Identify the Risk Factors Linked to Heart Attack Before it Attacks You!

Author: Neelima Reddy

Heart attack is the leading cause of death of men and women in United States. Heart attack is a permanent damage to the heart muscle. There are many risk factors associated with heart attack. Know and identify the risk factors associated with heart attacks to prevent before you become a victim.
Risk factors associated with heart attack:
Smoking and heart attack:
Smoking is a major cause of heart attack. Smoking damages heart and blood vessels. Most heart attacks are caused by atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a condition in which the arteries become hard and clogged.
Clogged arteries prevent in getting enough blood and oxygen to the heart and can cause chest pain or angina. When a blood clot is formed, it cuts off the blood flow suddenly in the artery and cause heart attack.
Smoking speeds up the process of atherosclerosis by damaging the cells lining the blood vessels and heart. Smoking increases the risk of blood clots because of atherosclerosis and it also causes the blood platelets to clump together.
Heart stopping news for women:
Estrogen hormone provides some protection in women from heart disease. Therefore, most women have heart attacks after menopause, especially ten years after menopause due to the decrease of estrogen in their body.
Women who have high blood pressure, metabolic syndromes, high cholesterol levels, smoke, family history of heart disease and who had their ovaries removed are prone to develop the heart attack.
Fried foods can lead to heart attacks:
Certain compounds present in fried foods can lead to heart attack. Foods high in advanced glycation end products (AGEs) can cause a short lived dysfunction in blood vessel dilation that can lead to heart attack. The foods that can lead to heart diseases are French fries, hamburgers, and other fatty foods that are cooked at high temperatures.
Lack of sleep can raise the risk of heart disease:
People who cut their sleep from seven hours to four hours or less face twice the increased risk of death from heart attacks. Lack of sleep frequently can increase the chances of heart attack. Working overtime can lead to lack of sleep, which increases the blood pressure and heart rate while chronic stress can lead to abnormalities in functioning of heart.
Diabetes and risk of heart attack:
Diabetes is a risk factor of heart attack and stroke. People with diabetes have other health problems that increase the chances of heart attacks. High blood glucose levels over time can damage blood vessels, which results in thicker and less elastic blood vessel walls and makes it more difficult for the blood to pass through.
People with diabetes have abnormal blood fats, which include lipids, triglycerides, and cholesterol that are caused by poor controlling of diabetes and diet. Elevated lipids can clog blood vessels and increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.
High blood pressure and heart attack:
People with high blood pressure are more likely to develop heart diseases because high blood pressure puts added force against the artery walls. This extra pressure can damage the arteries. These damaged arteries become narrow and harden by fatty deposits.
Damaged arteries cannot supply enough oxygen to the other parts of the body. Therefore, high blood pressure can increase the risk of stroke and heart attacks.
Preventing heart attacks:
Control high blood pressure with lifestyle modifications. Quit smoking to cut the risk of heart attack by 50 percent. Sleeping seven to eight hours is important for a healthy heart. Control your glucose levels to prevent damage to the blood vessels.
Following healthy lifestyle can help to prevent heart attack. Follow a diet rich fruits and vegetables. Watch carefully the intake of types of fat that you are taking in your diet. Lower your intake of salt. Lose weight if you are obese. Limit the intake of alcohol and other caffeinated beverages. Exercising regularly improves the fitness of your heart.
Visit Health Watch Center

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/identify-the-risk-factors-linked-to-heart-attack-before-it-attacks-you-289174.html

About the Author

Neelima Reddy, author of this article writes for HealthWatchCenter.com; which is the premier publisher of health related information and news from around the world. This blog is aimed at helping you better understand the problems you are facing every day and offer suggestions. Visit http://www.healthwatchcenter.com

What A Hangover!

Understanding A Full Body Workout And Total Body Training

Author:

Mr.NiceGuy

Copyright (c) 2011 Joe Maldonado

If you have been working out for some time you have surely begin to notice that some of the people that are working out on the days you go to the gym seem to be in a different state of fitness. They may all have lean strong bodies but the overall fitness level seems some how different.

