tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1722469338583324302024-03-21T09:46:16.082-07:00takecarebodyHow to take care your life, healthy,body and your mind.plz select the best your choice for your life and sharing.Nurulhuda_yuihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251442445591955090noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172246933858332430.post-32071462901524082302014-02-03T23:46:00.004-08:002014-02-03T23:46:49.251-08:00This blog update soon.....Thank you everyone for your view and comments. After this I come back write this blog again and wish new blogger (include me ^_^) complete in your blog.<br />
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Thank you again.Nurulhuda_yuihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251442445591955090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172246933858332430.post-91512815482984637152008-08-02T01:58:00.000-07:002008-08-02T02:01:16.681-07:00Think Twice Before You get That Tattoo<div id="m7jk"><span id="m7jk0" style="font-size:100%;"><b id="ovvo"></b></span> </div><div id="m7jk1"><h2 id="ovvo0">Removing Tattoos: Who Does It and Why</h2><p id="zasp"><img id="aa5b" style="WIDTH: 465px; HEIGHT: 334px" height="354" alt="tattoo_art.jpg" src="http://tattoo-designz.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/tattoo_art.jpg" width="465" /></p><p id="i_5h"></p><div class="subhead_fmt" id="ovvo1">Study Shows More Women Than Men Decide to Get Rid of a Tattoo</div><div class="author_fmt" id="ovvo2">By <a id="ovvo3" href="http://www.webmd.com/kelley-colihan"><span id="ovvo4" style="color:#008c99;">Kelley Colihan</span></a><br id="ovvo5">WebMD Health News</div><div class="reviewedBy_fmt" id="ovvo6">Reviewed by <a id="ovvo7" href="http://www.webmd.com/brunilda-nazario"><span id="ovvo8" style="color:#008c99;">Brunilda Nazario, MD</span></a></div><div class="clearBoth_fmt" id="ovvo9"></div><h3 id="ovvo11"></h3><p id="ovvo13">July 21, 2008 -- It seemed a good idea at the time. But you were young, wild, and in love with Roland. Now you are getting married to Ed and you want Roland's name off your right calf.</p><p id="ovvo14">It seems that when it comes to getting tattoos removed, more women than men go in for the procedure.</p><p id="ovvo15">Researchers compared results of a 1996 study to a 2006 study looking at how people feel about their tattoos. Participants were people who came to four dermatology clinics in Arizona, Colorado, Massachusetts, and Texas.</p><p id="ovvo16">The study was led by Myrna L. Armstrong, RD, EdD, of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.</p><p id="ovvo17">In background information presented with the findings, the researchers write "the vast majority of individuals who are tattooed are pleased with their skin markings (up to 83%)."</p><p id="ovvo18">Apparently about a fifth are estimated to be unhappy with their tattoos, while "only about 6% seek removal."</p><p id="ovvo19">In the 2006 study, researchers interviewed 196 tattooed people; 130 of them were women and 66 were men.</p><p id="ovvo20">The researchers found that today more women (69%) than men (31%) came in to get tattoos removed.</p><p id="ovvo21">According to the 2006 study, a typical woman who gets a tattoo is between the ages of 24 and 29.</p><p id="ovvo22">Most women with tattoos are white, college educated, and unmarried. They describe themselves as "risk takers, from stable families, with moderate to strong religious beliefs."</p><p id="ovvo23">More women are motivated to get the tattoo removed because of pressure from others or social stigma.</p><p id="ovvo24"><span id="ovvo25" style="color:#ffffff;">The top six reasons both men and women gave for <a id="ovvo26" href="http://www.webmd.com/skin-beauty/guide/laser-tattoo-removal"><span id="ovvo27" style="color:#008c99;">tattoo removal</span></a>: </span></p><ul id="ovvo28" type="disc"><li id="ovvo29"><span id="ovvo30" style="color:#ffffff;">58% just decided to remove it.</span> <li id="ovvo31"><span id="ovvo32" style="color:#ffffff;">57% suffered embarrassment.</span> <li id="ovvo33"><span id="ovvo34" style="color:#ffffff;">38% had lowered <a id="ovvo35" href="http://www.webmd.com/skin-beauty/guide/love_your_body_inside_and_out"><span id="ovvo36" style="color:#008c99;">body image</span></a>.</span> <li id="ovvo37"><span id="ovvo38" style="color:#ffffff;">38% new job/career.</span> <li id="ovvo39"><span id="ovvo40" style="color:#ffffff;">37% problem with clothes.</span> <li id="ovvo41"><span id="ovvo42" style="color:#ffffff;">25% experienced stigma.</span> </li></ul><p id="ovvo43"><i id="ovvo44">(Do you have tattoos? Have you ever considered having any removed? Talk with others on the <a id="ovvo45" href="http://boards.webmd.com/webx?THDX@@.89a1d569!thdchild=.89a1d569"><span id="ovvo46" style="color:#008c99;">Health Cafe board</span></a>.)</i> </p><h3 id="ovvo47">Why People Get Tattoos</h3><p id="ovvo48">The 2006 study shows people get tattoos for these reasons:</p><ul id="ovvo49"><li id="ovvo50">44% wanted to feel unique. <li id="ovvo51">33% wanted to feel independent. <li id="ovvo52">28% wanted to bring attention to a particular life experience. </li></ul><p id="ovvo53">The researchers write that one out of four American adults aged 18 to 30 has a tattoo.</p><p id="ovvo54">In both studies, the main reason for wanting to get rid of a tattoo was that people had a "shift in their identities," and wanted to do away with the past.</p><p id="ovvo55">The findings appear in the <i id="ovvo56">Archives of Dermatology</i>.</p></div>Nurulhuda_yuihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251442445591955090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172246933858332430.post-18320454564016651692008-07-14T20:17:00.000-07:002008-07-14T20:23:31.902-07:00Can Your Job Help You Lose Weight?<p id="wrhf"></p><p id="rsi4"></p><p id="ooet"><img id="rsi40" src="http://www.nicolacupples.com/userimages/Fotolia_6971911_XS.jpg" /></p><p id="wrhf0"></p><p id="wrhf1"></p><div class="subhead_fmt" id="wze2">Study Shows Wellness Programs Are Useful Tools for Weight Loss</div><div class="author_fmt" id="wze20">By <a id="wze21" href="http://www.webmd.com/kelley-colihan"><span id="wze22" style="color:#008c99;">Kelley Colihan</span></a><br id="wze23">WebMD Health News</div><div class="reviewedBy_fmt" id="wze24">Reviewed by <a id="wze25" href="http://www.webmd.com/brunilda-nazario"><span id="wze26" style="color:#008c99;">Brunilda Nazario, MD</span></a></div><div class="clearBoth_fmt" id="wze27"></div><h3 id="wze29"></h3><p id="wze211" align="justify">June 30, 2008 -- Workplace wellness programs are effective in helping employees <a id="wze212" href="http://www.webmd.com/diet/default.htm"><span id="wze213" style="color:#008c99;">lose weight</span></a>, a research review shows.</p><p id="wze214" align="justify">Researchers sifted through 11 studies published since 1994, some which were updated in 2006. Most of the programs involved education and counseling to improve <a id="wze215" href="http://www.webmd.com/diet/default.htm"><span id="wze216" style="color:#008c99;">diet</span></a> and increase <a id="wze217" href="http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/default.htm"><span id="wze218" style="color:#008c99;">physical activity</span></a>.</p><p id="wze219" align="justify"></p><p id="wze269" align="justify">Some programs offered a health risk assessment and lab work; others provided one-on-one and email counseling. Only one included on-site </p><p id="e:q:20" align="justify">exercise sessions, and another added healthy menu items in the cafeteria, along with nutritional information.</p><p id="wze270" align="justify">The work-site intervention programs lasted a minimum of eight weeks and involved workers aged 32 to 52.</p><p id="wze271" align="justify">Before and after the start of the work-site intervention the participants had their BMI (<a id="wze272" href="http://men.webmd.com/weight-loss-bmi"><span id="wze273" style="color:#008c99;">body mass index</span></a>) or <a id="wze274" href="http://www.webmd.com/diet/tc/healthy-weight-what-is-a-healthy-weight"><span id="wze275" style="color:#008c99;">weight</span></a> taken.</p><h3 id="wze276" align="justify">Workplace Weight Loss</h3><p id="wze277" align="justify">On average participants lost 2-14 pounds compared to employees not involved in the work-site weight loss intervention programs.</p><p id="wze278" align="justify">The workers that did not participate either lost an average of 1 and 1/2 pounds, or gained an average of 1 pound.</p><p id="wze279" align="justify">So do on-the-job weight loss programs work? "For people who participate in them, work-site-based programs do tend to result in weight loss," researcher Michael Benedict, MD, from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, says in a news release.</p><p id="wze280" align="justify">What seems to matter most when it comes to dropping the pounds? The in-your-face approach, according to Benedict. "Programs that incorporated face-to-face contact more than once a month appeared to be more effective than other programs."</p><p id="wze281" align="justify">However, since the follow-up was slim it was hard to draw conclusions about whether the weight would stay off, Benedict says. From 56% to 100% of the participants finished the studies, which ranged from two to 18 months. "People who participate in these programs can lose weight, but we aren't really sure what happens after that."</p><p id="wze282" align="justify">In an article that runs alongside the review, authors point out that "65% of adults in the U.S. are classified as <a id="wze283" href="http://www.webmd.com/diet/tc/obesity-overview"><span id="wze284" style="color:#008c99;">overweight</span></a> or obese."</p><p id="wze285" align="justify">The researchers add that work-site weight loss programs can provide "unique opportunities for decreasing adult obesity."</p><p id="wze286" align="justify">The pros:</p><ul id="wze287"><li id="wze288"><div align="justify">Emotional support from colleagues. </div><li id="wze289"><div align="justify">A structured program can offer opportunities to learn about <a id="wze290" href="http://www.webmd.com/diet/default.htm"><span id="wze291" style="color:#008c99;">nutrition</span></a> and exercise. </div></li></ul><p id="wze292" align="justify">The researchers write that employees have been offering more work wellness programs.</p><p id="wze293" align="justify">According to the researchers, a separate 2003 study showed that "approximately 6% of all U.S. health care costs ($75 billion dollars) were related to excess body weight."</p><p id="wze294" align="justify">It's not clear how much money employers could save if they offered weight loss programs. "Employers want to know that what they're doing will have a positive return on investment," Benedict says.</p><p id="wze295" align="justify">Benedict writes that efforts to curb obesity at work can look for success to similar workplace programs, including a drive to help people <a id="wze296" href="http://www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation"><span id="wze297" style="color:#008c99;">quit smoking</span></a> and lower their <a id="wze298" href="http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/guide/blood-pressure-basics"><span id="wze299" style="color:#008c99;">blood pressure</span></a>, a win-win for employers. </p><p id="wze2100" align="justify">The researchers admit the data have limits; they call for "vigorous, controlled studies of work-site-based interventions that integrate educational, behavioral, environmental and economic supports."</p><p id="wze2101" align="justify">The research is published in the July-August issue of <i id="wze2102">American Journal of Health Promotion</i>.</p>Nurulhuda_yuihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251442445591955090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172246933858332430.post-36069371479468413902008-07-02T21:45:00.000-07:002008-07-02T21:46:42.625-07:00<h2 id="r_2r">Women: Eat Well, Live Longer?</h2><p id="k:as"><img id="k:as0" src="http://cravingideas.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/02/17/smoothie.jpg" /></p><div class="subhead_fmt" id="r_2r0">Diet of Whole Foods Associated With Lower Risk of Death in Women</div><div class="author_fmt" id="r_2r1">By <a id="r_2r2" href="http://www.webmd.com/kelley-colihan"><span id="r_2r3" style="color:#006699;">Kelley Colihan</span></a><br id="r_2r4">WebMD Health News</div><div class="reviewedBy_fmt" id="r_2r5">Reviewed by <a id="r_2r6" href="http://www.webmd.com/elizabeth-klodas"><span id="r_2r7" style="color:#006699;">Elizabeth Klodas, MD, FACC</span></a></div><div class="clearBoth_fmt" id="r_2r8"></div><h3 id="r_2r10"></h3><p id="r_2r12">June 23, 2008 -- Eating well is good for us. But can eating a certain way also help you live longer and cut your chances of developing <a id="r_2r13" href="http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/default.htm"><span id="r_2r14" style="color:#006699;">heart disease</span></a>, <a id="r_2r15" href="http://www.webmd.com/cancer/"><span id="r_2r16" style="color:#006699;">cancer</span></a>, <a id="r_2r17" href="http://diabetes.webmd.com/default.htm"><span id="r_2r18" style="color:#006699;">diabetes</span></a> and <a id="r_2r19" href="http://www.webmd.com/stroke/default.htm"><span id="r_2r20" style="color:#006699;">stroke</span></a>?</p><p id="r_2r21">A new study suggests a link between what women eat and whether they die from certain diseases.</p><p id="s71m"></p><p id="r_2r22"></p><p id="r_2r32">72,000 women, 30 to 55 years old, who had no history of health problems at the beginning of the study. The study spanned 18 years, from 1984 to 2002; every two to four years, the women answered questionnaires about what they ate.</p><p id="s71m0"></p><div class="aia_rdr" id="r_2r25"><div class="aia_videoBorder_fmt" id="r_2r27"></div><div class="clearing_fmt" id="r_2r30"></div></div><p id="s71m1">Researchers led by Christin Heidemann from Harvard's School of Public Health and the German Institute of Human Nutrition tracked more than </p><p id="r_2r33">Two distinct dietary patterns emerged.</p><p id="s71m2"></p><p id="r_2r34">Researchers called one pattern the "high prudent" <a id="r_2r35" href="http://www.webmd.com/diet/default.htm"><span id="r_2r36" style="color:#006699;">diet</span></a>. This included lots of vegetables, fruit, legumes, and whole grains, as well as lean <a id="r_2r37" href="http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/good-protein-sources"><span id="r_2r38" style="color:#006699;">protein</span></a> sources such as fish and poultry.</p><p id="r_2r39">The other dietary pattern, dubbed "Western," included more red and processed meat, refined grains, french fries, sugary foods, and desserts.</p><p id="r_2r40"></p><h3 id="r_2r41">It Pays to Be 'Prudent'</h3><p id="r_2r42">During 18 years of tracking, 6,011 of the participants died.</p><p id="wryb"></p><p id="r_2r43">Women with the most "prudent diet" had a 28% lower risk of dying from heart disease. They also had a 17% lower risk of death from all the diseases studied, including cancer, diabetes, and stroke.</p><p id="wryb0"></p><p id="r_2r44">Women who followed a diet highest in meats, processed and refined foods, and sweets had a 22% higher risk of dying from heart disease. They also had a 21% increased risk of dying from all causes combined.</p><p id="wryb1"></p><p id="r_2r45">"These results highlight the importance of intensifying public health efforts to promote the adoption of a healthy overall diet including high intakes of vegetables, fruit, legumes, whole grains, fish and poultry and low intakes of red and processed meat, refined grains, French fries and sweets," says Heidemann in a prepared statement.</p><p id="wryb2"></p><p id="r_2r46">"Traditionally, there has been a focus on single nutrients or foods, but in terms of longevity a greater focus on dietary patterns can take into account the complexity of the overall diet," Heidemann says.</p><h3 id="r_2r47">Healthy Diet, Lifestyle Tips</h3><p id="r_2r48">Here are some lifestyle and diet guidelines from the American Heart Association, which are in line with following a "prudent" diet:</p><ul id="r_2r49" type="disc"><li id="r_2r50">Limit saturated fat, <a id="r_2r51" href="http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/trans-fats-in-plain-view"><span id="r_2r52" style="color:#006699;">trans fat</span></a>, <a id="r_2r53" href="http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/default.htm"><span id="r_2r54" style="color:#006699;">cholesterol</span></a>, and sodium. <li id="r_2r55">Minimize sugary foods and beverages. <li id="r_2r56">Eat lots of vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain and high-fiber foods. <li id="r_2r57">Eat fat-free and low-fat dairy products. <li id="r_2r58">Eat fish at least twice a week. <li id="r_2r59">Be physically active and keep <a id="r_2r60" href="http://www.webmd.com/diet/tc/healthy-weight-what-is-a-healthy-weight"><span id="r_2r61" style="color:#006699;">weight</span></a> at healthy levels. <li id="r_2r62">Avoid using or breathing tobacco smoke. <li id="r_2r63">Achieve and maintain healthy cholesterol, <a id="r_2r64" href="http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/guide/blood-pressure-basics"><span id="r_2r65" style="color:#006699;">blood pressure</span></a>, and blood glucose levels. </li></ul><p id="r_2r66">The study is published in <i id="r_2r67">Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association</i></p>Nurulhuda_yuihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251442445591955090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172246933858332430.post-45062068195444699982008-05-22T23:49:00.000-07:002008-05-22T23:54:47.197-07:0010 Healthy Foods Under $1<div id="x:as" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1em; PADDING-TOP: 1em; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><img id="nrj00" height="300" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dhscp728_281gws246hc_b" width="281" /></div><p id="mm7u0">Most of us don't need to hear it or read it ... we have felt it in our wallets every time we've gone to the grocery store. But just because food prices are rising doesn't mean you can't make healthy food choices.</p><p id="mm7u1">The good news is that many foods that are good for you are also cheap. Here is our list of the top healthy foods you can find in your grocery store for under a dollar.</p><p id="mm7u2"><i id="mm7u3">Prices may vary based on the store, location, and time of year.</i> </p><h3 id="mm7u4">1. Apples</h3><p id="nrj01"><a id="b.or0" href="http://images.google.co.th/imgres?imgurl=http://www.apples-ne.com/images/rome.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.apples-ne.com/newapplevarieties.html&h=600&w=471&sz=37&hl=th&start=4&sig2=uevKzIEXHMt3fuEclUn8ow&tbnid=PAfTlYG4rmjBQM:&tbnh=135&tbnw=106&ei=nWY2SKXXEpb2swLj7KzBCg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dapples%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Dth%26sa%3DN"><img id="b.or1" style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: 1px solid; WIDTH: 115px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px solid; HEIGHT: 137px" height="135" src="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:PAfTlYG4rmjBQM:http://www.apples-ne.com/images/rome.jpg" width="106" /></a></p><p id="b.or2"></p><p id="mm7u5"><b id="mm7u6">Great for:</b> Snacks, green salads, main dish salads, and fruit salads.</p><p id="mm7u7"><b id="mm7u8">What's a serving?</b> 1 large apple.</p><p id="mm7u9"><b id="mm7u10">Price per serving:</b> About $1. Apples sell for about $1.99 per pound, and an extra large crisp apple weighs about 1/2 pound.</p><p id="mm7u11"><b id="mm7u12">Nutrition Info per serving:</b> 117 calories, 5 grams fiber, 17% Daily Value for vitamin C, and 7% Daily Value for <a id="mm7u13" href="http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/featured-nutrient-potassium"><span id="mm7u14" style="color:#008c99;">potassium</span></a>.</p><h3 id="mm7u15">2. Bananas</h3><p id="b.or3"><a id="ux_m0" href="http://images.google.co.th/imgres?imgurl=http://www.whole-isticsolutions.com/images/ingred/bananas.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.whole-isticsolutions.com/ingredients_details.php%3FID%3D12&h=354&w=444&sz=13&hl=th&start=1&sig2=Nda5_7QFuHVy-E0UXMf7Gg&tbnid=4427cglrue7peM:&tbnh=101&tbnw=127&ei=vmY2SPH3N5GusgLbzuSuCg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbananas%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Dth"><img id="ux_m1" style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px solid" height="101" src="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:4427cglrue7peM:http://www.whole-isticsolutions.com/images/ingred/bananas.jpg" width="127" /></a></p><p id="ux_m2"></p><p id="mm7u16"><b id="mm7u17">Great for:</b> Snacks and fruit salads, yogurt parfaits, and smoothies.