquitoes before recording their mating duet

"If you eliminate the vector, you eliminate the disease. It seems simple but we really haven't had anything since DDT that's been useful in controlling the mosquito."

But these new genetic strategies will still present many major obstacles - not least, the massive scale of rearing required.

An alternative plan, could be to use "acoustic interference" - playing audio frequencies which confuse the mosquitoes, or discourage them from mating.

"This opens up a whole new area for us to explore," says Professor Harrington.

"Very little is known about mosquito mating behaviour - especially in males - it has largely been ignored.

"Perhaps that's because it happens so quickly.

"It's all over in about 10 seconds."

Mixed-sex wards 'blighting NHS'

2009-01-11T00:42:00.002-08:00

Nick Triggle
Health reporter, BBC News

The Tories have pledged to invest in single-sex rooms

The government has failed to live up to its manifesto promise to phase out mixed-sex wards in hospitals in England, the Conservatives say.

Responses from 132 hospital trusts to a Freedom of Information request found that 15% still used at least one open-plan, mixed-sex ward.

Others had curtains dividing the sexes, falling short of advice that there should be solid full-height partitions

The government said progress was being made but admitted there was more to do.

It is degrading to patients

Joyce Robins, of Patient Concern

Send us your comments

Labour pledged to end mixed-sex accommodation in both its 1997 and 2001 manifestos.

By 2006 ministers were claiming it had been achieved in 99% of cases, but patient surveys soon showed this to be untrue.

A government report in 2007 accepted 15% of trusts still had not achieved it.

Under the government's definition of mixed-sex accommodation, patients should be kept in bays divided at the very least by fixed full-height partitions.

Patients should also not be expected to walk past others of the opposite sex to go to washing or toilet facilities either.

Intensive care and A&E departments are not included for practical reasons.

Failing

The Tories' freedom of information request on mixed-sex accommodation - the second of its kind carried out in the past year - was answered by 132 hospital trusts and 55 mental health trusts. For the latter, there was just one (2%) that had a mixed-sex ward.

FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME

Teens Behaving Badly?

2009-01-11T00:42:00.001-08:00

By M.J. Stephey Wednesday, Jan. 07, 2009

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Display of Health Risk Behaviors on MySpace by Adolescents & Reducing At-Risk Adolescents' Display of Risk Behavior on a Social Networking Web Site
Megan A. Moreno, Dimitri A. Christakis, et al.
Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine
Vol. 163 No.1 January 2009

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The Gist:
Scientists at Seattle Children's Research Institute and the University of Washington randomly selected 500 MySpace profiles belonging to self-described 18-year-olds in the U.S. to determine what sort of information the average teen was sharing online. Their conclusion? The kids are not alright. Well, half of them anyways. Nearly 54% of the selected profiles revealed details about risky sexual lifestyles, drug addictions and violent encounters with peers.

Highlight Reel:
1. Cyberspace versus Reality:
MySpace boasts more than 200 million profiles worldwide, with one in four of those profiles belonging to someone younger than 18. As a result, the website has become what the researchers dub a "media superpeer" that promotes and establishes norms of behavior among teens. So as more kids openly discuss their sexual and drug experimentation, it becomes less and less taboo to join in. The article also notes that merely presenting oneself as a wild child invites "unwanted online attention from individuals such as cyberbullies or sexual predators."

2. On identifying displays of sex, drugs and violence:
Have you ever downloaded a picture of a gun or posted a photograph of Al Pacino in Scarface on your MySpace profile? Yes? You're violent. What about completing a sex survey and displaying the results? Or using a Playboy bunny icon to represent you? Well then, you're probably promiscuous. Is your profile picture one of you drinking or smoking? You're an addict. Evidently, this is how the study's authors determined which profiles displayed "risky behavior" and which didn't. Obviously, there are many problems with such an approach.

3. On altering online behavior:
After identifying 190 self-described 18- and 20-year-olds whose profile contained information about risky lifestyles or habits, Dr. Megan Moreno, one of the study's authors, sent messages to half of them about the dangers of sharing such personal details online. Moreno also provided information on regional testing centers for sexually transmitted diseases. Three months later, nearly 14% of the 95 teens who were contacted by Moreno had removed sexual references from their profiles, while just 5% of those who were not contacted took it upon themselves to clean up their accounts.

The Lowdown:

After listing MySpace's potential benefits (identity exploration, peer interaction, alternative social outlets), the researchers note its drawbacks, namely the tendency for teens to overshare personal information "in a globally public venue." Is that really the main problem here? That teens are practically advertising their vices? That they might damage their reputations? This study seems to imply that the oversharing of risky behavior is the problem, not the behavior itself. Moreover, the study's authors second-guess their own research by noting, and rightly so, that many teens — or anyone who maintains a social-networking account for that matter — don't always tell the truth when protected by a digital barrier. Perhaps more time should be devoted to studying the factors that inspire such behavior, rather than the various ways teens fess up to it — be it online or off.

The Verdict: Toss