If you have made it to this point then you are definitely thinking along the lines of making your body as fit as possible. Full body workouts are great and even if you have reached the level that have won you a few titles there is still more you can achieve in addition to continuing your full body workouts.

That brings us to the meaning of the term full body all together. For a novice the term loosely refers to working all of the major muscle groups in one session. These exercises are designed to work each muscle completely in that one session. Now you are at a point that you need a full body workout boost.

Switching from a full body workout to a total body regimen means that you not only do resistance training but that you also train in some of the other areas like cardio as well. Strength and cardio are fine but still that leaves a lot of the body not accounted for. Most people see cardio exercises as a fat burning tool, which of course it is. It also strengthens a muscle you cannot see and that is the heart.

If you are a bodybuilder then you cannot continue to ignore the parts of the body that are no as readily seen as those ripped abs and tight pecs. There are about seven different ways for you train for instance strength training can be done in infinite combinations and in between competitions they will keep you from becoming bored. You can explore different variations and see what benefits there are to be gained once you have achieved the benefit move along to another one.

Though a lot of bodybuilders think that they do not have time for cardio except as a way to get off any excess fat they generally do not do enough of it to really gain the heart strengthening benefits. You should attempt to include both aerobic and anaerobic exercise in your workouts at least twice a week.

Agility and speed training can add a new level to your competitive form. Any exercise that includes dexterity would be great to incorporate into a routine during your off season. People do not see bodybuilders as being either fast or especially agile. The fact is carrying around that much bulk can make you look pretty awkward. Practicing skills that improve both will help you to be more comfortable in your own skin.

Finally there is flexibility training, this is especially important for bodybuilders. This type of training involves stretching to ensure all the muscles, joints and connective tissue has full range and freedom of movement. Being flexible also helps you to prevent injuries. Muscles will shorten every year if you do not continue to stretch them the short stodgy muscles will look rather out of place on you.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/understanding-a-full-body-workout-and-total-body-training-4264573.html

About the Author
For more information about Full Body Workout and Workout Routines, visit http://www.thefitnesschronicles.com/206/full-body-workout-routines/ today!

Complete Joint Health

GLOBAL WARMING

The phenomena (global warming) is so called because of the gradual warming up of the earth’s atmosphere and the possibility of associated changes in the global weather patterns as a result of emissions into the atmosphere of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide and methane). 1
The emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) is the result of production and consumption activities of those nations which burn fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas to generate electricity; this is also referred to as the greenhouse effect (The greenhouse effect is when the temperature rising because the sun’s heat and light is trapped in the earth’s atmosphere, but it can’t get out).
Sometimes the temperature can change in a way that helps us. The greenhouse effect makes the earth appropriate for people to live on. Without it, the earth would be freezing, or on the other hand it would be burning hot(the sun would be up with no atmosphere to filter it, so people, plants, and animals would be exposed to all the light and heat). However, this is just one advantage in a list of countless disadvantages.
“Global warming makes the sea rise, and when the sea rises, the water covers many low land islands. (a problem for many of the plants animals and people on the Island). The ocean are affected by global warming in other ways. Warm water is harming and killing algae (a source of food for sea animals) in the ocean.
Global warming is also destroying many huge forests. The pollution that causes global warming is linked to acid rain which gradually destroys almost everything it touches. Global warming is also causing many more fires that wipe out forests. This happens because some plant leaves can be so dry that they catch on fire.” 2
“ Africa is the continent that will be hit hardest by climate change. Unpredictable rains, floods, prolonged droughts, and rapid desertification, among other signs of global warming, have in fact already begun to change the face of Africa.3
Other impacts from increasing temperatures are already happening; Ice is melting worldwide, especially at the Earth’s poles. Sea level rise became faster over the last century; Precipitation (rain and snowfall) has increased across the globe, on average.
Other effects could happen later this century, if warming continues. Sea levels are expected to rise by the end of the century, and continued melting at the poles could add between 4 and 8 inches. Hurricanes are likely to become stronger. Species that depend on one another may become out of sync. Floods and droughts will become more common. Less fresh water will be available. Some diseases will spread such as malaria carried by mosquitoes. Ecosystems will change; others won’t be able to move and could become extinct.4
We can combat global warming by voicing the need for laws that will steer our nation toward important solutions to global warming, choosing an efficient vehicle that is least polluting, Drive less-walk where possible, replace your light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. Choose renewable energy e.g. wind and solar.5
Global warming is too serious for the world any longer to ignore its danger or split into opposing factions on it, says Tony Blair. Global warming is indeed a scam, perpetrated by scientists with vested interests, but in need of crash courses in geology, logic and the philosophy of science.6
Notes
1. Philip Hardwick, John Langmead, Bahadur Khan “An Introduction to Modern Economics” (276-278)
2. http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-effects/
3. http://www.greenbeltmovement.org/c.php?id=17
4. http://Library.thinkquest.org/cro215471/global_warming.htp