</p><p id="mm7u18"><b id="mm7u19">What's a serving?</b> 1 banana.</p><p id="mm7u20"><b id="mm7u21">Price per serving:</b> About 45 cents. Bananas sell for about $0.89 per pound, and a large banana weighs about 1/2 pound</p><p id="mm7u22"><b id="mm7u23">Nutrition Info per serving:</b> 121 calories, 3.5 grams fiber, 14% Daily Value for potassium (487 mg), 20% Daily Value for vitamin C.</p><h3 id="mm7u24">3. Baby Carrots (in bags)</h3><p id="ux_m3"><a id="fi:o0" href="http://images.google.co.th/imgres?imgurl=http://www.dinewise.com/images/photos/1643_lg.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.dinewise.com/gluten-free/baby-carrots1.html&h=350&w=300&sz=59&hl=th&start=4&sig2=uqHrJqZBJEIh80C2FEExTQ&tbnid=NRsfHdJHTQK0QM:&tbnh=120&tbnw=103&ei=5mY2SL-0MoOSswKan_WuCg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbaby%2Bcarrots%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Dth"><img id="fi:o1" style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: 1px solid; WIDTH: 120px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px solid; HEIGHT: 122px" height="120" src="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:NRsfHdJHTQK0QM:http://www.dinewise.com/images/photos/1643_lg.jpg" width="103" /></a></p><p id="obk10"></p><p id="mm7u25"><b id="mm7u26">Great for:</b> Snacks, casseroles, stews, veggie platters, and side dishes.</p><p id="mm7u27"><b id="mm7u28">What's a serving?</b> About 1/2 cup or 2 ounces raw.</p><p id="mm7u29"><b id="mm7u30">Price per serving:</b> 19 cents. A 16-ounce bag costs about $1 on sale and contains about 8 servings (2 ounces each).</p><p id="mm7u31"><b id="mm7u32">Nutrition Info per serving:</b> 27 calories, 2 grams of fiber, 200% Daily Value for vitamin A, and 7% Daily Value for vitamin C.</p><h3 id="mm7u33">4. Canned Beans</h3><p id="fi:o2"><a id="krc50" href="http://images.google.co.th/imgres?imgurl=http://images.jupiterimages.com/common/detail/04/51/23045104.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.jupiterimages.com/itemDetail.aspx%3FitemID%3D23045104&h=250&w=194&sz=24&hl=th&start=13&sig2=tQDMA9w6rjveaAgLbDmyQQ&tbnid=I7FsHupRyAVs6M:&tbnh=111&tbnw=86&ei=Cmc2SIfrDJ-kswKkv9jQCg&prev=/images%3Fq%3DCanned%2BBeans%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Dth%26sa%3DG"><img id="krc51" style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: 1px solid; WIDTH: 116px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px solid; HEIGHT: 113px" height="111" src="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:I7FsHupRyAVs6M:http://images.jupiterimages.com/common/detail/04/51/23045104.jpg" width="86" /></a></p><p id="obk11"></p><p id="mm7u34"><b id="mm7u35">Great for:</b> Green salads, casseroles, stews, and chili. Types of beans range from 50% less sodium kidney beans and black beans to white beans and garbanzo beans.</p><p id="mm7u36"><b id="mm7u37">What's a serving?</b> Each can contains about 3.5 (1/2-cup) servings.</p><p id="mm7u38"><b id="mm7u39">Price per serving:</b> About 28 cents. You can buy a 15-ounce can for about $1 on sale.</p><p id="mm7u40"><b id="mm7u41">Nutrition Info per serving:</b> About 120 calories (for kidney beans), 7 grams <a id="mm7u42" href="http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/good-protein-sources"><span id="mm7u43" style="color:#008c99;">protein</span></a>, 6 grams fiber, and 6% Daily Value for calcium, and 10% Daily Value for iron.</p><h3 id="mm7u44">5. Canned Tomatoes</h3><p id="krc52"><a id="i..40" href="http://images.google.co.th/imgres?imgurl=http://images.jupiterimages.com/common/detail/40/97/23039740.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.jupiterimages.com/itemDetail.aspx%3FitemID%3D23039740&h=250&w=249&sz=26&hl=th&start=7&sig2=yH2CRqq3sslNLlnRYMvz5A&tbnid=TpHWYpTerTSgCM:&tbnh=111&tbnw=111&ei=Smc2SPy1Fp-CtALjo6GzCg&prev=/images%3Fq%3DCanned%2BTomatoes%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Dth%26sa%3DG"><img id="i..41" style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: 1px solid; WIDTH: 118px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px solid; HEIGHT: 113px" height="111" src="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:TpHWYpTerTSgCM:http://images.jupiterimages.com/common/detail/40/97/23039740.jpg" width="111" /></a></p><p id="obk12"></p><p id="mm7u45"><b id="mm7u46">Great for:</b> Italian and Mexican <a id="mm7u47" href="http://www.webmd.com/health_and_wellness/food_nutrition/recipe_finder/default.htm"><span id="mm7u48" style="color:#008c99;">recipes</span></a>, chili, stew, and casseroles. Flavor options range from no-salt-added sliced stewed tomatoes to diced tomatoes with garlic and olive oil.</p><p id="mm7u49"><b id="mm7u50">What's a serving?</b> One can contains about 3.5 (1/2-cup) servings.</p><p id="mm7u51"><b id="mm7u52">Price per serving:</b> About 28 cents. You can buy a 14.5-ounce can for about $1 on sale (often less for store brands).</p><p id="mm7u53"><b id="mm7u54">Nutrition Info per serving:</b> About 25 calories, 1 gram fiber, 10% Daily Value of vitamin A, and 15% Daily Value of vitamin C.</p><h3 id="ntoy0">6. Oranges (extra large navel oranges)</h3><p id="obk13"><a id="obk14" href="http://images.google.co.th/imgres?imgurl=http://www.paramountcitrus.com/images/fresh_citrus/navel_oranges.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.paramountcitrus.com/fresh_citrus/navel_oranges.html&h=186&w=234&sz=11&hl=th&start=36&sig2=rwrKmDmYVZWXZdIFvG7yng&tbnid=t5wC9ka9_mgMvM:&tbnh=87&tbnw=109&ei=p2c2SIaeO4TIsgLTn5jECg&prev=/images%3Fq%3DOranges%2B(extra%2Blarge%2Bnavel%2Boranges%26start%3D20%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Dth%26sa%3DN"><img id="obk15" style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: 1px solid; WIDTH: 128px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px solid; HEIGHT: 103px" height="87" src="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:t5wC9ka9_mgMvM:http://www.paramountcitrus.com/images/fresh_citrus/navel_oranges.jpg" width="109" /></a></p><p id="obk16"></p><p id="ntoy1"><b id="ntoy2">Great for:</b> Snacks, green salads, and fruit salads.</p><p id="ntoy3"><b id="ntoy4">What's a serving?</b> 1 large or extra large orange.</p><p id="ntoy5"><b id="ntoy6">Price per serving:</b> 40 cents for a large orange and 79 cents for an extra large orange. Oranges sell for around $0.79 per pound, and a large orange is about 1/2 pound, whereas an extra large orange is about 1 pound.</p><p id="ntoy7"><b id="ntoy8">Nutrition Info per serving:</b> (for an 8 ounce orange): 106 calories, 5.5 grams fiber, 10% Daily Value for vitamin A, 200% Daily Value vitamin C, 17% Daily Value for folate, 9% Daily Value for calcium, and 12% potassium.</p><h3 id="ntoy9">7. Pears</h3><p id="btrh0"><a id="btrh1" href="http://images.google.co.th/imgres?imgurl=http://qmusings.com/images/PairOfPears.jpg&imgrefurl=http://qmusings.com/blog/2007/08/31/playing-with-food/&h=325&w=400&sz=20&hl=th&start=12&sig2=nNF7z7_xEKM9zZGhqdAfSA&tbnid=h4ZIdM3Glo2VuM:&tbnh=101&tbnw=124&ei=3Gc2SP6YF6GKsgKTlq3ECg&prev=/images%3Fq%3DPears%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Dth%26sa%3DG"><img id="btrh2" style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px solid" height="101" src="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:h4ZIdM3Glo2VuM:http://qmusings.com/images/PairOfPears.jpg" width="124" /></a></p><p id="btrh3"></p><p id="ntoy10"><b id="ntoy11">Great for:</b> Snacks, as an appetizer with cheese, green salads, and fruit salads.</p><p id="ntoy12"><b id="ntoy13">What's a serving?</b> 1 large pear</p><p id="ntoy14"><b id="ntoy15">Price per serving:</b> about 45 cents for a large pear. Pears sell for about $0.90 per pound, and a large pear weighs about 1/2 pound.</p><p id="ntoy16"><b id="ntoy17">Nutrition Info per serving:</b> 133 calories, 7 grams of fiber, 16% Daily Value for vitamin C, and 8% for potassium.</p><h3 id="ntoy18">8. Lentils (dry)</h3><p id="pz420"><a id="pz421" href="http://images.google.co.th/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2007/071114.legumesnacks.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ars.usda.gov/IS/pr/2007/071114.htm&h=239&w=250&sz=31&hl=th&start=8&sig2=FtLFBQqmRmgJmRTDlO7Vsw&tbnid=fegZDJyIj9l2tM:&tbnh=106&tbnw=111&ei=A2g2SKHYJpTQswL98MS8Cg&prev=/images%3Fq%3DLentils%2B(dry)%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Dth%26sa%3DG"><img id="pz422" style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: 1px solid; WIDTH: 119px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px solid; HEIGHT: 108px" height="106" src="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:fegZDJyIj9l2tM:http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2007/071114.legumesnacks.jpg" width="111" /></a></p><p id="pz423"></p><p id="ntoy19"><b id="ntoy20">Great for:</b> Soups and stews, cold bean salads, and casseroles.</p><p id="ntoy21"><b id="ntoy22">What's a serving?</b> 2 ounces (dry)</p><p id="ntoy23"><b id="ntoy24">Price per serving:</b> 14 cents. A 16 ounce bag sells for $1.12 (on sale) and contains eight servings.</p><p id="ntoy25"><b id="ntoy26">Nutrition Info per serving:</b> 195 calories, 14 grams protein, 6 grams fiber, 24% Daily Value for Iron, 10% Daily Value for <a id="ntoy27" href="http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/magnesium-mg"><span id="ntoy28" style="color:#008c99;">magnesium</span></a> and potassium.</p><h3 id="ntoy29">9. Pearl Barley (dry)</h3><p id="tesk0"><a id="tesk1" href="http://images.google.co.th/imgres?imgurl=http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/884/20103866.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.dkimages.com/discover/DKIMAGES/Discover/Home/Food-and-Drink/Ingredients/Dry-Grains-Pulses-Cereals-and-P/Barley/Pearl-Barley/Pearl-Barley-3.html&h=226&w=424&sz=24&hl=th&start=1&sig2=nRyjIOIDioXd4N364LQZQw&tbnid=Z5D123ToZ9-AbM:&tbnh=67&tbnw=126&ei=MWg2SP-5N5GusgLbzuSuCg&prev=/images%3Fq%3DPearl%2BBarley%2B(dry)%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Dth"><img id="tesk2" style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: 1px solid; WIDTH: 128px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px solid; HEIGHT: 98px" height="67" src="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:Z5D123ToZ9-AbM:http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/884/20103866.JPG" width="126" /></a></p><p id="tesk3"></p><p id="ntoy30"><b id="ntoy31">Great for:</b> Soups and stews, cold salads, and casseroles.</p><p id="ntoy32"><b id="ntoy33">What's a serving?</b> 2 ounces (dry)</p><p id="ntoy34"><b id="ntoy35">Price per serving:</b> About 12 cents. A 16 ounce bag of dry pearl barley sells for about $0.94 and contains about 8 servings.</p><p id="ntoy36"><b id="ntoy37">Nutrition Info per serving:</b> 199 calories, 9 grams fiber, 2.5 grams soluble fiber, 6 grams protein, 8% Daily Value for iron, and 11% Daily Value for magnesium.</p><h3 id="ntoy38">10. Yogurt (plain, lowfat, or fat-free)</h3><p id="jawe1"><a id="jawe2" href="http://images.google.co.th/imgres?imgurl=http://images.oprah.com/omagazine/200610/images/omag_200610_hea_208_350x263.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.oprah.com/health/omag/health_omag_200610_heart_350_208.jhtml&h=263&w=350&sz=11&hl=th&start=7&sig2=dGppWwY-vr-luI6_ukRThg&tbnid=U1OM5O3McExDNM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=120&ei=qWg2SKzoKKjwswKa2szICg&prev=/images%3Fq%3DYogurt%2B(plain,%2Blow%2Bfat,%2Bor%2Bfat-free)%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Dth%26sa%3DX"><img id="jawe3" style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: 1px solid; WIDTH: 132px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px solid; HEIGHT: 103px" height="90" src="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:U1OM5O3McExDNM:http://images.oprah.com/omagazine/200610/images/omag_200610_hea_208_350x263.jpg" width="120" /></a></p><p id="jawe4"></p><p id="ntoy39"><b id="ntoy40">Great for:</b> Smoothies, yogurt parfait, dips, and dressings.</p><p id="ntoy41"><b id="ntoy42">What's a serving?</b> An 8-ounce or 6-ounce container is usually a serving.</p><p id="ntoy43"><b id="ntoy44">Price per serving:</b> 60 cents. This is usually the price for an 8-ounce container of plain yogurt.</p><p id="ntoy45"><b id="ntoy46">Nutrition Info per serving:</b> (for 8 ounces of fat-free plain yogurt): 130 calories, 13 grams of protein, 45% Daily Value for calcium, plus active cultures such as acidophilus and bifidus.</p>Nurulhuda_yuihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251442445591955090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172246933858332430.post-3102605498179097202008-05-09T19:01:00.000-07:002008-12-09T12:28:50.104-08:0010Best Foods For Men<div id="sx_s" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1em; PADDING-TOP: 1em; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><img id="pwp-0" style="WIDTH: 369px; HEIGHT: 357px" height="400" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dhscp728_276fmfz4shk_b" width="369" /></div><p class="editorialHeading_fmt" id="eqr01"></p><p class="editorialHeading_fmt" id="eqr02" align="justify">from "Men's Health" Magazine</p><div class="reviewedBy_fmt" id="zr8y0" align="justify"></div><div class="clearBoth_fmt" id="zr8y1" align="justify"></div><h3 id="zr8y2" align="justify"></h3><p id="zr8y3" align="justify"><b id="zr8y4">Want to do your body a world of good? It's as easy as expanding your grocery list</b> </p><p id="zr8y5" align="justify"></p><p id="zr8y6" align="justify">Although some guys aren't opposed to smoking some weed, most wouldn't think of eating one. It's a shame, really, since a succulent weed named purslane is not only delicious but also among the world's healthiest foods.</p><p id="zr8y7" align="justify"></p><p id="zr8y8" align="justify">Of course, there are many superfoods that never see the inside of a shopping cart. Some you've never heard of, and others you've simply forgotten about. That's why we've rounded up the best of the bunch. Make a place for them on your table and you'll instantly upgrade your health -- without a prescription.</p><h3 id="zr8y9">1. Beets</h3><p id="zr8y10"><a id="ywpa0" href="http://images.google.co.th/imgres?imgurl=http://outofthegarden.files.wordpress.com/2006/09/beets1.JPG&imgrefurl=http://outofthegarden.wordpress.com/2006/09/24/beets-and-greens-pachadi/&h=474&w=532&sz=93&hl=th&start=9&sig2=aIMqbAdPFUQBhs_r6HHb_g&tbnid=RRFU7ghAF4cPOM:&tbnh=118&tbnw=132&ei=Cf8kSJLAEYy66gO4hvXHBw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbeets%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Dth"><img id="ywpa1" style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px solid" height="118" src="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:RRFU7ghAF4cPOM:http://outofthegarden.files.wordpress.com/2006/09/beets1.JPG" width="132" /></a></p><p id="ywpa2"></p><p id="v5rr0" align="justify">These grungy-looking roots are naturally sweeter than any other vegetable, which means they pack tons of flavor underneath their rugged exterior.</p><p id="bg.g0" align="justify"></p><p id="zr8y11" align="justify"><b id="zr8y12">Why they're healthy:</b> Think of beets as red spinach. Just like Popeye's powerfood, this crimson vegetable is one of the best sources of both folate and betaine. These two nutrients work together to lower your blood levels of homocysteine, an inflammatory compound that can damage your arteries and increase your risk of heart disease. Plus, the natural pigments -- called betacyanins -- that give beets their color have been proved to be potent cancer fighters in laboratory mice.</p><p id="bg.g1" align="justify"></p><p id="zr8y13" align="justify"><b id="zr8y14">How to eat them:</b> Fresh and raw, not from a jar. Heating beets actually decreases their antioxidant power. For a simple single-serving salad, wash and peel one beet, and then grate it on the widest blade of a box grater. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the juice of half a lemon.</p><p id="bg.g2" align="justify"></p><p id="zr8y15" align="justify">You can eat the leaves and stems, which are also packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Simply cut off the stems just below the point where the leaves start, and wash thoroughly. They're now ready to be used in a salad. Or, for a side dish, sauté the leaves, along with a minced clove of garlic and a tablespoon of olive oil, in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Cook until the leaves are wilted and the stems are tender. Season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice, and sprinkle with fresh Parmesan cheese.</p><p id="hhyn0" align="justify"></p><h3 id="p16l0" align="justify">2. Cabbage</h3><p align="justify"><a id="m:0m1" href="http://images.google.co.th/imgres?imgurl=http://img.alibaba.com/photo/50955235/Fresh_Cabbage.jpg&imgrefurl=http://jinhuafood.en.alibaba.com/product/50166116/50955235/Cabbages/Fresh_Cabbage.html&h=360&w=360&sz=26&hl=th&start=14&sig2=c_UfuT4LeUMfcMNwL5OnQg&tbnid=tDhxlDbEVnukEM:&tbnh=121&tbnw=121&ei=d_8kSN6iAZnw7APY6PnHBw&prev=/images%3Fq%3DCabbage%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Dth%26sa%3DG"><img id="m:0m2" style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px solid" height="121" src="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:tDhxlDbEVnukEM:http://img.alibaba.com/photo/50955235/Fresh_Cabbage.jpg" width="121" /></a></p><p id="m:0m3" align="justify"></p><p id="p16l1" align="justify">Absent from most American kitchens, this cruciferous vegetable is a major player in European and Asian diets.</p><p id="bg.g3" align="justify"></p><p id="p16l2" align="justify"><b id="p16l3">Why it's healthy:</b> One cup of chopped cabbage has just 22 calories, and it's loaded with valuable nutrients. At the top of the list is sulforaphane, a chemical that increases your body's production of enzymes that disarm cell-damaging free radicals and reduce your risk of cancer. In fact, Stanford University scientists determined that sulforaphane boosts your levels of these cancer-fighting enzymes higher than any other plant chemical.</p><p id="bg.g4" align="justify"></p><p id="p16l4" align="justify"><b id="p16l5">How to eat it:</b> Put cabbage on your burgers to add a satisfying crunch. Or, for an even better sandwich topping or side salad, try an Asian-style slaw. Here's what you'll need.</p><p id="bg.g5" align="justify"></p><p align="justify">4 Tbsp peanut or canola oil<br id="p16l7">Juice of two limes<br id="p16l8">1 Tbsp sriracha, an Asian chili sauce you can find in the international section of your grocery store<br id="p16l9">1 head napa cabbage, finely chopped or shredded<br id="p16l10">1/4 cup toasted peanuts<br id="p16l11">1/2 cup shredded carrots<br id="p16l12">1/4 cup chopped cilantro</p><p id="bg.g6" align="justify"></p><p id="p16l13" align="justify">Whisk together the oil, lime juice, and sriracha. Combine the remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl and toss with the dressing to coat. Refrigerate for 20 minutes before serving. The slaw will keep in your fridge for 2 days.</p><h3 id="p16l14" align="justify">3. Guava</h3><p align="justify"><a id="ibgs1" href="http://images.google.co.th/imgres?imgurl=http://i1.trekearth.com/photos/39956/guava.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Asia/Singapore/photo376990.htm&h=378&w=500&sz=159&hl=th&start=5&sig2=4rlMOWCCmjhrNhId6AzYJw&tbnid=3od0W5A-Nj8N3M:&tbnh=98&tbnw=130&ei=w_8kSLHzEY3G6gO9tPjHBw&prev=/images%3Fq%3DGuava%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Dth%26sa%3DG"><img id="ibgs2" style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: 1px solid; WIDTH: 138px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px solid; HEIGHT: 106px" height="98" src="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:3od0W5A-Nj8N3M:http://i1.trekearth.com/photos/39956/guava.jpg" width="130" /></a></p><p id="ibgs3" align="justify"></p><p id="p16l15" align="justify">Guava is an obscure tropical fruit that's subtly acidic, with sweetness that intensifies as you eat your way to the center.</p><p id="bg.g7" align="justify"></p><p id="p16l16" align="justify"><b id="p16l17">Why it's healthy:</b> Guava has a higher concentration of lycopene -- an antioxidant that fights prostate cancer -- than any other plant food, including tomatoes and watermelon. In addition, 1 cup of the stuff provides 688 milligrams (mg) of potassium, which is 63 percent more than you'll find in a medium banana. And guava may be the ultimate high-fiber food: There's almost 9 grams (g) of fiber in every cup.