5. http://globalwarmingawareness2007.com/article7.html


6. http://www.noteablequotes.com/g/global_warming_quotes.html

How To Develop The Courage To Pursue Your Goal

What does it mean to be courageous?  Do you have to climb the highest peak of Kilimanjaro or go around the world in a hot air balloon to experience courage?  Do you have to stare down an angry bear, or save someone from a burning building? These are extraordinary acts of courage that most of us will not have the aspiration, or chance, to conquer.
What we all do have though, is a heart, which is the root of all courage. The word courage itself comes from the Latin root cor, which translates to heart. When your heart is filled with empathy, sincerity, integrity, respect and confidence, you possess all that you need to be courageous. Anxiety, self limiting beliefs, self-indulgence, righteousness, and regret are destroyers of that courage.
In a society ruled by self-indulgence and self-aggrandizement, everyone requires courage more than ever. We also need courageous leaders.People inspired to lead from the heart and to rely on strong, positive values and principles to make decisions that influence nations and corporations, as well as communities and families.Leadership is really what courage is all about. It means leading and acting from within. Being true to yourself and not conforming to the expectations of others. We all need more courage in our lives. At work and at home we need the courage to do what is right, even if it means personal sacrifice.
When you refuse to sign off on a dubious expense claim, when you insist on full disclosure before recommending a wage package, when you insist on a full audit of your accounting and financial control systems, you are being courageous. These and many activities just like them occur every day. It just takes awareness to see them for the bold acts that they are.
When you start living your life with more courage and sincerity, following your courageous heart, you will meet today's challenges from a place that is real and authentic.This is the basis for true personal achievement and professional success. It also sets off a positive cycle of courage. Other people admire courage and are more likely to emulate it when they see it in action every day.
Things to start doing right now to foster your personal sense of courage from a personal life coach:
When faced with a decision or problem, search your inner core for answers.
Analyze each situation using your core set of values and principles as your decision criteria.
Ask yourself, 'Is this the right thing to do, or the easy thing to do?' Choose to do the right thing.
Prepare yourself for less courageous responses to your actions and decisions.
Hold onto your convictions despite negative reactions or sacrifices.
Having courage is not always easy. If it were, doing the right thing would not even have to be defined.  Unfortunately our society is not yet at that point, but through your courage you can emerge as a leader. The kind of leader we need more of. Hold fast to your values and principles and remember that you don't have to be a superhero to live a life of courage. Simply follow your heart and be true to yourself.
Author's name:Dieter Pauwels
http://www.articlesbase.com/goal-setting-articles/how-to-develop-the-courage-to-pursue-your-goals-4222678.html

Health Is Beautiful

Be Romantic on Valentine’s Day

We all want to provide for romance on Valentine’s Day. Our special lady or man desires nothing less.
What better way is there than to get “dressed to the nines” and strut-your-stuff with your partner on your arm and enjoy some fine formal dining? Maybe a little dancing afterwards? Or what about a stroll by the sea?
If you have ever been on a cruise vacation you know that you can do all of these - and more on may vacation cruises.
Every formal night on board a cruise ship offers passengers a chance to rekindle old romance or to start new. You have the opportunity to be the envy of every other passenger as you and your mate stroll to the dining room “dressed to kill”.
You can take great pleasure in the exquisite cuisine and entertaining and attentive wait staff. Perhaps a fine bottle of wine? And of course there’s dessert!
Afterwards you can enjoy an entertaining show in one of the ship’s theaters. The bars and disco’s are just warming up so that you can dance into the wee hours of the morning should you desire.
If you are taking a Caribbean cruise or a cruise in the southern hemisphere at Valentine’s Day you can enjoy a stroll on the decks and take in the warm sea air.
Sounds dreamy doesn’t it? Well don’t just dream about it! All it takes is a little planning and you could be on your Valentine’s Day romantic getaway.
There are cruises that last for weeks or even months and there are cruises for only a day or two. You can even find very enjoyable dinner cruises whether on the ocean or the interior waterways. There is literally something for everyone when it comes to enjoying a fantastic romantic Valentine’s Day dinner on the water.
There can be nothing more romantic than to watch the sun go down over the water with the partner of your dreams snuggled up beside you. Go ahead. Take the plunge. Plan a romantic cruise or dinner cruise for your special someone for Valentine’s Day.
Check out some of your options at A1-Discount-Cruises.com. Find your fabulous Caribbean Cruise or look for other fantastic Romantic Cruise Getaways.

Author: Brian Schmidt
Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_2026226_35.html

Why Running Isn't Good For The Body

How in the world is running bad for the health? We've all read fitness books on how every author recommends running... but did you ever see study reports if this exercise is the best for weight loss? Now I got you thinking, read on to find out why running shouldn't be your priority.

1. Distance Runners in General Look Like Hell. Okay, so I work out for mostly vane reasons. I have met, and know, a number of newbie endurance athletes and generally speaking they look this guy: kind of dumpy and fat (naturally I mean this in the nicest possible way). If distance running was the best way to look hot naked, then running 26.2 miles would eliminate those man boobs and the spare tire... right?

2. Running Erodes Metabolism and Eats Muscle. Muscle mass is the key factor in determining the rate of your metabolism. Regardless of gender, the goal of effective weight loss must include muscle building. The loss of muscle means that your body requires fewer calories all of the time... needs fewer calories, but if you continue to consume the same number of calories your body is going to store the excess as fat.

There are two types of muscle fiber, slow twitch and fast twitch. Slow-twitch fibers, sadly, do not help in improving your body's ability and speed in burning the fats. Your fast twitch fibers are responsible for helping your run faster, jump high and are the essential keys to a faster metabolism and a hotter body.

More slow-twitch muscle fibers grow with endurance exercises. These two fibers are in a zero sum competition with one another. If one certain group deteriorates, another group rises. The more adept you get with your endurance training the more your metabolism shrinks (because you are losing muscle).

This doesn't mean that endurance training is useless. That's actually not true. If you are looking to become a good cyclists, distance runner or swimmer it's great. It's not that good for weight loss if you do not have 25 hours per week to do it. Then you have to deal with the side effect of that type of workout which is loss of your libido.

If you brood over gaining huge amount of fats, relax. Big muscles are not accidental and incredibly big muscles require the right genes and or drugs. For bigger physique and muscles, you need to have a muscle building program. You aren't going to wake up the morning after a sprint or a weight lifting session with Arnold Schwarzenegger muscles.

3. Running is Nothing but a Waste of Time Here is a question... what is the worst thing an overweight person can do to get rid of fat?

The answer... long distance running.

Aerobic types of exercises, such as running long distance is one of the least effective forms of training for fat loss. Period.

4. It's boring. What can be more frustrating and boring than doing the same thing over and over again for 30... 45 or 60 minutes at a time? I don't think so. Endurance training means you are running in a straight line for what seems like forever, what do you get but busted joints and poor results.