</p><p id="bg.g8" align="justify"></p><p id="p16l18" align="justify"><b id="p16l19">How to eat it:</b> Down the entire fruit, from the rind to the seeds. It's all edible -- and nutritious. The rind alone has more vitamin C than you'd find in the flesh of an orange. You can score guava in the produce section of higher-end supermarkets or in Latin grocery stores.</p><h3 id="p16l20" align="justify">4. Swiss chard</h3><p align="justify"><a id="pa.m1" href="http://images.google.co.th/imgres?imgurl=http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/569599/2/istockphoto_569599_rainbow_swiss_chard.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup/objects/food/569599_rainbow_swiss_chard.php%3Fid%3D569599&h=380&w=278&sz=44&hl=th&start=2&sig2=5YCHkH1JSoGdv4L_E8DLJA&tbnid=ON0SrI5M62lOVM:&tbnh=123&tbnw=90&ei=_v8kSNbfLpes6gPByfTHBw&prev=/images%3Fq%3DSwiss%2Bchard%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Dth%26sa%3DG"><img id="pa.m2" style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: 1px solid; WIDTH: 123px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px solid; HEIGHT: 127px" height="123" src="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:ON0SrI5M62lOVM:http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/569599/2/istockphoto_569599_rainbow_swiss_chard.jpg" width="90" /></a></p><p id="p16l21" align="justify">Hidden in the leafy-greens cooler of your market, you'll find this slightly bitter, salty vegetable, which is actually native to the Mediterranean.</p><p id="bg.g9" align="justify"></p><p id="p16l22" align="justify"><b id="p16l23">Why it's healthy:</b> A half cup of cooked Swiss chard provides a huge amount of both lutein and zeaxanthin, supplying 10 mg each. These plant chemicals, known as carotenoids, protect your retinas from the damage of aging, according to Harvard researchers. That's because both nutrients, which are actually pigments, appear to accumulate in your retinas, where they absorb the type of shortwave light rays that can damage your eyes.</p><p id="bg.g10" align="justify"></p><p id="bg.g11" align="justify">So the more lutein and zeaxanthin you eat, the better your internal eye protection will be.</p><p id="bg.g12" align="justify"></p><p id="p16l24" align="justify"><b id="p16l25">How to eat it:</b> Chard goes great with grilled steaks and chicken, and it also works well as a bed for pan-seared fish. Wash and dry a bunch of Swiss chard, and then chop the leaves and stems into 1-inch pieces. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauté pan or wok, and add two garlic cloves that you've peeled and lightly crushed. When the oil smokes lightly, add the chard. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, until the leaves wilt and the stems are tender. Remove the garlic cloves and season the chard with salt and pepper.</p><p id="p16l26" align="justify"></p><h3 id="qod00" align="justify">5. Cinnamon</h3><p align="justify"><a id="rhbx1" href="http://images.google.co.th/imgres?imgurl=http://www.danish-schnapps-recipes.com/images/ceylon-cinnamon.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.danish-schnapps-recipes.com/cinnamon.html&h=283&w=425&sz=53&hl=th&start=2&sig2=gNt7mjzzZ4fD2xZWRM3jBA&tbnid=qM7v2RtBmqTH8M:&tbnh=84&tbnw=126&ei=OAAlSNCJMZnw7APY6PnHBw&prev=/images%3Fq%3DCinnamon%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Dth%26sa%3DG"><img id="rhbx2" style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: 1px solid; WIDTH: 130px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px solid; HEIGHT: 104px" height="84" src="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:qM7v2RtBmqTH8M:http://www.danish-schnapps-recipes.com/images/ceylon-cinnamon.jpg" width="126" /></a></p><p id="rhbx3" align="justify"></p><p id="qod01" align="justify">This old-world spice usually reaches most men's stomachs only when it's mixed with sugar and stuck to a roll.</p><p id="a_o_0" align="justify"></p><p id="qod02" align="justify"><b id="qod03">Why it's healthy:</b> Cinnamon helps control your blood sugar, which influences your risk of heart disease. In fact, USDA researchers found that people with type-2 diabetes who consumed 1 g of cinnamon a day for 6 weeks (about 1/4 teaspoon each day) significantly reduced not only their blood sugar but also their triglycerides and LDL (bad) cholesterol. Credit the spice's active ingredients, methylhydroxychalcone polymers, which increase your cells' ability to metabolize sugar by up to 20 times.</p><p id="a_o_1" align="justify"></p><p id="qod04" align="justify"><b id="qod05">How to eat it:</b> You don't need the fancy oils and extracts sold at vitamin stores; just sprinkle the stuff that's in your spice rack (or in the shaker at Starbucks) into your coffee or on your oatmeal.</p><h3 id="qod06" align="justify">6. Purslane</h3><p align="justify"><a id="e13p1" href="http://images.google.co.th/imgres?imgurl=http://www.fountainofyouth-gojiseed.com/images/graphics/purslane8.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.fountainofyouth-gojiseed.com/&h=495&w=455&sz=61&hl=th&start=23&sig2=Bd2RDqmjgug_6ws5hjCHiw&tbnid=Gka4iSHh5m1kQM:&tbnh=130&tbnw=119&ei=eQAlSJC3NJnw7APY6PnHBw&prev=/images%3Fq%3D%2BPurslane%26start%3D20%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Dth%26sa%3DN"><img id="e13p2" style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px solid" height="130" src="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:Gka4iSHh5m1kQM:http://www.fountainofyouth-gojiseed.com/images/graphics/purslane8.jpg" width="119" /></a></p><p id="e13p3" align="justify"></p><p id="qod07" align="justify">Although the FDA classifies purslane as a broad-leaved weed, it's a popular vegetable and herb in many other countries, including China, Mexico, and Greece.</p><p id="a_o_2" align="justify"></p><p id="qod08" align="justify"><b id="qod09">Why it's healthy:</b> Purslane has the highest amount of heart-healthy omega-3 fats of any edible plant, according to researchers at the University of Texas at San Antonio. The scientists also report that this herb has 10 to 20 times more melatonin -- an antioxidant that may inhibit cancer growth -- than any other fruit or vegetable tested.</p><p id="a_o_3" align="justify"></p><p id="qod010" align="justify"><b id="qod011">How to eat it:</b> In a salad. Think of purslane as a great alternative or addition to lettuce: The leaves and stems are crisp, chewy, and succulent, and they have a mild lemony taste. Look for it at your local farmer's market, or Chinese or Mexican market. It's also available at some Whole Foods stores, as an individual leafy green or in premade salad mixes.</p><h3 id="qod012" align="justify">7. Pomegranate juice</h3><p align="justify"><a id="d.sm1" href="http://images.google.co.th/imgres?imgurl=http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/pomegranate%2520juice.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/11-health-benefits-of-pomegranate-juice.html&h=194&w=275&sz=73&hl=th&start=5&sig2=n3vI6vf3FrRe2SR20Mok6w&tbnid=pqlGezrP56A8vM:&tbnh=80&tbnw=114&ei=qQAlSIHVHJnw7APY6PnHBw&prev=/images%3Fq%3DPomegranate%2Bjuice%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Dth%26sa%3DG"><img id="d.sm2" style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: 1px solid; WIDTH: 138px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px solid; HEIGHT: 102px" height="80" src="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:pqlGezrP56A8vM:http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/pomegranate%2520juice.jpg" width="114" /></a></p><p id="d.sm3" align="justify"></p><p id="qod013" align="justify">A popular drink for decades in the Middle East, pomegranate juice has become widely available only recently in the United States.</p><p id="a_o_4" align="justify"></p><p id="qod014" align="justify"><b id="qod015">Why it's healthy:</b> Israeli scientists discovered that men who downed just 2 ounces of pomegranate juice daily for a year decreased their systolic (top number) blood pressure by 21 percent and significantly improved bloodflow to their hearts. What's more, 4 ounces provides 50 percent of your daily vitamin C needs.</p><p id="a_o_5" align="justify"></p><p id="qod016" align="justify"><b id="qod017">How to drink it:</b> Try 100 percent pomegranate juice from Pom Wonderful. It contains no added sugars, and because it's so powerful, a small glassful is all you need. (For a list of retailers, go to www.pomwonderful.com.)</p><h3 id="qod018" align="justify">8. Goji berries</h3><p align="justify"><a id="kkx51" href="http://images.google.co.th/imgres?imgurl=http://www.shigatsevalleyorganics.com/images/goji_berries.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.shigatsevalleyorganics.com/goji.php&h=326&w=373&sz=44&hl=th&start=2&sig2=m2E37vsj7d6GwpZsYYAS8Q&tbnid=-Jea7U8ru7WX5M:&tbnh=107&tbnw=122&ei=6AAlSNqmK5nw7APY6PnHBw&prev=/images%3Fq%3DGoji%2Bberries%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Dth%26sa%3DG"><img id="kkx52" style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: 1px solid; WIDTH: 142px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px solid; HEIGHT: 120px" height="107" src="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:-Jea7U8ru7WX5M:http://www.shigatsevalleyorganics.com/images/goji_berries.jpg" width="122" /></a></p><p id="kkx53" align="justify"></p><p id="qod019" align="justify">These raisin-size fruits are chewy and taste like a cross between a cranberry and a cherry. More important, these potent berries have been used as a medicinal food in Tibet for over 1,700 years.</p><p id="a_o_6" align="justify"></p><p id="qod020" align="justify"><b id="qod021">Why they're healthy:</b> Goji berries have one of the highest ORAC ratings -- a method of gauging antioxidant power -- of any fruit, according to Tufts University researchers. And although modern scientists began to study this ancient berry only recently, they've found that the sugars that make goji berries sweet reduce insulin resistance -- a risk factor of diabetes -- in rats.</p><p id="a_o_7" align="justify"></p><p id="qod022" align="justify"><b id="qod023">How to eat them:</b> Mix dried or fresh goji berries with a cup of plain yogurt, sprinkle them on your oatmeal or cold cereal, or enjoy a handful by themselves. You can find them at specialty supermarkets or at gojiberries.us.</p><h3 id="e_c20" align="justify">9. Dried plums</h3><p align="justify"><a id="q:yd1" href="http://images.google.co.th/imgres?imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISzMhgTBAXbcwM53_-aNjF06aU2kg8h4eqP1hnyHkZUZ1rufvWvclw9Ssxqt9QIn32Diu24GRgzaadMuPbydLuwmIkyTpILDNKTVDSSI-BmM9B975F9yfOce5ZjD-ezIfaYjE416VxY3f/s320/Prunes___Dried_Plums___Dried_Fruit.jpg&imgrefurl=http://bluejeanamy.blogspot.com/2007_04_01_archive.html&h=238&w=320&sz=18&hl=th&start=6&sig2=MaFOq7Dq1gsB_cLnhrvfuQ&tbnid=vCUvjb3ax87ovM:&tbnh=88&tbnw=118&ei=MQElSLWsPJnw7APY6PnHBw&prev=/images%3Fq%3DDried%2Bplums%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Dth%26sa%3DG"><img id="q:yd2" style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: 1px solid; WIDTH: 143px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px solid; HEIGHT: 107px" height="88" src="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:vCUvjb3ax87ovM:https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISzMhgTBAXbcwM53_-aNjF06aU2kg8h4eqP1hnyHkZUZ1rufvWvclw9Ssxqt9QIn32Diu24GRgzaadMuPbydLuwmIkyTpILDNKTVDSSI-BmM9B975F9yfOce5ZjD-ezIfaYjE416VxY3f/s320/Prunes___Dried_Plums___Dried_Fruit.jpg" width="118" /></a></p><p id="q:yd3" align="justify"></p><p id="e_c21" align="justify">You may know these better by the moniker "prunes," which are indelibly linked with nursing homes and bathroom habits. And that explains why, in an effort to revive this delicious fruit's image, producers now market them under another name.</p><p id="a_o_8" align="justify"></p><p id="e_c22" align="justify"><b id="e_c23">Why they're healthy:</b> Prunes contain high amounts of neochlorogenic and chlorogenic acids, antioxidants that are particularly effective at combating the "superoxide anion radical." This nasty free radical causes structural damage to your cells, and such damage is thought to be one of the primary causes of cancer.</p><p id="a_o_9" align="justify"></p><p id="e_c24" align="justify"><b id="e_c25">How to eat them:</b> As an appetizer. Wrap a paper-thin slice of prosciutto around each dried plum and secure with a toothpick. Bake in a 400°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until the plums are soft and the prosciutto is crispy. Most of the fat will cook off, and you'll be left with a decadent-tasting treat that's sweet, savory, and healthy.</p><h3 id="e_c26" align="justify">10. Pumpkin seeds</h3><p align="justify"><a id="ae130" href="http://images.google.co.th/imgres?imgurl=http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/1544/11052364.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.dkimages.com/discover/DKIMAGES/Discover/Home/Food-and-Drink/Ingredients/Nuts/Pumpkin-Seeds/Pumpkin-Seeds-2.html&h=624&w=512&sz=27&hl=th&start=6&sig2=Ld2hkJB7uV04fv0KcMT4GQ&tbnid=XDP89Cal_-d4lM:&tbnh=136&tbnw=112&ei=mAElSO-VOZnw7APY6PnHBw&prev=/images%3Fq%3DPumpkin%2Bseeds%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Dth%26sa%3DN"><img id="ae131" style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: 1px solid; WIDTH: 166px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px solid; HEIGHT: 140px" height="136" src="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:XDP89Cal_-d4lM:http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/1544/11052364.JPG" width="112" /></a></p><p id="ae132" align="justify"></p><p id="e_c27" align="justify">These jack-o'-lantern waste products are the most nutritious part of the pumpkin.</p><p id="a_o_10" align="justify"></p><p id="e_c28" align="justify"><b id="e_c29">Why they're healthy:</b> Downing pumpkin seeds is the easiest way to consume more magnesium. That's important because French researchers recently determined that men with the highest levels of magnesium in their blood have a 40 percent lower risk of early death than those with the lowest levels. And on average, men consume 353 mg of the mineral daily, well under the 420 mg minimum recommended by the USDA.</p><p id="a_o_11" align="justify"></p><p id="e_c210" align="justify"><b id="e_c211">How to eat them:</b> Whole, shells and all. (The shells provide extra fiber.) Roasted pumpkin seeds contain 150 mg of magnesium per ounce; add them to your regular diet and you'll easily hit your daily target of 420 mg. Look for them in the snack or health-food section of your grocery store, next to the peanuts, almonds, and sunflower seeds.</p><h3 id="e_c212" align="justify">Antioxidants, Explained</h3><p id="e_c213" align="justify">The science is clear: Plant foods are good for you. And the credit often goes to chemicals they produce called antioxidants. Just as the name suggests, antioxidants help protect your cells against oxidation. Think of oxidation as rust. This rust is caused by free radicals, which are unstable oxygen atoms that attack your cells, inducing DNA damage that leads to cancer. Thankfully, antioxidants help stabilize free radicals, which keeps the rogue atoms from harming your cells.</p><p id="a_o_12" align="justify"></p><p id="a_o_13" align="justify">So by eating more antioxidant-rich foods, you'll boost the amount of the disease-fighting chemicals floating in your bloodstream. The result: Every bite fortifies your body with all-natural preventive medicine.</p>Nurulhuda_yuihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251442445591955090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172246933858332430.post-35069725949772927652008-05-07T19:18:00.000-07:002008-05-07T19:23:01.714-07:007 Steps to Becoming a Happier Person<div class="subhead_fmt" id="pm1x1"><b id="kuow0"><span id="kuow1" style="color:#0000ff;"><div id="gsmn" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1em; PADDING-TOP: 1em; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><img id="rser0" style="WIDTH: 431px; HEIGHT: 298px" height="852" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dhscp728_267gqzx8dcp_b" width="541" /></div></span></b></div><div class="author_fmt" id="pm1x2">By <a id="pm1x3" href="http://www.webmd.com/tom-valeo"><span id="pm1x4" style="color:#008c99;">Tom Valeo</span></a> <br id="pm1x5">WebMD Feature</div><div class="reviewedBy_fmt" id="pm1x6">Reviewed by <a id="pm1x7" href="http://www.webmd.com/cynthia-dennison-haines"><span id="pm1x8" style="color:#008c99;">Cynthia Dennison Haines, MD</span></a></div><div class="clearBoth_fmt" id="pm1x9"></div><h3 id="pm1x11"></h3><p id="pm1x13" align="justify">A popular greeting card attributes this quote to Henry David Thoreau: “Happiness is like a butterfly: the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder.”</p><p id="u6e23" align="justify"></p><p id="pm1x14" align="justify">With all due respect to the author of <i id="pm1x15">Walden</i>, that just isn’t so, according to a growing number of psychologists. You can <i id="pm1x16">choose</i> to be happy, they say. You can chase down that elusive butterfly and get it to sit on your shoulder. How? In part, by simply making the effort to monitor the workings of your mind.</p><p id="u6e24" align="justify"></p><p id="pm1x17" align="justify">Research has shown that your talent for happiness is, to a large degree, determined by your genes. Psychology professor David T. Lykken, author of <i id="pm1x18">Happiness: Its Nature and Nurture</i>, says that “trying to be happier is like trying to be taller.” We each have a “happiness set point,” he argues, and move away from it only slightly. </p><p id="u6e25" align="justify"></p><p id="pm1x19" align="justify">And yet, psychologists who study happiness -- including Lykken -- believe we can pursue happiness. We can do this by thwarting negative emotions such as pessimism, resentment, and anger. And we can foster positive emotions, such as empathy, serenity, and especially gratitude.</p><h3 id="pm1x20" align="justify">Happiness Strategy # 1: Don't Worry, Choose Happy</h3><p id="pm1x21" align="justify">The first step, however, is to make a conscious choice to boost your happiness. In his book, <i id="pm1x22">The Conquest of Happiness</i>, published in 1930, the philosopher Bertrand Russell had this to say: “Happiness is not, except in very rare cases, something that drops into the mouth, like a ripe fruit. … Happiness must be, for most men and women, an achievement rather than a gift of the gods, and in this achievement, effort, both inward and outward, must play a great part.”</p><p id="u6e26" align="justify"></p><p id="pm1x23" align="justify">Today, psychologists who study happiness heartily agree. The intention to be happy is the first of <i id="pm1x24">The 9 Choices of Happy People</i> listed by authors Rick Foster and Greg Hicks in their book of the same name.</p><p id="u6e27" align="justify"></p><p id="pm1x25" align="justify">“Intention is the active desire and commitment to be happy,” they write. “It’s the decision to consciously choose attitudes and behaviors that lead to happiness over unhappiness.”</p><p id="u6e28" align="justify"></p><p id="pm1x26" align="justify">Tom G. Stevens, PhD, titled his book with the bold assertion, <i id="pm1x27">You Can Choose to Be Happy.</i> “Choose to make happiness a top goal,” Stevens tells WebMD. “Choose to take advantage of opportunities to learn how to be happy. For example, reprogram your beliefs and values. Learn good self-management skills, good interpersonal skills, and good career-related skills. Choose to be in environments and around people that increase your probability of happiness. The persons who become the happiest and grow the most are those who also make truth and their own personal growth primary values.”</p><p id="u6e29" align="justify"></p><p id="pm1x28" align="justify">In short, we may be born with a happiness “set point,” as Lykken calls it, but we are not stuck there. Happiness also depends on how we manage our emotions and our relationships with others.</p><p id="pm1x29" align="justify"></p><p id="k__n0" align="justify">Jon Haidt, author of <i id="k__n1">The Happiness Hypothesis</i>, teaches positive psychology. He actually assigns his students to make themselves happier during the semester.</p><p id="u6e210" align="justify"></p><p id="k__n2" align="justify">“They have to say exactly what technique they will use,” says Haidt, a professor at the University of Virginia, in Charlottesville. “They may choose to be more forgiving or more grateful. They may learn to identify negative thoughts so they can challenge them. For example, when someone crosses you, in your mind you build a case against that person, but that’s very damaging to relationships. So they may learn to shut up their inner lawyer and stop building these cases against people.”</p><p id="u6e211" align="justify"></p><p id="k__n3" align="justify">Once you’ve decided to be happier, you can choose strategies for achieving happiness. Psychologists who study happiness tend to agree on ones like these.</p><h3 id="k__n4" align="justify">Happiness Strategy #2: Cultivate Gratitude</h3><p id="k__n5" align="justify">In his book, <i id="k__n6">Authentic Happiness</i>, University of Pennsylvania psychologist Martin Seligman encourages readers to perform a daily “gratitude exercise.” It involves listing a few things that make them grateful. This shifts people away from bitterness and despair, he says, and promotes happiness.</p><h3 id="k__n7" align="justify">Happiness Strategy #3: Foster Forgiveness</h3><p id="k__n8" align="justify">Holding a grudge and nursing grievances can affect physical as well as mental health, according to a rapidly growing body of research. One way to curtail these kinds of feelings is to foster forgiveness. This reduces the power of bad events to create bitterness and resentment, say Michael McCullough and Robert Emmons, happiness researchers who edited <i id="k__n9">The Psychology of Happiness</i>.</p><p id="u6e212" align="justify"></p><p id="k__n10" align="justify">In his book, <i id="k__n11">Five Steps to Forgiveness</i>, clinical psychologist Everett Worthington Jr. offers a 5-step process he calls REACH. First, <b id="k__n12">recall</b> the hurt. Then <b id="k__n13">empathize</b> and try to understand the act from the perpetrator’s point of view. Be <b id="k__n14">altruistic</b> by recalling a time in your life when you were forgiven. <b id="k__n15">Commit</b> to putting your forgiveness into words. You can do this either in a letter to the person you’re forgiving or in your journal. Finally, try to <b id="k__n16">hold</b> on to the forgiveness. Don’t dwell on your anger, hurt, and desire for vengeance.</p><p id="u6e213" align="justify"></p><p id="k__n17" align="justify">The alternative to forgiveness is mulling over a transgression. This is a form of chronic stress, says Worthington.</p><p id="u6e214" align="justify"></p><p id="k__n18" align="justify">“Rumination is the mental health bad boy,” Worthington tells WebMD. “It’s associated with almost everything bad in the mental health field -- obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, anxiety -- probably hives, too.”</p><p id="k__n19" align="justify"></p><h3 id="kuow2" align="justify">Happiness Strategy #4: Counteract Negative Thoughts and Feelings</h3><p id="kuow3" align="justify">As Jon Haidt puts it, improve your mental hygiene. In <i id="kuow4">The Happiness Hypothesis</i>, Haidt compares the mind to a man riding an elephant. The elephant represents the powerful thoughts and feelings -- mostly unconscious -- that drive your behavior. The man, although much weaker, can exert control over the elephant, just as you can exert control over negative thoughts and feelings.</p><p id="u6e215" align="justify"></p><p id="kuow5" align="justify">“The key is a commitment to doing the things necessary to retrain the elephant,” Haidt says. “And the evidence suggests there’s a lot you can do. It just takes work.”</p><p id="u6e216" align="justify"></p><p id="kuow6" align="justify">For example, you can practice meditation, rhythmic breathing, yoga, or relaxation techniques to quell anxiety and promote serenity. You can learn to recognize and challenge thoughts you have about being inadequate and helpless.</p><p id="u6e217" align="justify"></p><p id="kuow7" align="justify">“If you learn techniques for identifying negative thoughts, then it’s easier to challenge them,” Haidt said. “Sometimes just reading David Burns’ book, <i id="kuow8">Feeling Good</i>, can have a positive effect.”</p><h3 id="kuow9" align="justify">Happiness Strategy #5: Remember, Money Can’t Buy Happiness</h3><p id="kuow10" align="justify">Research shows that once income climbs above the poverty level, more money brings very little extra happiness. Yet, “we keep assuming that because things aren’t bringing us happiness, they’re the wrong things, rather than recognizing that the pursuit itself is futile,” writes Daniel Gilbert in his book, <i id="kuow11">Stumbling on Happiness</i>. “Regardless of what we achieve in the pursuit of stuff, it’s never going to bring about an enduring state of happiness.”</p><h3 id="kuow12" align="justify">Happiness Strategy #6: Foster Friendship</h3><p id="kuow13" align="justify">There are few better antidotes to unhappiness than close friendships with people who care about you, says David G. Myers, author of <i id="kuow14">The Pursuit of Happiness</i>. One Australian study found that people over 70 who had the strongest network of friends lived much longer.</p><p id="u6e218" align="justify"></p><p id="kuow15" align="justify">“Sadly, our increasingly individualistic society suffers from impoverished social connections, which some psychologists believe is a cause of today’s epidemic levels of depression,” Myers writes. “The social ties that bind also provide support in difficult times.”</p><h3 id="kuow16" align="justify">Happiness Strategy #7: Engage in Meaningful Activities</h3><p id="kuow17" align="justify">People are seldom happier, says psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, than when they’re in the “flow.” This is a state in which your mind becomes thoroughly absorbed in a meaningful task that challenges your abilities. Yet, he has found that the most common leisure time activity -- watching TV -- produces some of the lowest levels of happiness.</p><p id="u6e219" align="justify"></p><p id="kuow18" align="justify">To get more out of life, we need to put more into it, says Csikszentmihalyi. “Active leisure that helps a person grow does not come easily,” he writes in <i id="kuow19">Finding Flow</i>. “Each of the flow-producing activities requires an initial investment of attention before it begins to be enjoyable.”</p><p id="u6e220" align="justify"></p><p id="kuow20" align="justify">So it turns out that happiness can be a matter of choice -- not just luck. Some people are lucky enough to possess genes that foster happiness. However, certain thought patterns and interpersonal skills definitely help people become an “epicure of experience,” says David Lykken, whose name, in Norwegian, means “the happiness.”</p>Nurulhuda_yuihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251442445591955090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172246933858332430.post-48593035955525451632008-05-05T19:11:00.000-07:002008-05-05T19:18:09.794-07:00Male Sexual Problems Made Simple<p id="h:yt0"> </p><p id="h:yt1"></p><div id="y2x4" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1em; PADDING-TOP: 1em; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><img id="p6x10" style="WIDTH: 351px; HEIGHT: 382px" height="250" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dhscp728_263dhmb9pf9_b" width="261" /></div><p id="oz1m0" align="justify">A sexual problem, or sexual dysfunction, refers to a problem during any phase of the sexual response cycle that prevents the man or couple from experiencing satisfaction from the activity. The sexual response cycle has four phases: excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution.</p><p id="oz1m1" align="justify">While research suggests that sexual dysfunction is common (43% of women and 31% of men report some degree of difficulty), it is a topic that many people are hesitant to discuss. Fortunately, most cases of sexual dysfunction are treatable, so it is important to share your concerns with your partner and doctor.</p><h3 id="oz1m2" align="justify">What Causes Male Sexual Problems?</h3><p id="oz1m3" align="justify">Sexual dysfunction can be a result of a physical or psychological problem.</p><ul id="oz1m4"><li id="oz1m5"><div align="justify">Physical causes: Many physical and/or medical conditions can cause problems with sexual function. These conditions include diabetes, heart and vascular (blood vessel) disease, neurological disorders, hormonal imbalances, chronic diseases such as kidney or liver failure, and alcoholism and drug abuse. In addition, the side effects of certain medications, including some antidepressant drugs, can affect sexual desire and function. </div><li id="oz1m6"><div align="justify">Psychological causes: These include work-related stress and anxiety, concern about sexual performance, marital or relationship problems, depression, feelings of guilt, and the effects of a past sexual trauma. </div></li></ul><p id="oz1m7" align="justify"></p><h3 id="oz1m8" align="justify">Who Is Affected by Sexual Problems?</h3><p id="oz1m9" align="justify">Both men and women are affected by sexual problems. Sexual problems occur in adults of all ages. Among those commonly affected are those in the geriatric population, which may be related to a decline in health associated with aging.</p><h3 id="oz1m10" align="justify">How Do Sexual Problems Affect Men?</h3><p id="oz1m11" align="justify">The most common sexual problems in men are ejaculation disorders, erectile dysfunction and inhibited sexual desire.</p><h3 id="oz1m12" align="justify">What Are Ejaculation Disorders?</h3><p id="oz1m13" align="justify">There are different types of ejaculation disorders in men, including:</p><ul id="oz1m14"><li id="oz1m15"><div align="justify">Premature ejaculation: This refers to ejaculation that occurs before or soon after penetration. </div><li id="oz1m16"><div align="justify">Inhibited or retarded ejaculation: This is when ejaculation is slow to occur. </div><li id="oz1m17"><div align="justify">Retrograde ejaculation: This occurs when, at orgasm, the ejaculate is forced back into the bladder rather than through the urethra and out the end of the penis. </div></li></ul><p id="oz1m18" align="justify">In some cases, premature and inhibited ejaculation are caused by psychological factors, including a strict religious background that causes the person to view sex as sinful, a lack of attraction for a partner, and past traumatic events. Premature ejaculation, the most common form of sexual dysfunction in men, often is due to nervousness over how well he will perform during sex. Certain drugs, including some anti-depressants, may affect ejaculation, as can nerve damage to the spinal cord or back.</p><p id="oz1m19" align="justify">Retrograde ejaculation is common in males with diabetes who suffer from diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage). This is due to problems with the nerves in the bladder and the bladder neck that allow the ejaculate to flow backward. In other men, retrograde ejaculation occurs after operations on the bladder neck or prostate, or after certain abdominal operations. In addition, certain medications, particularly those used to treat mood disorders, may cause problems with ejaculation.</p><p id="h:yt2" align="justify"></p><h3 id="hixe0" align="justify">What Is Erectile Dysfunction?</h3><p id="hixe1" align="justify">Also known as impotence, erectile dysfunction is defined as the inability to attain and/or maintain an erection suitable for intercourse. Causes of erectile dysfunction include diseases affecting blood flow, such as atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries); nerve disorders; psychological factors, such as stress, depression, and performance anxiety (nervousness over his ability to sexually perform); and injury to the penis. Chronic illness, certain medications, and a condition called Peyronie's disease (scar tissue in the penis) also can cause erectile dysfunction.</p><h3 id="hixe2" align="justify">What Is Inhibited Sexual Desire?</h3><p id="hixe3" align="justify">Inhibited desire, or loss of libido, refers to a decrease in desire for, or interest in sexual activity. Reduced libido can result from physical or psychological factors. It has been associated with low levels of the hormone testosterone. It also may be caused by psychological problems, such as anxiety and depression; medical illnesses, such as diabetes and high blood pressure; certain medications, including some anti-depressants; and relationship difficulties.</p><h3 id="hixe4" align="justify">How Are Male Sexual Problems Diagnosed?</h3><p id="hixe5" align="justify">The doctor likely will begin with a thorough history of symptoms and a physical exam. He or she may order other tests to rule out any medical problems that may be contributing to the dysfunction. The doctor may refer you to other doctors, including an urologist (a doctor specializing in the urinary tract and male reproductive system), an endocrinologist (a doctor specializing in glandular disorders), a neurologist (a doctor specializing in disorders of the nervous system), sex therapists, and other counselors.</p><h3 id="hixe6" align="justify">What Tests Are Used to Evaluate Sexual Problems?</h3><p id="hixe7" align="justify">The doctor likely will begin with a thorough history of symptoms and a physical exam. He or she may order other tests to rule out any medical problems that may be contributing to the dysfunction. The doctor may refer you to other doctors, including an urologist (a doctor specializing in the urinary tract and male reproductive system), an endocrinologist (a doctor specializing in glandular disorders), a neurologist (a doctor specializing in disorders of the nervous system), sex therapists, and other counselors.</p><h3 id="hixe8" align="justify">How Is Male Sexual Dysfunction Treated?</h3><p id="hixe9" align="justify">Many cases of sexual dysfunction can be corrected by treating the underlying physical or psychological problems. Treatment strategies may include the following:</p><ul id="hixe10"><li id="hixe11"><div align="justify"><b id="hixe12">Medical treatment</b>: This involves treatment of any physical problem that may be contributing to a man's sexual dysfunction. </div><li id="hixe13"><div align="justify"><b id="hixe14">Medications</b>: Medications, such as the impotence drugs Viagra or Levitra, may help improve sexual function in men by increasing blood flow to the penis. </div><li id="hixe15"><div align="justify"><b id="hixe16">Hormones</b>: Men with low levels of testosterone may benefit from testosterone replacement therapy. </div><li id="hixe17"><div align="justify"><b id="hixe18">Psychological therapy</b>: Therapy with a trained counselor can help a person address feelings of anxiety, fear, or guilt that may have an impact on sexual function. </div><li id="hixe19"><div align="justify"><b id="hixe20">Mechanical aids</b>: Aids such as vacuum devices and penile implants may help men with erectile dysfunction. </div><li id="hixe21"><div align="justify"><b id="hixe22">Education and communication</b>: Education about sex and sexual behaviors and responses may help a man overcome his anxieties about sexual performance. Open dialogue with your partner about your needs and concerns also helps to overcome many barriers to a healthy sex life. </div></li></ul><p id="hixe23" align="justify"></p><h3 id="reb00" align="justify">Can Sexual Problems Be Cured?</h3><p id="reb01" align="justify">The success of treatment for sexual dysfunction depends on the underlying cause of the problem. The outlook is good for dysfunction that is related to a treatable or reversible physical condition. Mild dysfunction that is related to stress, fear, or anxiety often can be successfully treated with counseling, education and improved communication between partners.</p><h3 id="reb02" align="justify">Can Sexual Problems Be Prevented?</h3><p id="reb03" align="justify">While sexual problems cannot be prevented, dealing with the underlying causes of the dysfunction can help you better understand and cope with the problem when it occurs. There are some things you can do to help maintain good sexual function:</p><ul id="reb04"><li id="reb05"><div align="justify">Follow your doctor's treatment plan for any medical/health conditions. </div><li id="reb06"><div align="justify">Limit your alcohol intake. </div><li id="reb07"><div align="justify">Quit smoking. </div><li id="reb08"><div align="justify">Deal with any emotional or psychological issues such as stress, depression, and anxiety. Get treatment as needed. </div><li id="reb09"><div align="justify">Increase communication with your partner. </div></li></ul><h3 id="reb010" align="justify">When Should I Call My Doctor?</h3><p id="reb011" align="justify">Many men experience a problem with sexual function from time to time. However, when the problems are persistent, they can cause distress for the man and his partner, and have a negative impact on their relationship. If you consistently experience sexual function problems, see your doctor for evaluation and treatment.</p><p align="justify"><span class="credits" id="reb013">Reviewed by the doctors at <a id="reb014" href="http://men.webmd.com/click?url=http://www.clevelandclinic.org/psychiatry/"><span id="reb015" style="color:#006699;">The Cleveland Clinic Department of Psychiatry and Psychology</span></a>.<br id="reb016"></p></span>Nurulhuda_yuihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251442445591955090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172246933858332430.post-50455119659067563722008-05-03T19:03:00.000-07:002008-05-03T19:05:58.384-07:00Happiness May Be in the Genes<div class="subhead_fmt" id="e7851"><b id="eb-u0"><div id="n-a-" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1em; PADDING-TOP: 1em; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><img id="ytzk0" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dhscp728_259dscc9jfk_b" /></div></b></div><div class="subhead_fmt" id="lo430"><b id="lo431">Study Shows Inherited Personality Traits Play a Key Role in Happiness</b></div><div class="author_fmt" id="e7852">By <a id="e7853" href="http://www.webmd.com/susan-boyles"><span id="e7854" style="color:#008c99;">Salynn Boyles</span></a><br id="e7855">WebMD Medical News</div><div class="reviewedBy_fmt" id="e7856">Reviewed by <a id="e7857" href="http://www.webmd.com/louise-chang"><span id="e7858" style="color:#008c99;">Louise Chang, MD</span></a></div><div class="clearBoth_fmt" id="e7859"></div><h3 id="e78511"></h3><p id="e78513" align="justify">March 5, 2008 -- People tend to be hardwired for happiness, and new genetic research may help explain why.</p><p id="lo432" align="justify"></p><p id="e78514" align="justify">Past studies suggest that while 50% of happiness is due to situational factors like health, <a id="e78515" href="http://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/guide/default.htm"><span id="e78516" style="color:#008c99;">relationships</span></a>, and career, the other 50% is due to genes.</p><p id="e78517" align="justify">The new research identified largely inherited personality traits that researchers say are responsible for much of the genetic influence on happiness.</p><p id="e78518" align="justify">Having the right mix of these inherited traits leads to a "reserve" of happiness that can be called on in times of <a id="e78519" href="http://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/"><span id="e78520" style="color:#008c99;">stress</span></a>, they say.</p><p id="lo433" align="justify"></p><p id="e78521" align="justify">"Traits like being active, sociable, conscientious, and not being overly anxious are related to happiness -- and these are also traits that are inherited," researcher Timothy Bates, PhD, tells WebMD.</p><p id="lo434" align="justify"></p><p id="e78522" align="justify"><i id="e78523">(<a id="e78524" href="http://boards.webmd.com/webx?THDX@@.8972216b!thdchild=.8972216b"><span id="e78525" style="color:#008c99;">Are you happy</span></a>? Do you believe that your genes make you happy or that you determine your own happiness? Talk about it on WebMD's <a id="e78526" href="http://boards.webmd.com/webx/topics/hd/Welcome-Center/A-Health-Cafe-Meet-Your-Neighbors/?14@@"><span id="e78527" style="color:#008c99;">Health Cafe</span></a> message board.)</i> </p><h3 id="e78528" align="justify">Genes and the Pursuit of Happiness</h3><p id="e78529" align="justify">Bates and University of Edinburgh colleagues Alexander Weiss, PhD, and Michelle Luciano, PhD, have studied the science of happiness for the past 15 years.</p><p id="lo435" align="justify"></p><p id="e78530" align="justify">Their latest study involved more than 900 identical and non-identical twin pairs who completed a standardized questionnaire designed to identify personality traits.