With sprint based intervals, a person has to be completely engaged to be fast, this means that there isn't time to be bored. It isn't just straight running, you go sideways, forwards, backwards, simple patterns, sprint the stairs and so on. There is a variety of activities, and the best part is, it only takes 20 minutes tops! There's actually no room for boredom. You get amazing results as well!
For the latest fitness trends that actually work, go to an Arlington, VA bootcamp expert through his weight loss blog.
Author: Josef B
Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_2026658_23.html

Vitamin Benefits

Author: Mario Churchill

Vitamin benefits are substantial. From multi vitamins that offer our body all of the missing nutrients we do not get from eating the wrong foods, to supplements that boost energy, stave off disease, increase libido, and build our immunity. There are many different vitamin benefits.
Most doctors will advise you to take a multivitamin supplement. A multivitamin supplement gives us the nutrients we lack in our daily diets. Many of us do not get the proper vitamins that are derived from certain foods for a variety of reasons. In the world of today, everyone is in a hurry and many of us do not eat right. In addition, many essential vitamin benefits are derived from foods that certain people do not like to eat. Our body still needs these vitamins, however, so taking a supplement is one good way to get the nutrients needed without having to eat foods we do not like.
Vitamin benefits vary as do the different types of vitamins themselves. Vitamin A, for example, has many different benefits. It is shown to be a proven antioxidant and can protect against cancer. Vitamin A is also very useful in curing skin disorders, such as acne. It can even reverse cornea damage in some people.
Foods that are high in Vitamin A contain carrots, broccoli, dairy products, greens, peaches, liver, cherries and squash. When taking Vitamin A, one must be careful about overdosing on this vitamin. Symptoms of a Vitamin A overdose include nausea, vomiting, dry skin and fatigue and may even include hair loss.
Another essential vitamin that provides wonderful vitamin benefits is Vitamin B-1. The vitamin benefits of B-1 include helping with respiratory disorders, acne, fatigue, weakness and effectively fighting off many different diseases. Foods that are high in Vitamin B-1 include broccoli, cauliflower, nuts, eggs, rice, asparagus, turkey, peas, and parsley to name a few.
Vitamin benefits derived from Vitamin B-2 include aiding the body during pregnancy as well as healing wounds and mouth irritations. Many women who become pregnant suffer from anemia and for this reason, Vitamin B-2, along with iron supplements, helps them avoid some of the fatigue that often accompanies the condition. If you have cracked lips, burning eyes, hair loss or insomnia, you may be suffering from a lack of Vitamin B-2. Speak to your doctor about your symptoms as a Vitamin B-2 supplement may be the answer to your problems.
Vitamin B-3 controls cholesterol levels and is used in combination of other medications to treat cardiovascular disease. Vitamin B-3 contains Niacin which has also been used to treat schizophrenia. If you are suffering from fatigue, insomnia, depression or poor concentration, you may have a Vitamin B-3 deficiency. Vitamin benefits from Vitamin B-3 are many and this is one nutrient that you do not want to do without.
Vitamin benefits from Vitamin B-4, which is adrenine, include alleviating fatigue, strengthening the immune system and balancing blood sugar. This vitamin helps with low blood sugar, anemia, allergies, infections, constipation and also stunted growth. Children who do not appear to be growing at a normal rate are often injected with Vitamin B-4 injections. Recent studies have indicated that Vitamin B-4 can help with cancer.
Vitamin B-5 is widely available in most of our foods and actually converts fats and carbohydrates to energy and protein. Vitamin benefits from B-5 are used in post surgical procedures as well as by those who suffer from obesity. Too much of this vitamin, however, can produce diarrhea.
Vitamin benefits from Vitamin B-6 also help convert protein and carbohydrates to energy and helps with anemia and depression. If you are suffering from depression, nausea, vomiting and even symptoms of PMS, ask your doctor about taking a vitamin B-6 supplement that may alleviate your symptoms.
Vitamin B-8 is found in liver, yeast, nuts, chocolate, chicken, eggs, mushrooms, salmon, grains and cauliflower. The vitamin benefits of B-8 are needed for growth as well as the central nervous system and skin and bone marrow. In some cases, Vitamin B-8 is used to treat certain skin disorders.
Many women who are thinking about becoming pregnant are now advised to take Folic Acid, which is found in Vitamin B-9. It is believed that the vitamin benefits of B-9 can prevent birth defects as well as treat anemia. It is advised that women begin taking supplements of this vitamin prior to becoming pregnant.
Vitamin B 10, which is Paba, is not really considered a vitamin, but is used as a sunscreen and is essential for those who wish to avoid the ultraviolet rays in the sun that can cause skin cancer. Vitamin B 10 is not used orally, but directly on the skin. Years ago, Vitamin B 10 was used to fight rheumatic fever.
Vitamin benefits from Vitamin B-12 include relief from menopause as well as anemia. It is also believed that one of the vitamin benefits of B-12 can cure warts. People who are suffering from lower back pain, mental problems, memory loss, weakness and fatigue may actually have a deficiency in Vitamin B-12. A simple blood test to measure the levels off this vitamin in your body can determine if you are indeed suffering from such a deficiency and the solution can be easily remedied with a supplement.
Clearly there are many different Vitamin Benefits from the many different types of Vitamin B. Many people take a Vitamin B complex to alleviate confusion over which vitamin B they should take. A vitamin B complex has many vitamin benefits and is usually the best choice for those who want to make sure they are getting plenty of the essential vitamins found in the B vitamins.
Vitamin benefits from Vitamin C are many. This essential vitamin is proven to ward off colds, prevent some cancers and heal wounds. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and many people swear that by taking Vitamin C, they actually ward off colds. Toxicity from vitamin C is rare as it would take very large doses to cause harm. However, excessive use of vitamin C can produce a false positive in a urine glucose test.
Vitamin D is often found in dairy products and is known to promote strong bones and teeth. It is also essential in the prevention of osteoporosis, and most post-menopausal women are advised to take supplements of Vitamin D to ward off this crippling disease.
Vitamin benefits from Vitamin E range from repairing skin, reducing smoking lung damage and helping with drug therapies for those undergoing cancer treatment. People who have deficiencies of Vitamin E may experience muscle weakness, anemia, increased infections and even fibrocystic breast disease.
Vitamin K is useful in controlling blood clots. This vitamin is found in many foods and is rarely toxic, even if taken to great extremes. Most vegetables contain this valuable vitamin.
Vitamin benefits vary from treating skin diseases, preventing sunburn, curing colds to preventing cancer. Before beginning on any vitamin regiment, consult with your physician. In many cases, a good multivitamin may be all you need to make sure that your body is getting the right amount of the valuable properties found in the above mentioned vitamins.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/vitamin-benefits-294071.html