</p><p id="lo436" align="justify"></p><p id="e78531" align="justify">Since identical <a id="e78532" href="http://www.webmd.com/baby/twins-triplets-more"><span id="e78533" style="color:#008c99;">twins</span></a> share all the same genes and non-identical twins do not, the researchers say they were able to determine the influence of genes on the personality traits and on happiness.</p><p id="lo437" align="justify"></p><p id="e78534" align="justify">"Together with life and liberty, the pursuit of happiness is a core human desire," Weiss notes in a news release. "Although happiness is subject to a wide range of external influence, we have found that there is a heritable component of happiness which can be entirely explained by genetic architecture of personality."</p><p id="lo438" align="justify"></p><p id="e78535" align="justify">The study appears in the March issue of the journal <i id="e78536">Psychological Science.</i></p><h3 id="e78537" align="justify">Achieving Happiness by Setting Goals</h3><p id="e78538" align="justify">The findings do not mean that people who don't inherit happiness traits are destined to lead miserable lives, Bates says.</p><p id="lo439" align="justify"></p><p id="e78539" align="justify">Bates, Weiss, and Luciano are studying whether adopting the traits associated with happiness can make people happy. Early findings suggest it can.</p><p id="lo4310" align="justify"></p><p id="e78540" align="justify">Since setting and achieving goals is a common trait in conscientious people, and conscientiousness is linked to happiness, study participants were asked to set five achievable goals that could be accomplished in a week.</p><p id="lo4311" align="justify"></p><p id="e78541" align="justify">"As soon as people started working toward these goals their happiness scores went up," Bates says. "When they were no longer working toward a goal their happiness scores dropped."</p><p id="lo4312" align="justify"></p><p id="e78542" align="justify">So while some people are genetically predisposed to being goal-oriented and others are not, the research suggests that it is the behavior that drives happiness, whether or not it comes naturally.</p><p id="lo4313" align="justify"></p><p id="e78543" align="justify">People who stay physically active and socially connected also tend to be happier, so adopting these traits is important for people who are naturally introverted, Bates says.</p><p id="mw540" align="justify"></p><p id="tuzm0" align="justify"><b id="tuzm1"><span id="tuzm2" style="font-size:100%;">Can Money Buy Happiness?</span></b></p><p id="tuzm3" align="justify"></p><p id="tuzm4" align="justify">The research builds on work done over 20 years suggesting a clear role for genes in happiness.</p><p id="lo4314" align="justify"></p><p id="tuzm5" align="justify">Situational factors do matter, Bates says, but they don't tend to affect happiness long term.</p><p id="lo4315" align="justify"></p><p id="tuzm6" align="justify">Studies consistently show that rich people are not much happier than poor people, and even people with severe physical disabilities tend to find happiness over time, he says.</p><p id="lo4316" align="justify"></p><p id="tuzm7" align="justify">"This is what led to the thinking that certain people must have some reserve that allows them to remain at a fairly stable level of happiness despite their situation," he adds.</p><p id="lo4317" align="justify"></p><p id="tuzm8" align="justify">The research also suggests that happiness is tied to a sense of responsibility and achievement.</p><p id="lo4318" align="justify"></p><p id="tuzm9" align="justify">"The way to pursue happiness is surprisingly virtuous," Bates concludes. "A sense of humility, working for the things you want, counting your blessings, being sociable, and staying active all play a part."</p>Nurulhuda_yuihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251442445591955090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172246933858332430.post-80513415043809039682008-04-30T19:25:00.000-07:002008-04-30T19:28:44.197-07:00How to get every thing you want in life<p id="h_so1"></p><div id="eem_" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1em; PADDING-TOP: 1em; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><img id="wrrp0" style="WIDTH: 407px; HEIGHT: 500px" height="500" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dhscp728_254dzv42jfx_b" width="377" /></div><p id="r7nc4" align="justify"><b id="r7nc5">Experts and women like you share simple tips for landing whatever your heart desires, whether its comfy shoes or your share of the American pie. But sometimes knowing - really knowing - what you want is the hardest part of all.</b> </p><p id="r7nc6" align="justify"></p><p id="r7nc7" align="justify">A few weeks ago, I went backpacking in the canyons of southern Utah with nine other women. Our ages spanned three decades, 23 to 53, our occupations-lawyer, bookseller, botanist, social worker, yoga instructor (to name only a few)-were as varied as the colors of the desert flowers that were just starting to bloom on all sides of our campsite. We spent our days hiking, cooling our bodies in pools the creek had carved into the canyon floor. We wrote in our journals. We talked long into the warm spring evenings about our lives and the changes we wanted to make in them. </p><p id="r7nc8" align="justify"></p><p id="r7nc9" align="justify">Danika had put her scientific studies on hold to build schools and medical facilities in earthquake-ravaged Pakistan. Sarah was considering giving up a 10-year career guiding troubled teens in the wilderness for something more stable, more lucrative, more relationship-friendly. Amy was about to go to law school, though she wasn't entirely sure why, because no matter how hard she tried she couldn't imagine herself as a lawyer.</p><p id="r7nc10" align="justify"></p><p id="r7nc11" align="justify">Three days after the trip ended I would fly to New Orleans, to accompany the man in my life on a drive back to Colorado, where he would move in with me and my four Irish wolfhounds. We'd been friends for 20 years, long-distance lovers for one, and this next step seemed on the one hand inevitable, and on the other absolutely insane, given the history of relationship disasters we had each left in our separate paths.</p><p align="justify"><br id="r7nc13">Each of us women on the backpacking trip was at some kind of crossroads, and we all kept coming back to the same questions: How do we know when we are truly following our heart's desire? How can we tell the difference between our one true voice, and all the other voices that have taken up residence in our head and constantly compete for our attention, telling us what we should and should not do? How can we tell the difference between what the people who love us want for us, and what we want for ourselves? How do we learn to quiet the nay-saying voices that belong to bad fathers and bad bosses and bad TV shows that tell us all the things we can't have, and get quiet enough, brave enough, to imagine the life we truly want?</p><p id="r7nc14" align="justify"></p><p id="r7nc15" align="justify">My mother wanted desperately for me to be an actress; my father wanted me to be Chris Evert. For the first 12 years of my life I played tennis as though my life depended on it, and I went into Manhattan a couple of times a week with my mother to audition for commercials and soaps. I couldn't seem to stop running around my backhand, though, and I never got the knack of saying I liked the potato chip if I didn't like the potato chip. When I came home from an eighth-grade exchange program in Wales and announced I wanted to be a writer, my parents' suspicions that I was an alien baby were confirmed. I understand now that it was the width of the Atlantic Ocean that afforded me the time and space to begin to separate my parents' dreams from my own. My mother eventually learned to see the writing life as "a kind of acting," but my father's frustration with my choice lasted as long as his life. And though they have both been gone many years, I still feel their desires in my own decision-making, still hear their disappointments echoed in the advice of friends and lovers, still find it so hard not to act on behalf of them, or in spite of them. Where in all of that longing, do I find the voice that speaks more softly than all the others: my own?</p><p id="opwt0" align="justify"></p><p id="opwt1" align="justify">What further complicates this process for me and all women, I think, is our capacity for empathy, our penchant for caretaking, the way we can't seem to be truly satisfied unless we are doing something for someone other than ourselves. Our generous nature is the best of things about us, but we run into trouble when generosity turns into martyrdom and resentment, when our good intentions toward those we love deafen us to that quieter call of our own desires.</p><p id="opwt2" align="justify"></p><p id="opwt3" align="justify">Over a breakfast of strong coffee, dried apricots, and granola, I asked my hiking companions how they knew when their truest voice was speaking. </p><p id="opwt4" align="justify"></p><p id="opwt5" align="justify">Tami, the owner of a marketing agency, has come to the Utah canyons from Sonoma, CA. The energy she feels around a heart's desire is completely different from what she feels about a "should." She feels a genuine pull, the excitement of what if, and also the fear. Following a heart's desire involves risk: starting her own business, falling in love, writing fiction, running a marathon for the first time. She has to try it, and she has to be willing to fail. When she is in the realm of the shoulds, she is 100 percent in her logical brain, and she has total confidence in her abilities-she is doing what her head knows she is good at, rather than what her heart longs to try. And the shoulds can be an important part of the process. "Sometimes," she says, "the confidence you build up from all the shoulds is what allows you to reach for your heart's desire."</p><p id="opwt6" align="justify"></p><p id="opwt7" align="justify">I have an extremely competent analytical brain, so I've been told by the standardized testing people, and in many situations it serves me well. I am an excellent chess player, I usually know what is about to happen next in the movie, and I have been able to win most of the arguments with most of the men who have lived with me, without crying or slamming doors. But my overactive (some would say obsessive) analytical brain can be the biggest impediment to listening to my heart's desire. In fact, sometimes I have to trick my logical brain into looking the other way for a minute to give my intuitive brain the floor. I look into the short stories and novels I write to see if my heart's desire is hiding in their plotlines, and into my dreams, and into the most passionate advice I give my friends. I pay attention to what my body is doing when I talk or think about a new life path. </p><p id="opwt8" align="justify"></p><p id="opwt9" align="justify">Is my chest open or closed? Am I standing straight or slumping? And most important, am I breathing? And how deeply? If I can't remember the last time I filled my diaphragm with air, I am probably making the wrong decision.</p><p id="opwt10" align="justify"></p><p id="j0t40" align="justify">Out in the wilderness of southern Utah, the Red Rock Canyons served as a makeshift Atlantic Ocean, giving me enough space to think about moving in with my old friend Gary. I let the questions come: Was I breathing deeply? Was that happy nervous excitement in my voice, or abject fear? For the life of me, I couldn't be certain.</p><p align="justify"><br id="j0t42">Barb, a simulation analysis engineer from Minneapolis, says that for her, fear is always part of the equation, but if she is doing something not because of fear, but despite fear, then she is doing what her heart desires. "If I don't hesitate, if I don't start trying to come up with all kinds of logic that will support my decision, it is probably the right one. If I have to talk myself into something, it's usually because I am trying to convince myself to do something that doesn't feel right in my gut."</p><p id="j0t43" align="justify"></p><p id="j0t44" align="justify">Gail Harris has written a book called Your Heart Knows The Answer: How To Trust Yourself & Make the Choices That Are Right For You, which outlines strategies and simple practices to help you tune into your truest voice. "The voice of the heart is always positive and loving," she says, "even when it is asking us to change. It is direct and specific, empowering, grounding, centering, and relaxing. It is unwavering. It will keep telling you the same thing over and over, but it won't use your own logic against you. If it is negative and critical, it is not the voice of your heart."</p><p id="j0t45" align="justify"></p><p id="j0t46" align="justify">After all the soul-searching and second-guessing and the final banishment of lingering doubt, Harris notes, the execution of our plans can seem like the easy part. Once you let yourself know that what you really want is to start a catering business, you head to Kinko's for business cards and flyers, check the want ads for kitchen space, and call up those rich friends who always rave about your cooking and see how much they would like to invest. If you've always wanted to write a novel, but have three kids under 6, you look into day care, call in a favor from your sister, and set the alarm for 3 a.m.</p><p id="j0t47" align="justify"></p><p id="j0t48" align="justify">As the 10 of us heaved our packs on our backs for the final time on that backpacking trip, they felt lighter. (They were lighter, of course, after all the food we'd eaten, but we felt even more deeply unburdened.) The decision-making was behind us. Danika had a grade school to build in Pakistan, Sarah was off to find a new place to live. Tami had her brand new business to attend to in Sonoma. And me? I had to go clear shelves and drawers for Gary, and welcome him with a big, generous, open heart. And if I failed, if any of us failed, we would know we had tried our best to listen to our heart's desire, and moved forward, with honesty and commitment, and enough belief in ourselves to spread some around.</p><p id="j0t49" align="justify"></p><p id="j0t410" align="justify">We have the right, the tools, and the capacity to live precisely the lives we want to. We are the gender that lifts cars off of babies, wins the Iditarod, and swims the English Channel, after all, and anyone who gets in the way of our heart's desire once we have really made up our minds better watch out.</p><p id="tr830" align="justify"></p><p id="tr831" align="justify"><b id="kbj10">1) Get a better credit score (fast!)</b> </p><p id="tr833" align="justify"></p><p id="tr834" align="justify">Give your credit score a quick boost simply by increasing your line of credit (just call your credit card company and ask). A third of your score is based on your debt-to-credit ratio, so your $2,000 credit card bill looks less risky to banks if it represents half of a $4,000 credit line rather than most of a $2,500 one.</p><p id="tr835" align="justify"></p><p id="tr836" align="justify"><b id="tr837">2) Ditch a bad mood in minutes.</b> </p><p align="justify"><br id="tr839">Hyla Cass, M.D., assistant professor of psychiatry at UCLA School of Medicine and author of 8 Weeks to Vibrant Health says there's one easy way to get a pick-me-up anytime, anywhere: Get moving. Take a brisk 10-minute walk, or jog up and down stairs for five minutes. Exercise sends a shot of oxygen to your brain, and boosts endorphins in your bloodstream-both of which short-circuit crankiness. So when you're so grouchy that even you're annoyed with you, do yourself (and everyone around you) a favor. Take a hike.</p><p id="tr8310" align="justify"></p><p id="tr8311" align="justify"><b id="tr8312">4) Find a reliable auto mechanic</b></p><b id="tr8314"><p align="justify"><br id="tr8315"></b>NPR's "Car Talk" and its hosts Click and Clack have long been the go-to source for perplexed drivers dealing with stuck dipsticks, mysterious rattles, and more. So it makes perfect sense that they'd be the holders of that holy grail all car owners seek: the trustworthy mechanic. The "Car Talk" website (cartalk.com/content/mechx) features more than 16,000 mechanics recommended by people who've used them; just enter your zip code to find the garage nearest you.</p><p id="tr8316" align="justify"></p><p id="tr8317" align="justify"><b id="tr8318">5) Develop perfect posture</b></p><b id="tr8320"><p align="justify"><br id="tr8321"></b>Having good posture makes you look thinner and ooze confidence-it also helps ease back pain and headaches. Here, three steps to posture that would make Mom proud, courtesy of Drew DeMann, M.D., chiropractic orthopedist at Manhattan Spine & Sports Medicine in New York City.</p><p id="tr8322" align="justify"></p><ol id="tr8323"><li id="tr8324"><div align="justify"><b id="tr8325">Check your alignment.</b> Many women have rounded shoulders and a C-curve in their back from sitting hunched over a desk all day, says DeMann. So ask a friend to take a photo of you from the side (or check yourself out in a double mirror at the department store). Your earlobe should be over your shoulder and hip. If it's forward of them, you need to correct your posture. </div><li id="tr8326"><div align="justify"><b id="tr8327">Learn what good posture feels like.</b> Straighten your spine as if there were a string stretching from the top of your head to the ceiling, pulling you up. This is how you should carry yourself. </div><li id="tr8328"><div align="justify"><b id="tr8329">Practice, practice, practice.</b> Doing the above exercise on a regular basis will train your body to stand and sit up straight. Strengthening your upper back and abdominal muscles will help you maintain good posture; try lat pulldowns in the gym or do the cobra yoga move. </div></li></ol><p id="tr8330" align="justify"></p><p id="tr8332" align="justify"><b id="tr8333">6) Tasty snacks that don't break the calorie bank</b> </p><p align="justify"><br id="tr8335">These five treats are all under 200 calories:<br id="tr8336"><br id="tr8337">* 5 whole-grain crackers (such as Wheat Thins) topped with 1 Tbsp natural peanut butter 184 calories<br id="tr8338">* 1 oz premium dark chocolate, such as Vivani, Feodora, or Lindt 150 calories<br id="tr8339">* ¼ cup guacamole and 8 blue-corn tortilla chips 190 Calories<br id="tr8340">* 1 oz (small handful) dark-chocolate covered almonds or peanuts 160 Calories<br id="tr8341"><br id="tr8342">Fruit and cheese<br id="tr8343">* 1 sliced green apple served with 2 oz of light cheddar cheese cubes or 1 light Laughing Cow snack cheese. 189 calories</p><p id="k05x0" align="justify"></p><p id="t0jq0" align="justify"><b id="t0jq1">7) Sign a sophisticated signature</b> </p><p align="justify"><br id="t0jq3">A scribbled scrawl might say something about you-but is it saying anything good? Andrea McNichol, author of Handwriting Analysis Putting It To Work For You says no. Try holding your arm and hand away from your body when signing your name. This naturally creates a more generously spaced signature, which is more attractive and memorable.<br id="t0jq4"><br id="t0jq5">Other tips: Always end your autograph with a stroke to the right-ending it to the left means you're living in the past. And skip flourishes like excessive underlining, swirls, or oversize letters (don't even think about heart-dotted i's); these things will make you seem attention-hungry, not like the history maker you know you were born to be.</p><p id="t0jq6" align="justify"></p><p id="t0jq7" align="justify"><b id="t0jq8">8) Get more foreplay</b> </p><p align="justify"><br id="t0jq10">He opts for fast and furious; you'd like him to loiter. Sex educator and REDBOOK Love Network expert Lou Paget offers these tips on how to get your man to lengthen the passion prelude:</p><p id="t0jq11" align="justify"></p><p id="t0jq12" align="justify">Drive home the message that more foreplay will lead to more sex and your guy will go along with most anything you request. Say, "If you kiss me the way you used to for three more minutes, it will really get me hot." He'll dive in for a make-out session pronto.</p><p id="t0jq13" align="justify"></p><p id="t0jq14" align="justify">Stroke his ego. Think of a move he does well, tell him it drives you crazy, and ask for more of it-he'll cooperate.</p><p id="t0jq15" align="justify"></p><p id="t0jq16" align="justify">Request, rather than demand; he's more likely to respond if he doesn't feel criticized. Better yet, show, don't tell: Take his hand and guide it in the way you like to be touched-the visuals of you getting aroused will be enough to make him pay attention.</p><p id="t0jq17" align="justify"></p><p id="t0jq18" align="justify"><b id="t0jq19">9) A tropical vacation that doesn't cost a fortune</b> </p><p align="justify"><br id="t0jq21">Break out your beach bag. Paradise can come cheap-and you don't even have to plan months in advance. Bookmark these websites:</p><p id="t0jq22" align="justify">site59.com lets you book up to three hours prior to your flight (five hours for international). By selling off packages that would otherwise go unbooked, the site can save you up to 70 percent!</p><p id="t0jq23" align="justify"></p><p id="t0jq24" align="justify">11thhour.com is also procrastinator-friendly. You can even hold packages for 24 hours before purchasing, which is handy when you're not quite sure if your best friend prefers window or aisle.</p><p id="t0jq25" align="justify"></p><p id="t0jq26" align="justify">If your dates are flexible, sign up at travelzoo.com for their “Top 20” weekly e-mail to learn about new deals as they become available.</p><p id="t0jq27" align="justify"></p><p id="t0jq28" align="justify"><b id="t0jq29">10) An on-call tech guy for your home</b> </p><p align="justify"><br id="t0jq31">Tired of tussling with tech support? Meet the Geek Squad. This 24-hour computer-support task force comes to your doorstep for a flat fee (varies with service) and rescues you from e-purgatory: whether it's a crashed computer ($99) or an iPod that just won't connect ($49). Geek Squad also offers computer help via the telephone, at stand-alone stores and at Geek Squad stations inside Best Buy stores. Hey, even the FBI (yep, that's right) has relied on these guys for tech support. Need we say more? geeksquad.com</p><p id="t0jq32" align="justify"></p><p id="zpcf0" align="justify"><b id="zpcf1">11) A never-fail-you lipstick</b></p><b id="zpcf3"><p align="justify"><br id="zpcf4"></b>Who wants to wade through the thousands of colors at the cosmetics counter? You need lipstick that looks great and you need it now. According to Ramy Gafni, New York City-based makeup artist, a berry shade with golden flecks works on everyone. What makes this hue so wearable? "It combines the same undertones found in every woman's natural lip color-blue, pink, and yellow," says Gafni. Get it: Ramy 2Lips Kiss and Tell, $21, or Sephora Super Shimmer Lip Gloss in Rosy Glow, $10.</p><p id="zpcf5" align="justify"></p><p id="zpcf6" align="justify"><b id="zpcf7">12) The satisfaction of helping others (without becoming a UN Ambassador)</b> </p><p align="justify"><br id="zpcf9">Have an itch to do some good? Go to volunteersolutions.org, type in your zip code, and choose a social issue that interests you. The site will match you up with a local organization dedicated to the same cause you are.</p><p id="zpcf10" align="justify"></p><p id="zpcf11" align="justify"><b id="zpcf12">13) Find the cleanest stall in a public bathroom</b> </p><p align="justify"><br id="zpcf14">Choose the first stall when you walk in. When there are three stalls in a row, most people choose the middle one so it's the dirtiest, says Charles Gerba, a microbiologist.</p><p id="zpcf15" align="justify"></p><p id="zpcf16" align="justify"><b id="zpcf17">14) Jeans that fit perfectly</b> </p><p align="justify"><br id="zpcf19">It's Goldilocks's worst fashion nightmare: Jeans are always too tight, too long, too short, or just too plain expensive. Land's End to the rescue: Go to landsend.com and fill out a brief profile, including your measurements, fabric choice, and style. Then, for only $54, you'll get custom jeans that are just right...for you!</p><p id="zpcf20" align="justify"></p><p id="zpcf21" align="justify"><b id="zpcf22">15) A great-and believable-line to give your husband when he wants to have sex and you don't</b> </p><p align="justify"><br id="zpcf24">"No, no, I'm into it, really. It's cool. Let me go wash up, Dad-I mean, Bob! Oh no, now I've ruined the moment."-Amy Sedaris</p><p id="zpcf25" align="justify"></p><p id="zpcf26" align="justify"><b id="zpcf27">16) Find an umbrella that won't break</b> </p><p align="justify"><br id="zpcf29">You were singing in the rain until your umbrella blew inside out and now you're decidedly...soggy. For the third time today. There is a solution: The Gustbuster's two layers of sturdy 190-thread count nylon are designed to prevent tears and allow air to flow through them, and can withstand winds of 55 m.p.h. or more. It's also backed by a lifetime guarantee. $25-45, gustbuster.com.</p><p id="zpcf30" align="justify"></p><p id="zpcf31" align="justify"><b id="zpcf32">17) A foolproof hostess gift for under $20</b></p><b id="zpcf34"><p align="justify"><br id="zpcf35"></b>What's a surefire way to be the best guest? Give your hostess flowers that are already arranged in a chic, simple vase-so she doesn't have to put her party on hold to rummage for one. Handmade from recycled paper and coated, PopVases come in a variety of colors. $6, Traffic Works, 323-582-0616.</p><p id="zpcf36" align="justify"></p><p id="zpcf37" align="justify"><b id="zpcf38">18) Get a better price on anything</b> </p><p align="justify"><br id="zpcf40">Know what you want and what it's worth. "A seller who's aware that you're guessing or bluffing will be unlikely to give an inch," advises Holden Lewis of Bankrate.com.</p><p id="zpcf41" align="justify"></p><p id="lcli0" align="justify">Be a little dramatic. Your "shocked" reaction to a price, even a reasonable one, could bring it down.</p><p id="lcli1" align="justify"></p><p id="lcli2" align="justify">Enlist your guy for a little good cop/bad cop act. If a price on a big-ticket item (like a house or a car) isn't as low as you'd like, pretend he won't agree until the figure comes down.</p><p id="lcli3" align="justify"></p><p id="lcli4" align="justify">Consider buying multiple items or services at once; a seller who won't budge on a single piece might be willing to cut you a break on a larger sale.</p><p id="lcli5" align="justify">When all else fails, be ready to walk away. If a salesperson is willing to go lower, he'll make you another offer; if he's hit bottom, you can use his best price as a benchmark at another store.</p><p id="lcli6" align="justify"></p><p id="lcli7" align="justify"><b id="lcli8">19) Get flat abs in a day</b> </p><p align="justify"><br id="lcli10">We know, we know. We should have been doing 100 crunches a night for the past six months. But, well, um, we didn't. And now the wedding's this Saturday. Is there any hope? For flat abs tomorrow, "stay away from fruits, dairy, processed carbs, and excessive fats. They can make your body retain water and leave your tummy bloated," says trainer David Kirsch, owner of The Madison Square Club in New York City. We can't promise you'll look like Heidi Klum (one of David's clients), but your belly will be noticeably less noticeable.</p><p id="lcli11" align="justify"></p><p id="lcli12" align="justify"><b id="lcli13">20) Shoes that are stylish and comfortable</b> </p><p align="justify"><br id="lcli15">Think chic comfort is an oxymoron when it comes to your tootsies? Not with these brands!</p><p align="justify">* Geox, geox.com<br id="lcli17">* Aerosoles, aerosoles.com<br id="lcli18">* Faryl Robin, farylrobin.com</p><p id="lcli19" align="justify"></p><p id="lcli20" align="justify"><b id="lcli21">21) Get unconditional love</b> </p><p align="justify"><br id="lcli23">"The most likely path to receiving unconditional love is to give it. As some great philosophers-the Beatles-once said, 'The love you take is equal to the love you make.' It's also important to pick the right person. He doesn't have to be perfect, but he does have to have a track record of being present and loyal even during rough times."- REDBOOK Love Network expert David Wexler, Ph.D., executive director of the Relationship Training Institute.<br id="lcli24"><br id="lcli25"><b id="lcli26">22) Find a last-minute babysitter you can trust.</b></p><p align="justify"><br id="lcli29">Your sitter's sick and Mary Poppins isn't likely to drift down anytime soon. These websites are the next best thing. Just type in your zip code and, for a fee (ranging from $40-50 for the first one to three months, $5-10 per month after that), they'll hook you up with reliable child care. Not a bad price to pay for peace of mind; the websites' detailed profiles list things like sitters' certifications (such as CPR), languages spoken, and whether or not they have transportation.</p><p id="lcli30" align="justify"></p><p align="justify">* Sittercity.com<br id="lcli32">* 4sitters.com<br id="lcli33">* babysitters.com</p><p id="lcli34" align="justify"></p><p id="lcli35" align="justify">Live in an urban area? Parent-tested childcare resources in cities across the country are listed on gocitykids.com. Also, many colleges and universities have babysitting services that pair parents with their students. Check your local schools' websites or call their Office of Human Resources.</p><p id="lcli36"></p>Nurulhuda_yuihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251442445591955090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172246933858332430.post-993331682165626012008-04-29T04:47:00.000-07:002008-04-29T04:52:18.251-07:00Love at work<p id="srnw0"><a id="srnw1" href="http://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/features/love-work"><span id="srnw2" style="font-size:100%;color:#cc33cc;"><strong>How to get away with an office romance.</strong></span></a></p><p id="srnw3"></p><p id="srnw4"></p><div id="tc7a" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1em; PADDING-TOP: 1em; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><img id="xc9d0" style="WIDTH: 396px; HEIGHT: 332px" height="317" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dhscp728_252c5hj5b2h_b" width="386" /></div><div class="reviewedBy_fmt" id="c40v4"></div><div class="clearBoth_fmt" id="c40v5"></div><h3 id="c40v6"></h3><p id="c40v7" align="justify"><b id="c40v8">How to get away with an office romance. The potential for abuse isn't the only reason companies discourage office affairs, says Judith Sills, Ph.D.</b> </p><p id="c40v9" align="justify"></p><p id="c40v10" align="justify">Freud himself identified the two great arenas of human enterprise as Love and Work. But love at work is apparently considerably less great, at least in the mind of your boss. Across nearly every industry and organization, corporate will has attempted to stem the flood of affection—frowning, legislating, transferring, firing, and handbook holding against its inevitable tide. Why?</p><p id="c40v11" align="justify"></p><p id="c40v12" align="justify">Three things really bother the work world: the potential for abuse, the potential for alliance, and (worst of all?) the potential for distraction. All three threaten the bottom line.</p><p id="c40v13" align="justify"></p><p id="c40v14" align="justify">Abuse has rightly received the bulk of the effort to contain the human sexual impulse in the workplace. Potential abuse of power basically comes back to that age-old sexual question: Who gets to be on top? And how does that impact the person on the bottom? In the classic, corporate sexual position, he's on top, she reports in, and the question always lingers—did he use his strength to nudge her into place beneath him? And, once there, mightn't the pleasures she renders make an "objective annual review" something of a mockery?</p><p id="c40v15" align="justify"></p><p id="c40v16" align="justify">Many may ultimately marry the boss, but the organization squirms until the ring is on the finger. Still, even where the possibility of exploitation is eliminated, discomfort with office dating is not. Even in the absence of formally stated policy, when the guy from Accounting and the woman who leads the New Products team start sleeping together, all of Accounting and Marketing (plus some of Sales, half of HR, and a few Production people who spend time on the other side) notice and react.</p><p id="c40v17" align="justify"></p><p id="c40v18" align="justify">That reaction is not all negative. We pay attention because even vicarious romance is emotionally arousing in the way that the Frobisher account is not. But mild excitement might be an irritant to a boss who is, in her mind, paying an hour's pay for an hour's work. That hour did not include longing glances or the covert giggles of those who observe them.</p><p id="c40v19" align="justify"></p><p id="c40v20" align="justify">Too, we pay attention because a new relationship alters office politics, and that might impact us personally. Two coworkers who become a couple immediately shift the power balance on the R&D team. These two have the potential to be a voting bloc or to act as an axis of support for one another. Strong friendships offer the same possibility of political alliance, but sexual liaisons are particularly adhesive—another reason bosses discourage them.</p><p id="c40v21" align="justify"></p><p id="c40v22" align="justify">Further, in the family of the workplace, sexuality between allied employees is metaphoric incest. People who observe the relationship wriggle a little at the boundary violations suggested by love at the office.</p><p id="c40v23" align="justify"></p><p id="c40v24" align="justify">The office affair makes every one of us a little more aware of the sexuality buttoned just beneath our suits. It is in the corporate interest to squelch that sexual awareness in the service of our personae as nonsexual colleagues. A flaming affair across the hall blows everyone's cover.</p><p id="hmnw0" align="justify"></p><p id="hmnw1" align="justify">Everyone's, that is, but the two lovers, who tend to believe that no one knows the relationship even exists. This almost universal delusion allows office lovers to proceed with their affair as if it has no impact on the workplace. As with all psychological denial, its emotional advantage is that you get to do what feels good without regard to consequence. Unfortunately, if your relationship is in any way harmful to your work team, professional performance, or corporate culture, denial prevents you from mitigating those consequences.</p><p id="hmnw2" align="justify"></p><p id="hmnw3" align="justify">Not every office romance has a negative impact. Some lead to lovely long-term relationships between consenting adults who are then doubly committed to the organization that serves as the setting for their deep affection. Some romances develop into marriages that function better because each partner has an intimate appreciation of the other's work life. And some office flings contribute to the complex histories and great friendships that make the workplace about something deeper and more satisfying than mere work.</p><p id="hmnw4" align="justify"></p><p id="hmnw5" align="justify">But it can also do a shocking amount of damage. Love affairs end more often than not, and when the personal and professional overlap, the office affair can create heartbreak on steroids. Despite a profoundly altered relationship, continued contact may be unavoidable, prolonging—even utterly preventing—recovery.</p><p id="hmnw6" align="justify"></p><p id="hmnw7" align="justify">Sheer awkwardness between the former lovers tends to jeopardize the career of one. Now you've lost your lover, your concentration, and possibly your job, a high price to pay for a failed shot at love—if that's what you both were aiming for in the first place.</p><p id="hmnw8" align="justify"></p><p id="hmnw9" align="justify">Workplaces may sustain injury, too, regardless of the outcome for the lovers. Concerns about favoritism, suspicions about misuse of company time and resources, and a general resentment of people who are at the job but not on the job erode the climate of trust, focus, and commitment to excellence on which productivity depends. That's when love at the office can be a very unfriendly thing.</p><p id="hmnw10" align="justify"></p><p id="hmnw11" align="justify">If one or both coworkers are married, then their colleagues become unwilling collaborators to infidelity. Some easily brush this aside as none of my business, but others—perhaps those who have a friendship with the unsuspecting spouse—are especially discomfited. And the behavior of the lovers matters a lot. Those who conduct themselves as grown-ups, who are as consistently professional in the office as they are passionate in private, do less harm to themselves and their colleagues than those who behave like teenagers in heat.</p><p id="c40v25" align="justify"></p><p id="c40v26" align="justify"></p><p id="ddva0" align="justify">The prevailing winds at your workplace may matter the most. After all, we work as much for a culture as for a corporation and your ability to fit within your workplace's unwritten code matters. Generally speaking, if you are working in a publicly held company today, you have to be more careful about everything. If the company's making money, your private good times are apt to be more easily tolerated.</p><p id="ddva1" align="justify"></p><p id="ddva2" align="justify">But as every manager, attractive single, or HR consultant has already discovered, romance at the office can, at best, only be held in check. No policies or lawsuits will ever eliminate it entirely. Nor, perhaps, should they. After all, work can be a very sexy place, and that's one of the unsung reasons why it's worth going there every day.</p><h3 id="ddva3" align="justify">Go for It With Grace</h3><p id="ddva4" align="justify">Chances are that you—or your friend two cubicles over—will at least contemplate some form of an office romance. If so, keep in mind these guiding principles:</p><p id="ddva5" align="justify"></p><p id="ddva6" align="justify"><b id="ddva7">Absolutely no romance on company time.</b> That means no cutesy, affectionate, or dirty e-mails; no after-hours sex in the office; no closed-door stolen moments; no tie straightening, crumb brushing, or other proprietary gestures. If you must have an office romance, don't have it at the office.</p><p id="ddva8" align="justify"></p><p id="ddva9" align="justify"><b id="ddva10">Don't take any unnecessary joint business trips and don't book adjoining rooms.</b> If legitimate business throws you together and you want to take advantage of a discrete opportunity, fine. But never spend a penny of the company's money to further your affair.</p><p id="ddva11" align="justify"></p><p id="ddva12" align="justify"><b id="ddva13">Don't tell.</b> Anyone. Don't gossip, confide, or give in to the delicious impulse to discuss your new love interest.</p><p id="ddva14" align="justify"></p><p id="ddva15" align="justify"><b id="ddva16">Don't buck the culture.</b> If your company merely discourages office liaisons, then your discretion will make all the difference. But if your behavior contravenes explicit HR policy, get a grip and give up love. It'll cost you your job.</p><p id="ddva17" align="justify"></p><p id="ddva18" align="justify">Originally published on March 1, 2007</p><p id="c40v27"></p>Nurulhuda_yuihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251442445591955090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172246933858332430.post-39510951462859358102008-04-27T21:59:00.000-07:002008-04-27T22:02:24.093-07:00<h2 id="n_:o0">7 Muscle-Building Strategies for Guys</h2><div class="subhead_fmt" id="n_:o1"><div id="qxth" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1em; PADDING-TOP: 1em; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><img id="z1cz0" style="WIDTH: 415px; HEIGHT: 430px" height="430" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dhscp728_242ct2z2mfq_b" width="406" /></div></div><div class="subhead_fmt" id="t:bg0">Experts share strength-training tips that yield results quickly.</div><div class="author_fmt" id="n_:o2">By Annabelle Robertson <br id="n_:o3">WebMD Feature</div><div class="reviewedBy_fmt" id="n_:o4">Reviewed by <a id="n_:o5" href="http://www.webmd.com/louise-chang"><span id="n_:o6" style="color:#006699;">Louise Chang, MD</span></a></div><div class="clearBoth_fmt" id="n_:o7"></div><h3 id="n_:o9"></h3><p id="n_:o11" align="justify">If you're looking for quick muscle building, go no further than your local gym, where doctors say that major strength gains can be had in just a few weeks.