About the Author
Mario Churchill is a freelance author and has written over 200 articles on various subjects. For more information on vitamin benefits checkout his recommended websites.

Comprehensive Financial Services...

Do you need help with taxes? Mortgage Problems, Debt Elimination? Need a No Credit Check Loan? Take advantage of ANY of our many services... EVEN the FREE ONES! and we give you a $300 in Gas Rebates, $300 in Grocery Rebates and Free Vacation Certificate (No time share presentation required). If you have an issue, we have a solution!

ASN Hosting Services

The BEST hosting value on the web. Not only do you offer competitive prices, you offer free training articles and promotional packages that are unique to the industry!

Real Food Vs. Processed Food

Author: Phil Tucker

As awareness increases as to the dangers of our modern diet, as obesity rates sky rocket and the number of people with diabetes rise, people are becoming increasingly concerned with the quality of their diets. No longer interested in merely eating what's available at the supermarket, people want to know what they're putting in their mouths, where it came from, and most importantly, what it's made of. How can these people educate themselves best as to their diets? What principles should they adhere to in order to ensure a healthy and active source of nutrition?

One of the best principles, the simplest and easiest to remember is to not eat anything that your grandparents wouldn't have served at the dinner table. If you pick up a product and think, ‘Wow, this is awfully new and different from anything I've ever seen,' than most probably you should put it down and walk away. That's because most processed foods today are chock full of chemical preservatives, flavorings, moisturizers, artificial sweeteners, and more. Entire industries exist to extract these additives from everything from petroleum to rock and acid. By avoiding these processed foods, you are going to avoid ingesting all these strange and artificial processed foods that are awful for you.

Instead, you should try to eat whole foods. What do we mean by whole foods? Whole foods are the kind of food that has not been processed, has not been cut, mixed, packaged, sweetened, dehydrated, or had any sort of process applied to it. A potato, a whole chicken, a salmon filet, an apple, all of these are considered whole foods. But you can buy whole ingredients as well, and make your own whole foods, cooking healthy, nutritious and delicious meals.