</p><p id="s4hp0" align="justify"></p><p id="n_:o12" align="justify">Last year, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Heart Association updated their recommendations for <a id="n_:o13" href="http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/default.htm"><span id="n_:o14" style="color:#006699;">physical activity</span></a>. In addition to regular <a id="n_:o15" href="http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/tc/fitness-aerobic-fitness"><span id="n_:o16" style="color:#006699;">cardio</span></a> workouts, Americans are now being encouraged to perform resistance training at least twice a week, working every major muscle group.</p><p id="s4hp1" align="justify"></p><p id="n_:o17" align="justify">Spero Karas, MD, assistant professor of orthopaedics in the division of sports medicine at Emory University, says that testosterone, the male hormone responsible for muscle growth, maxes out between the ages of 16 and 18. It reaches a plateau during the 20s and then begins to decline. As a result, muscle building after the adolescent years can be challenging, he says.</p><p id="s4hp2" align="justify"></p><p id="n_:o18" align="justify">Fortunately, a little <a id="n_:o19" href="http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/health-fitness-get-strong"><span id="n_:o20" style="color:#006699;">strength training</span></a> goes a long way -- particularly in the early days.</p><p id="s4hp3" align="justify"></p><p id="n_:o21" align="justify">"When someone starts a <a id="n_:o22" href="http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/default.htm"><span id="n_:o23" style="color:#006699;">fitness program</span></a>, especially after not doing anything for awhile, the initial strength gains tend to be dramatic and quick," Karas says. "In the first 12 weeks, it's not uncommon for a guy to see a 10, 20 or 30 percent jump in strength."</p><p id="s4hp4" align="justify"></p><p id="n_:o24" align="justify">During the first weeks of a new training regimen, strength gains come from the recruitment of new muscle fibers, which make the muscles stronger and more visible.</p><p id="s4hp5" align="justify"></p><p id="n_:o25" align="justify">Even though muscle recruitment does not result in more muscle mass, says Karas, it will definitely make your muscles look bigger.</p><p id="n_:o26" align="justify">One reason is that muscles take in water and swell during training. Another is that muscles burn fat, which tends to make the muscle look more prominent.</p><p id="s4hp6" align="justify"></p><p id="n_:o27" align="justify">After the first three months of strength training, muscle gain is much slower. At that point, you're aiming for an actual increase in muscle mass, which takes time to develop.</p><p id="s4hp7" align="justify"></p><p id="n_:o28" align="justify">"After you've maximized the recruitment, you've reached the plateau, which is when the increase in strength and muscle mass becomes an arduous task," Karas says.</p><p id="s4hp8" align="justify"></p><p id="n_:o29" align="justify">Whether you're committed to the long haul or just want some muscle-building tips, here are seven ways to maximize your gains.</p><p id="n_:o30" align="justify"><i id="n_:o31">(What have you done to <a id="n_:o32" href="http://boards.webmd.com/webx?THDX@@.89752681!thdchild=.89752681"><span id="n_:o33" style="color:#006699;">try and build muscle</span></a> in the past? What worked? Join the discussion on WebMD's <a id="n_:o34" href="http://boards.webmd.com/webx/topics/hd/Mens-Health/Mens-Health-Man-to-Man/"><span id="n_:o35" style="color:#006699;">Men’s Health: Man to Man</span></a> board.)</i> </p><h3 id="n_:o36" align="justify">1. Commit to some form of strength training.</h3><p id="n_:o37" align="justify">Unfortunately, there are no easy shortcuts to good health, says Kent Adams, PhD, FACSM, CSCS, director of the exercise physiology lab at California State University Monterey Bay.</p><p id="n_:o38" align="justify">"You don't have to train like a maniac," he says. "Just start a reasonable, individualized resistance training plan." </p><p id="n_:o39" align="justify">For tips and workout plans, visit the web sites of organizations like the ACSM or the National Strength and Conditioning Association. If you don't have access to free weights, head for the weight machines or a cable system. Other alternatives include resistance bands, plyometrics, and calisthenics. </p><p id="n_:o40" align="justify"></p><p id="s4hp10" align="justify">At a minimum, perform lunges, squats, and other exercises that work your quads and hamstrings, along with extra cardio activity that will prompt your legs to begin building muscle.</p><p id="s4hp11" align="justify"></p><p id="s4hp12" align="justify">No matter which strength training method you choose, however, be sure that resistance levels (the amount of weight you use) and the number of repetitions you do are high enough to <a id="s4hp13" href="http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/weakness-and-fatigue-topic-overview"><span id="s4hp14" style="color:#006699;">fatigue</span></a> the muscle. Failure to do so, Adams says, will hinder growth. The ACSM recommends three sets of 8 to 12 reps for each exercise. </p><p id="s4hp15" align="justify"></p><p id="s4hp16" align="justify">To speed up the process, make the most of your workout, and keep your heart rate and <a id="s4hp17" href="http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/make-most-your-metabolism"><span id="s4hp18" style="color:#006699;">metabolism</span></a> elevated, try "super-setting," says Lisa De Los Santos, a Cooper's-Institute-certified personal trainer at Vandenberg Air Force Base in Southern California.</p><p id="s4hp19" align="justify">She suggests one set each of two or three opposing muscle exercises. Rest, then do a second set of each exercise before moving on to the next group.</p><h3 id="s4hp20" align="justify">2. Alternate muscle groups.</h3><p id="s4hp21" align="justify"><a id="s4hp22" href="http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/health-fitness-get-strong"><span id="s4hp23" style="color:#006699;">Weight training</span></a> creates tiny micro tears in muscles, which then repair and rebuild during periods of rest. Serious injury can result if muscles are not allowed adequate time to repair. </p><p id="s4hp24" align="justify"></p><p id="s4hp25" align="justify">The ACSM recommends a three-day split as follows:</p><ul id="s4hp26"><li id="s4hp27"><div align="justify">Day one: Chest, triceps, and shoulders </div><li id="s4hp28"><div align="justify">Day two: Lower body (quads, hamstrings, gluteals, hip abductors and adductors, and calves) </div><li id="s4hp29"><div align="justify">Day three: Back, biceps, and abs </div></li></ul><p id="s4hp30" align="justify"></p><p id="s4hp31" align="justify">Feeling sore? Take an extra day or two -- or work a new muscle group. Don't forget delayed-onset muscle soreness, which can hit as late as 48 hours after a workout.</p><h3 id="s4hp32" align="justify">3. Drink plenty of water -- before and after workouts.</h3><p id="s4hp33" align="justify">Adequate hydration is essential to muscle building, yet few people get enough water, even without daily exercise. So in addition to the daily 8 to 10 glasses of water recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Karas suggests an additional 12 to 16 ounces before working out. He then recommends another 8 to 10 ounces for every 15 minutes of vigorous exercise.</p><p id="s4hp34" align="justify"></p><p id="s4hp35" align="justify">Prefer sports drinks? Indulge only if you're exercising for more than an hour, when electrolyte depletion becomes more of a risk.</p><h3 id="s4hp36" align="justify">4. Eat a balanced diet.</h3><p id="s4hp37" align="justify">Muscle building requires a careful balance of carbohydrates, fats, and <a id="s4hp38" href="http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/good-protein-sources"><span id="s4hp39" style="color:#006699;">protein</span></a> as well as plenty of vitamins and minerals, all of which are best absorbed through food. </p><p id="s4hp40" align="justify"></p><p id="s4hp41" align="justify">Avoid carbohydrate-heavy <a id="s4hp42" href="http://www.webmd.com/diet/default.htm"><span id="s4hp43" style="color:#006699;">diets</span></a>, which can cause insulin levels to spike and inhibit growth hormones that prompt muscle growth, says Karas. Instead, opt for five or six small, balanced meals every day. And if muscle building is your goal, don't use this time to <a id="s4hp44" href="http://www.webmd.com/diet/default.htm"><span id="s4hp45" style="color:#006699;">diet</span></a>.</p><p id="s4hp46" align="justify"></p><p id="s4hp47" align="justify">"The body won't easily put on muscle if it is at a caloric deficit," explains De Los Santos.</p><p id="s4hp48" align="justify"></p><p id="s4hp49" align="justify">Watch your fat intake, which should be no more than 30% of your total <a id="s4hp50" href="http://www.webmd.com/diet/estimated-calorie-requirements"><span id="s4hp51" style="color:#006699;">daily calories</span></a>, and be sure to consume plenty of vitamin- and mineral-rich <a id="s4hp52" href="http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/fruits-veggies-more-matters"><span id="s4hp53" style="color:#006699;">fruits and vegetables</span></a>.</p><h3 id="s4hp54" align="justify">5. Get lots of protein.</h3><p id="s4hp55" align="justify">"If you want to build muscle mass, the key is protein, protein, protein," says Karas. "Muscles are comprised of protein and you need the essential amino acids that are the building block of protein."</p><p id="s4hp56" align="justify"></p><p id="s4hp57" align="justify">No time to cook? De Los Santos suggests high-protein snacks like cottage cheese, cheese sticks, protein bars, and <a id="s4hp58" href="http://www.webmd.com/diet/protein-shakes"><span id="s4hp59" style="color:#006699;">protein shakes</span></a>. Health and <a id="s4hp60" href="http://www.webmd.com/diet/default.htm"><span id="s4hp61" style="color:#006699;">nutrition</span></a> stores carry a variety of powders which can be mixed with water or low-fat milk for an energizing <a id="s4hp62" href="http://www.webmd.com/diet/protein-power-what-it-is"><span id="s4hp63" style="color:#006699;">protein power</span></a> punch between meals.</p><p id="s4hp64" align="justify"></p><p id="s4hp65" align="justify">Other recommendations include turkey, cheese, and cracker snack packs as well as frozen or prepackaged diet foods that combine protein-rich choices with low-fat, low-complex carbohydrates. </p><h3 id="s4hp66" align="justify">6. Get enough sleep.</h3><p id="s4hp67" align="justify">In addition to being linked to <a id="s4hp68" href="http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/default.htm"><span id="s4hp69" style="color:#006699;">high blood pressure</span></a>, <a id="s4hp70" href="http://www.webmd.com/depression/default.htm"><span id="s4hp71" style="color:#006699;">depression</span></a>, and other health problems, <a id="s4hp72" href="http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/default.htm"><span id="s4hp73" style="color:#006699;">sleep</span></a> deprivation can inhibit the growth hormone important for muscle building, says Karas. Recent studies have linked it to <a id="s4hp74" href="http://www.webmd.com/diet/tc/obesity-overview"><span id="s4hp75" style="color:#006699;">obesity</span></a> as well.</p><p id="s4hp76" align="justify"></p><p id="s4hp77" align="justify">How do you know you're getting enough to build muscle? People who are well rested feel alert and do not have the urge to nap, reports the CDC. The average adult needs between seven and eight hours of sleep, although some may need more. </p><h3 id="s4hp78" align="justify">7. Hire a trainer.</h3><p id="s4hp79" align="justify">If you need information or motivation, consider hiring a personal trainer. Costs vary according to location and experience, but typically cost between $30 and $85 an hour. </p><p id="s4hp80" align="justify"></p><p id="s4hp81" align="justify">A trainer doesn't need to be a long-term investment, however. According to De Los Santos, working with one for just three months is enough time to get comfortable in the gym, establish a routine, learn a variety of exercises, and see good results.</p><p id="s4hp82" align="justify"></p><p id="s4hp83" align="justify">"A good trainer will educate while training and will not create long-term dependence," De Los Santos says. "Ideally, you'll learn the skills to either maintain your fitness level or work toward new goals."</p><p id="s4hp84" align="justify"></p><p id="s4hp85" align="justify">Be sure your trainer is certified through a reputable fitness organization like the ACSM, the National Academy of Sports Medicine, or the American Council on Exercise and has an updated certification in CPR and/or first aid as well. You'll also want to hire someone you like, since you'll be spending at least an hour a week together.</p>Nurulhuda_yuihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251442445591955090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172246933858332430.post-82328064188218230342008-04-26T23:03:00.000-07:002008-04-26T23:05:18.902-07:00I'm the other Woman.<div class="author_fmt" id="eaxl2"><div id="xmwf" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1em; PADDING-TOP: 1em; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><img id="iz-i0" style="WIDTH: 377px; HEIGHT: 296px" height="320" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dhscp728_240dwx5pcdg_b" width="361" /></div>WebMD Feature from Oprah.com</div><div class="author_fmt" align="justify"><br id="eaxl5"><b id="eaxl6">It's the side of the story we rarely get to hear. Former mistresses confess they've been the "other woman." Then, betrayed wives reveal the moment they found out.</b> </div><div class="author_fmt" id="eaxl7" align="justify"></div><p id="eaxl8" align="justify">It's the side of infidelity we rarely get to hear about -- from the "other woman."</p><p id="eaxl9" align="justify"></p><p id="eaxl10" align="justify">Sarah says she met one of the married men she dated at a business dinner. "He was a very distinguished businessman, high-profile, a lot older than me," she says. "He pursued me very hard. He would phone me constantly, text messaging and calling." She says she's since dated "countless" other married men.</p><p id="eaxl11" align="justify"></p><p id="eaxl12" align="justify">Melissa was married when she began seeing a married man she met in a coffee shop. "My husband thought our marriage was fine," she says. "I was always wanting an upgrade."</p><p id="eaxl13" align="justify"></p><p id="eaxl14" align="justify">Crystal, who says she's dated two married men, says that one man would buy her lingerie and they'd meet at her apartment. "He would really like for me to be sexy for him," she says. "I felt I could offer him great sex, and that his wife could not offer him that."</p><p id="eaxl15" align="justify"></p><p id="eaxl16" align="justify">Michelle says she began seeing a man in Las Vegas almost seven years ago. He was also seeing a longtime girlfriend, whom he eventually married.</p><p id="eaxl17" align="justify"></p><p id="eaxl18" align="justify">After a brief breakup, Michelle started seeing him again -- and they're still dating. At first, it was strictly a physical relationship, Michelle says, but when she later moved to his town, the affair became emotional as well. "We ended up spending a lot more time together, so I got to know him at a deeper level. It was more about who he was, what he wanted, and it was a lot more intimate than it had been."</p><p id="eaxl19" align="justify"></p><p id="eaxl20" align="justify">After her initial meeting in the coffee shop, Melissa says her affair continued, and they'd see each other three or four times a week. "The kids had soccer practice. I'd drop them off and run down to our spot," she says. "It was shielded by trees up above a road so it was completely secluded."</p><p id="i2z-0" align="justify"></p><p id="eaxl21" align="justify">Crystal says when the man she was having an affair with told her about his home life, he made it sound like he wanted to leave. She says he told her the cost of divorce and alimony was holding him back. "I had fairy-tale dreams of us being a power couple, being a well-kept wife, and having the big home and fancy cars and a big diamond ring," she says. "But it was never going to be a reality."</p><p id="i2z-1" align="justify"></p><p id="eaxl22" align="justify">Sarah says she heard a similar story from her lover. "He wanted a future with me -- so much so that he gave me a budget to go and look at properties, talked about settling down, talked about how he would explain to his other half that he was leaving, and when he was going to do it. He even rehearsed what he was going to say in front of me," she says. "Of course, nothing happened -- he couldn't leave her."</p><p id="i2z-2" align="justify"></p><p id="v2j40" align="justify">One thing many wives who have been cheated on wonder is if the "other woman" ever thought about them? Did they ever consider the other lives they may be hurting?</p><p id="v2j41" align="justify"></p><p id="v2j42" align="justify">Melissa says the wife of the man she was seeing was an important element of her affair -- but not in the way you might expect. "She was a character of his life. She was an extension of him just like the kids, his friends or the rest of his family. She was just a part of his life that I accepted," she says. "In the very beginning it didn't bother me. But as I knew that she became suspicious, it started to bother me. I knew it was hurting somebody else."</p><p id="v2j43" align="justify"></p><p id="v2j44" align="justify">Michelle says she has no interest in meeting the wife of her lover. "I don't know her name, what she does. I've never asked," she says. "I've never wanted to put a face to the person. I've never wanted to give her an identity."</p><p id="v2j45" align="justify"></p><p id="v2j46" align="justify">Crystal says when she first started seeing a married man, she was never told about his marital status. "By the time I was emotionally invested, I found out that he was married," she says. "He was able to be with me physically so often, and she didn't question his whereabouts. I began to believe that she didn't care and that she was okay with it."</p><p id="v2j47" align="justify"></p><p id="v2j48" align="justify">Sarah says she also didn't know for some time that she was dating a married man. "He was everything I looked for in a guy. I thought I'd found Mr. Perfect. So when he dropped the bombshell that he wasn't actually that available, I moved into another stage," she says. "I was deeply in love with him, and I thought if I kept going with this [affair] and being the person he'd fallen in love with, I could somehow win him away from his wife. I wanted to be number one. That was my challenge then."</p><p id="v2j49" align="justify"></p><p id="v2j410" align="justify">Crystal's biggest regret about her affair is that it was a waste of her time. "All the time I was spending with him I could have made myself available to a man who could commit to me fully," she says. "I feel that my relationship was wrong and that there was no good that could come from it."</p><p id="rh7l0" align="justify"></p><p id="v2j411" align="justify"><i id="v2j412"><b id="v2j413">Oprah:</b> </i>I don't think I've ever said this on TV before, but your story really mirrors my own. In my 20s, I was involved with a married man, and it is one of my greatest regrets. I later found out that the married man also had another "other woman." It is such a powerless position to be in. I don't have a whole lot of regrets in my life, but I regret it because of how pathetic it made me as a woman. I regret it not only because I was pathetic, but because of what I did to his wife. I didn't think about his wife, I believed what he was telling me, I believed the lies that he was telling me about her. I look back at that time in my life and feel not that he was responsible in any way, because I always had the choice.</p><p id="r1hj0" align="justify"></p><p id="z-sj0" align="justify"><i id="z-sj1"><b id="z-sj2">Crystal:</b> </i>I had painted a picture of what his wife looked like based on everything he told me. I actually had a chance to meet her once, and she was beautiful and poised and she was just the opposite of the picture he painted. I guess that was my aha! moment.</p><p id="z-sj3" align="justify"></p><p id="z-sj4" align="justify"><i id="z-sj5"><b id="z-sj6">Oprah:</b> </i>Of course, because no husband is going to say, "My wife is really beautiful, and she's really good to me, and things are really going well at home, and everything's lovely. I'm just using you." Which is the truth.