So there you have it. Avoid all the artificial sweeteners such as high fructose corn syrup, avoid all the chemical ingredients you can't pronounce, avoid things in bright shiny packaged, and in general avoid eating anything that has a lot of advertising behind it. Instead, eat natural, healthy whole foods that your grandparents would have eaten, and stay healthy and strong!

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/real-food-vs-processed-food-4191119.html

About the Author

Try RevAbs or P90X!

ADDICTIONS

Addiction is usually associated with cigarettes,alcohol,heroine,cocaine and most recently with gambling,exercise and food.
For a behaviour to be rated as addictive it has to be maladaptive i.e.instead of helping the person adapt to situations or solve problems,it undermines these abilities.For instance a drinker may want to cheer themselves up but in the long run end up depressed or a gambler may want to make more money but ends up being bankrupt.
Secondly,addiction is persistent.Despite the fact that it gets you in trouble you continue indulging.Addiction is more frequent engagement in behaviour.
The biggest problem facing an addict is denial.They fail to acknowledge the negative impact that their behaviours are having in their lives.
Some other people know the effects of addiction but continue anyway because they are trying to avoid facing a problem.Other reasons are because they don't know how to cope without the addictive substance or even they don't know life outside the addictive substance.
The harm or addiction most commonly comes to the consciousness of the user once they have been deprived of the substance.They go into withdrawal and then realise the effects of the substance.
Sometimes,the reality dawns after a wake up call.After a drastic or life changing event occurs such as an accident,job loss or divorce.

Why Addiction Counseling is Necessary

No one would use drug and alcohol treatment facilities if it was that easy to quit using drugs and alcohol and to beat an addiction. Unfortunately, drugs and alcohol cause both a physical addiction and a mental addiction. That means addiction counseling is required to help addicts overcome the problems and this counseling requires a lot of focus, time and motivation.

How Does Addiction Counseling Help?

Addiction counseling helps addicts in a lot of different ways. Generally, addicts have a lack of self-esteem and don't have good communication skills. That may be why they began to use drugs or alcohol and what started their addiction.

Addiction counseling can teach addicts how to start valuing themselves again. They do this using many different methods that help the addict start to develop good self-esteem. That may sound complicated, but these are actually simple exercises that trained counselors know how to do with patients and that the average person would not be able to do on his own.

There are a lot of ways to help addicts learn to better communicate with people around them, for example. Generally, the new skills are taught slowly and using a series of steps so the addicts don't start to feel pressured and overwhelmed and want to quit.

Experts at addiction counseling is also able to teach the addicts the basics that they have forgotten, like taking care of their physical health. These people need help learning about the right way to eat and what vitamins they should take. They are often unaware of the dangerous effect drugs and alcohol have on their body and their overall health.

Addicts who attend an inpatient rehabilitation program will be able to learn and apply these new skills every day under the watchful eye of an expert in addiction counseling. That will help the addict start to see his real value and encourage him to work toward improving his overall health.

After addicts start to become more self confident, improve their ability to communicate, and learn how to care for their physical health, they will be ready to face the problems from their past. Addiction counseling helps addicts face these issues in a safe environment. If addicts can't get over their past issues and problems and live in the present, they won't be able to stop using drugs or alcohol. Addiction counseling is a great tool for anyone with an addiction

CELL RENEW

SPORTS CHALLENGE

CANCER

Cancer is a class of diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled growth, invasion that intrudes upon and destroys adjacent tissues, and sometimes metastasis, or spreading to other locations in the body via lymph or blood.A tumor is caused when cancer cells multiply large masses of tissue.When a normal cell transforms into a cancer cell the genetic material (deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA) of a cell is changed, or mutated. Tumours are formed over decades or a certain amount of years, because of this it is very susceptible to form into a cancer cell as time goes along. Most cancer occurs after the age of fifty, yet some are detected earlier in life,however, it varies.
In some cases tumors are located in one area and in such cases the tumor can be removed through surgery.These are benign tumors as they cause little harm,malignant tumors are the hostile tumors,ones we should look out for.Wild cell growth turns into cancer when it is exposed to cancer causing substances otherwise called carcinogens,genetic effects or viruses.
People get lung cancer by smoking tobacco which contains carcinogenic substances.Carcinogens include chemicals,the sun's ultra violent rays and radiation.However, the common causes of cancer could be narrowed down to genetic hereditary cause(chromosomal abnormalities or disorders) or environmental cause. About 5-10% of cancers are directly due to hereditary genetic factors. The remaining 90-95% of cases are due to environmental factors, such as old age, lifestyle choices, tobacco use, dietary choices, obesity, infections, radiation, lack of physical activity, and environmental pollutants. These environmental factors cause or enhance non-hereditary abnormalities in the genetic material of cells. Cell reproduction is an extremely complex process that is normally tightly regulated by several classes of genes, including oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. Hereditary or acquired abnormalities in these regulatory genes can lead to the development of cancer.
Definitive diagnosis of cancer requires the microscopic examination of a biopsy specimen.Most cancers are curable through procedures such as chemotherapy,radiotherapy and surgery but it all depends on the type of cancer and the extent of the disease.
Recent findings reveal that the overall risk of developing cancer increases with age.In 2007,13% of all the deaths was caused by cancer and the number of cases is rising as more people live to old age.
Cancer is defined by the type of cell that the tumor resembles or the tissue or organ they begin to form and is therefore presumed to be the origin of the tumor.
Cancer can be prevented by doing the following:

¬For smokers the best way to avoid getting lung cancer is to stop smoking.

¬Avoid being in the sun for lengthy periods, too much exposure to the sun can cause cancer

¬Eat low fat diets

¬Shun from alcohol as much as possible

¬Do not have unsafe sex

SLEEPING INTO BEAUTY

Sleep is absolutely essential for healthy skin.Sleep deprived people appear less beautiful and more tired.Good sleep makes the skin firm,glowing,colourful,dry and better at retaining moisture.Improper sleep therefore causes saggy,loose,pale,colorless,dry and flaky skin.
An individual's sleep history plays an integral part in the perception and judgements of their attractiveness.Adequate sleep has effects on one's physiological,cognitive,and behavioural functionality.
There are several processes that occur during sleep that are attributed to healthy skin.
During sleep,the production of growth hormone is at it's peak.The hormone speeds the absorption of nutrients into the body tissues and aids in the healing of tissues throughout the body.There is evidence that skin regenerates faster at night than during the day.
Sleep also prevents and lessens the severity of wrinkles in the neck and face,at least temporarily.This is due to a shift in body position-lying down diverts the force of gravity.Increased sweating in the body,including the face during sleep,offers a moisturizing effect on the skin.
Sleep has fundamental effects on stress.Sleeping negates the bad effects of cortisol,the stress hormone.Stress has detrimental effects on skin tone and is associated with hair loss,skin patches,and skin tone and skin inflammation.Chronic stress harms the body's ability to repair itself.
Appearance of the skin can have a major impact on an individual's daily activities,self esteem,mental wellbeing and social relationships because of it's conspicuous visibility.Facial skin is of particular importance in human social communication and body image and even minor imperfections can have an often disproportionately major impact on mental health and quality of life.
Organising the highest quality sleep possible is well worth the effort.And quantity doesn't equal quality as one may sleep for many hours,but if the sleep is not deep enough,or if the sleep cycle is disturbed,adverse impact to the skin is still greater.
Seven-eight hours is recommended sleeping time,however,young children and teenagers may require more or less deep sleep depending on numerous factors.A simple way to gauge the quality of sleep is to see how refreshed you are when you wake up.Day time sleepiness and fatigue is common in individuals with disturbed sleep.
A good night's sleep is dependent on a sufficient amount of deep sleep and sleep efficiency.Frequent episodes of being awake,smoking,alcohol dependency,chronic illness like hypertension,being overweight,mental disturbances,excessive light or noises and bed discomfort are common factors affecting the quality of sleep.
Some behaviours are also detrimental to adequate sleep.These "inadequate sleep hygiene" behaviours includes irregular sleep schedules,frequent or prolonged daytime naps,staying on one's bed for non-sleep related activities and sleeping with earphones on.