</p><p id="z-sj7" align="justify"></p><p id="z-sj8" align="justify">Although Michelle says she has a problem with having an affair, she doesn't plan on ending the extra-marital affair. She says she even hopes to marry him one day. "People say, 'Well, he's cheated on his wife. He'll cheat on you,'" she says. "It could happen -- I would take that chance on him in a heartbeat."</p><p id="z-sj9" align="justify"></p><p id="z-sj10" align="justify">Dr. Michelle Callahan, a psychologist and relationship expert, says Michelle needs to look within herself to figure out why she's involved with a married man. "You really need to put yourself in touch with what's happened in your past, what you were told about yourself, or what you think about yourself today that would allow you to put yourself in this secondary position," she says.</p><p id="z-sj11" align="justify"></p><p id="z-sj12" align="justify">Michelle says she's happy with her situation, but Dr. Callahan says these "toxic relationships" can damage a woman's self-worth. "It makes you less powerful," she says. "You have the power to change it. You made the choice to get into it, and you can make the choice to get out."</p><p id="z-sj13" align="justify"></p><p id="z-sj14" align="justify">For almost two years, Sarah says she and the married man she was dating kept their relationship a secret. When the time came to make a decision, he chose his wife over her. "I was discarded," she says. "I had nowhere to go."</p><p id="z-sj15" align="justify"></p><p id="z-sj16" align="justify">To cope with her heartbreak, Sarah says she began writing in a diary. The diary slowly evolved into a book, <i id="z-sj17">Having an Affair?: A Handbook for the Other Woman</i>. "If I can help one woman not go through what I went through and waste so much time, then my work is done," she says.</p><p id="z-sj18" align="justify"></p><p id="z-sj19" align="justify">Dr. Callahan says men get away with this behavior because they have women figured out. "They know how to prey on women's vulnerabilities and how to give them that emotional attention," she says. "They'll give you what you want so they can get what they want."</p><p id="z-sj20" align="justify"></p><p id="z-sj21" align="justify">Mistresses aren't the only ones left heartbroken by cheating husbands. Catherine's marriage ended after her husband strayed.</p><p id="z-sj22" align="justify"></p><p id="z-sj23" align="justify">Catherine says she discovered her husband was cheating when he came home one night with lipstick on his lips -- but that wasn't her first clue. Once, when the couple was taking a road trip, Catherine's husband refused to answer his cell phone while she was in the car. "When we stopped for gas, I caught him checking his phone and talking to someone," she says. "I said, 'I bet that's not a friend. I bet that's a woman.'"</p><p id="z-sj24" align="justify"></p><p id="hbpq0" align="justify">Catherine stayed with her husband despite her suspicions of his infidelity, until the day the sheriff knocked on the door. "[He] served him child support papers," she says. "He knew it was coming, and he just opted not to tell me." Catherine says she had no idea her husband had a child with another woman.</p><p id="hbpq1" align="justify"></p><p id="hbpq2" align="justify">"I proceeded to try to knock his front tooth out," she says. "[Then], I decided it was time to leave."</p><p id="hbpq3" align="justify"></p><p id="hbpq4" align="justify">Teryl says she found out her husband -- the worship leader at their church -- was having an affair when she overheard a suspicious telephone conversation. "I walked in and heard him say to her, 'I wish you weren't working today, because I'd try to buzz out to see you for a while,'" she says. "I instantly knew something wasn't right, and my heart started pounding."</p><p id="hbpq5" align="justify"></p><p id="hbpq6" align="justify">At the time, Teryl was pregnant with their fourth child, the couple's first son.</p><p id="hbpq7" align="justify"></p><p id="hbpq8" align="justify">Although Teryl says she was devastated by the affair, she fought to save her marriage. When her husband decided to leave, she says she grabbed him by the ankles and tried to prevent him from walking out of the door. "I held onto him because he really represented my dreams, my life," she says. "He was a part of me. It was like my life was ending."</p><p id="hbpq9" align="justify"></p><p id="hbpq10" align="justify">Teryl's divorce is now final, and they have joint custody of their children. "He takes his time with them and he does a good job with them, and I'm thankful for that," she says.</p><p id="hbpq11" align="justify"></p><p id="hbpq12" align="justify">Teryl says she holds her husband responsible for his mistakes, but she also blames the other woman. She wrote a letter to her husband's mistress to express her pain. The letter read:</p><p id="hbpq13" align="justify"></p><p id="hbpq14" align="justify"><i id="hbpq15">What can I possibly say to the woman who has aided in the demise of my life? I wish I could stand in front of you to voice these thoughts so you could see the real person in me, the real tears that fall, and the real pain I have endured. As a woman, I can't possibly understand how you are comfortable with completely tearing apart our family. If your relationship with a married man is all you've ever dreamt for yourself, then you haven't set your aspirations high enough. You are worth more than a man who would leave his entire family and his entire life.</i> </p><p id="hbpq16" align="justify"></p><p id="hbpq17" align="justify">When Candi discovered that her husband was cheating, she didn't get mad -- she got a lawyer.</p><p id="hbpq18" align="justify"></p><p id="hbpq19" align="justify">After finding steamy love letters and racy photos the other woman sent her husband, Candi says she decided to sue the mistress for alienation of affection. She won and was awarded $500,000 but ultimately settled for $50,000.</p><p id="hbpq20" align="justify"></p><p id="hbpq21" align="justify">Since most states have no-fault divorce, Candi says she couldn't sue her husband, so she went after the woman who she says actively pursued him.</p><p id="hbpq22" align="justify"></p><p id="x7d50" align="justify">"I think they first met in a bar out of town and nothing happened, but she chose to send him a Christmas card," Candi says. "He obviously bit, so she kept writing. Initially, she would say things like, 'I know you're married with three children, and we can just be friends, but I really enjoyed meeting you.' Then [the letters] became more graphic. [She said] that she could fly to our town any time, and then described sexual acts she'd like to perform if only they could be together."</p><p id="x7d51" align="justify"></p><p id="x7d52" align="justify">Why did Candi decide to take legal action? "At the time, I felt so humiliated and devastated," she says. "It looked like an opportunity for redemption in a way, just to stand up for myself and my family."</p><p id="x7d53" align="justify"></p><p id="x7d54" align="justify">Dr. Callahan says many men cheat because they want to escape reality and play out their sexual fantasies. To keep men from straying, Dr. Callahan says there are a few things women can do at home.</p><p id="x7d55" align="justify"></p><p id="x7d56" align="justify">Start by taking care of yourself, being sexually open and synching communication styles with your partner. Also, couples should keep dating, even after they're married.</p><p id="x7d57" align="justify"></p><p id="x7d58" align="justify">"Don't get so comfortable and so settled that you forget to go out and forget to go to the movies, go to dinner and get dressed up," Dr. Callahan says. "Don't just go in your baggy pants and the flip-flops. Dress up like you would on any other date. Remember, it's the other woman who is out on a date giggling and saying, 'Oh, you're so funny. You're so cute.'"</p><p id="x7d59" align="justify"></p><p id="x7d510" align="justify">If nothing seems to make your man faithful, don't blame yourself. "If you're already doing that and you end up with a man who is a serial cheater, then maybe it's time to think about moving on," Oprah says. "It's really all on him."</p><p id="x7d511" align="justify"></p><p id="x7d512" align="justify">Originally published on October 1, 2007</p>Nurulhuda_yuihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251442445591955090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172246933858332430.post-58060298981847291592008-04-25T21:21:00.000-07:002008-04-25T21:22:53.465-07:00<p id="scl30"><b id="ttni0"><span id="ttni1" style="font-size:100%;">Food Relationships - Is Yours Healthy?</span></b></p><p id="scl31"></p><div id="sw_6" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1em; PADDING-TOP: 1em; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><img id="czg:0" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dhscp728_232gxwnq3c6_b" /></div><h2 id="ttni2"><span id="ttni3" style="font-size:100%;">My Relationship With Food: Breaking Up Is Hard to Do - But So Worth It</span></h2><div class="subhead_fmt" id="ttni4"></div><div class="author_fmt" id="ttni5">By <a id="ttni6" href="http://www.webmd.com/diana-potter"><span id="ttni7" style="color:#008c99;">Diana Potter</span></a> <br id="ttni8">WebMD Weight Loss Clinic-Feature</div><div class="reviewedBy_fmt" id="ttni9"></div><div class="clearBoth_fmt" id="ttni10"></div><h3 id="ttni11"></h3><p id="ttni12" align="justify">Newsflash: "This just in -- Diana Potter wants the world to know the truth about her longstanding on-and-off relationship with food. In a hastily called press conference following the explosive announcement that she's ending her career as a professional overeater, Potter said today:</p><p id="yjhv0" align="justify"></p><p id="ttni13" align="justify">'Despite the swirl of rumors surrounding my relationship with Rich Food, it is not true that we are getting a divorce. We remain good friends, and we will continue to have respect and even affection for each other. However, the excitement and magic are gone, and we've agreed it's time to move on.'</p><p id="st5w0" align="justify"></p><p id="ttni14" align="justify">"Stay tuned as we follow the twists and turns of this absorbing human drama being played out under the bright glare of public scrutiny."</p><p id="jo900" align="justify"></p><p id="jo901" align="justify">Yes, the excitement and magic of uncontrollably stuffing myself with food are gone now. But what a ride it was! I vividly remember the passions my "forbidden love" for food aroused in me: desire, ecstasy, despair -- a classic romantic rollercoaster.</p><p id="yjhv1" align="justify"></p><p id="ttni16" align="justify">Only it was a roller-coaster with only me on it. A wild ride, yes. But a lonely one.</p><p id="yjhv2" align="justify"></p><p id="ttni17" align="justify">Meanwhile, during the many years I lived this way, the vast, incredibly rich drama and excitement of <i id="ttni18">real</i> life -- friends, interests, love, social activities, growth toward goals -- went on. And finally the day came when a tiny voice from the deepest part of my mind and heart broke through to protest my fat, lonely life. At last, I began to want more.</p><p id="yjhv3" align="justify"></p><p id="ttni19" align="justify">It took awhile, though, for that tiny voice of reason to strengthen until it could override the unreasoning fears that food and fat had helped me control for so long. But in therapy, I gradually began to respond to it.</p><p id="yjhv4" align="justify"></p><p id="ttni20" align="justify">I've told you about some of the first actions I took to express my growing desire for change: reading self-help books, writing down my feelings, even loving teddy bears as a step toward having the courage to love the people around me -- and to let them know it.</p><p id="yjhv5" align="justify"></p><p id="ttni21" align="justify">Finally one day I presented myself for therapy, scared of revealing how "bad" I was, fearful of criticism, and amazed that I was actually taking the chance of reaching out to an "other" for help after keeping my distance from others for so long.</p><p id="yjhv6" align="justify"></p><p id="ttni22" align="justify">But it was time. And so, as I made progress in understanding my emotional eating, I happily discovered I wasn't "bad." I was just me, a person who had made certain choices for getting along in life that worked, yes, but at a cost I no longer wanted, or had, to bear. I found I could make other choices now that would work better.</p><p id="yjhv7" align="justify"></p><p id="ttni23" align="justify">And I did. Slowly, sometimes painfully, I became able to envision a happy, satisfying life without my "love relationship" with food. A life without my love! The idea of it scared me until I realized that by not letting other people get close to me, I'd been living a kind of "life without love" all along.</p><p id="yjhv8" align="justify"></p><p id="ls9o0" align="justify">Oh how I wanted a <i id="ls9o1">real</i> life once I opened my eyes to it! As my wanting grew stronger, I began a gradual but lasting shift away from wanting food to wanting closeness with others as well as love and respect for myself.</p><p id="ls9o2" align="justify"></p><p id="ls9o3" align="justify">But I needed to consider something else along the way: When I came to realize how much my fat had meant to me over the years, I couldn't just turn off my feelings about it. One evening I found myself actually <i id="ls9o4">talking</i> to my fat. I did something I've heard people sometimes do when a dying loved one is holding on to life out of concern for the feelings of those who will be left behind: <i id="ls9o5">I gave my fat permission to leave me</i>. I thanked it for being there when I didn't have other ways to take care of myself. I told it that leaving me now was okay, I'd be all right. And I told my fat I loved it, as an important part of myself, and would continue to love it and myself after it was gone.</p><p id="ls9o6" align="justify"></p><p id="ls9o7" align="justify">As time passed, I steadily lost weight. My formerly uncontrollable cravings went away, and I experienced a sense of peace I hadn't known in all the years of my life.</p><p id="ls9o8" align="justify"></p><p id="ls9o9" align="justify">Just one little (ha!) food-related problem remained: I still needed to eat. How was I going to keep a former love interest around without drifting back into its dangerously passionate embrace?</p><p id="ls9o10" align="justify"></p><p id="ls9o11" align="justify">This proved to be more difficult than I'd expected. Even after I "graduated" from therapy, I still thought about food. And I still liked to eat a lot of it when a good meal presented itself. I wondered if these things were more or less in the normal range, or if I was in danger of slipping back into overeating and getting fat.</p><p id="ls9o12" align="justify"></p><p id="ls9o13" align="justify">So I went back to my therapist and presented her with my concerns. As we talked, I realized I'd been expecting to put food on a further-back burner than was really possible. <i id="ls9o14">Of course</i> I thought about food, especially when I was hungry, as everyone does. As for eating a lot of something I liked, I <i id="ls9o15">did</i> need to watch out there, but not because I was craving the food -- I wasn't. It was because like everyone else, if I ate more than I needed, I'd gain weight! What a concept!</p><p id="ls9o16" align="justify"></p><p id="ls9o17" align="justify">Bottom line: It was still early in my process of growing out of a powerfully compelling lifetime habit. I needed to relax and give myself time to adjust to what in fact has proved to be real and lasting change.</p><p id="ls9o18" align="justify"></p><p id="ls9o19" align="justify">This is the last chapter in this series. I hope that some of what I experienced in breaking free from emotional eating may be helping you do it, too.</p><p id="jo902" align="justify"></p><p id="ls9o20" align="justify">If you answered the self-questions accompanying the chapters in this series, you may have a strengthened sense that your emotional eating and your fat are concealing things about yourself that you want to know. From my experience, the people who can help are out there now -- and they'll be there to help and support you whenever you're ready to begin your quest. Good luck!</p><p id="ls9o21" align="left"></p>Nurulhuda_yuihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251442445591955090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172246933858332430.post-19702553140551369312008-04-24T23:21:00.000-07:002008-04-24T23:24:16.230-07:00<h2 id="rbqz">Men vs. Women: Whose Memory Is Worse?</h2><div class="subhead_fmt" id="ogkr"><div id="hn4g" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1em; PADDING-TOP: 1em; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><img id="k25o" style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 313px" height="1067" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dhscp728_229nfg63kgb_b" width="1107" /></div></div><div class="subhead_fmt" id="fli9" align="justify">Study Shows Older Men More Likely to Have Memory Problems Than Older Women</div><div class="author_fmt" align="justify">By <a id="so8q" href="http://www.webmd.com/kathleen-doheny"><span id="sjc3" style="color:#006699;">Kathleen Doheny</span></a> <br id="us5b">WebMD Medical News</div><div class="reviewedBy_fmt" id="amaj" align="justify">Reviewed by <a id="zxsk" href="http://www.webmd.com/louise-chang"><span id="ntwy" style="color:#006699;">Louise Chang, MD</span></a></div><div class="clearBoth_fmt" id="sysr" align="justify"></div><h3 id="g2m:" align="justify"></h3><p id="aj5c" align="justify">April 16, 2008 -- Men have a reputation for having a bad memory, forgetting birthdays or anniversaries -- or so the stereotype goes. Now, a new study lends some science to the stereotype, at least for older men.</p><p id="h4qp" align="justify">Men 70-plus are more likely than women in that age range to have memory problems and other cognitive impairments, according to researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., who presented the finding this week at the American Academy of Neurology 60th annual conference in Chicago.</p><p id="yd4r" align="justify">The research team evaluated what is known as mild cognitive impairment, a transition stage between normal cognitive functioning and <a id="m7-1" href="http://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/guide/alzheimers-dementia"><span id="v7au" style="color:#006699;">dementia</span></a>, in 1,969 men and women ages 70 to 89. Having mild cognitive impairment increases the risk of getting <a id="tdf-" href="http://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/default.htm"><span id="k87b" style="color:#006699;">Alzheimer's</span></a> disease over the next few years, but not everyone with mild cognitive impairment gets Alzheimer's.</p><p id="qnfu" align="justify">"We found that the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment was higher in men than in women," says Rosebud Roberts, MD, an associate professor of epidemiology at Mayo Clinic and a study co-investigator.</p><p id="ua7e" align="justify">Men were 1.6 times as likely as women to have the cognitive problems, she says.</p><h3 id="lrdw" align="justify">Men, Women, and Memory</h3><p id="sdh-" align="justify">Previous studies have tried to evaluate which sex has the better memory. But the research looking at sex differences in memory and other cognitive function has yielded mixed results, Roberts tells WebMD.</p><p id="b_bc" align="justify">"Some studies have reported sex differences in mild cognitive impairment," she says, "but the reports have been inconsistent."</p><p id="zj4e" align="justify">Roberts and her colleagues randomly selected residents from Olmsted County, Minn., who were ages 70 to 89 at the start of the study in 2004. The researchers administered cognitive tests, had a physician examine them, and interviewed them.</p><p id="mfcl" align="justify">The researchers also talked to someone who knew each participant well, such as their spouse, to ask about cognitive functioning. Then they classified them as having normal cognition, mild impairment, or dementia.</p><p id="wm7t" align="justify">In all, 16.7% had mild cognitive impairment, Roberts found. Men were 1.6 times more likely than women to have mild cognitive impairment, even after factoring in such variables as age and marital status.</p><h3 id="j_hp" align="justify">Second Opinion</h3><p id="t78o" align="justify">The study is scientifically sound, according to Sam Gandy, MD, PhD, chairman of the medical and scientific advisory council for the Alzheimer's Association, who reviewed the study for WebMD.</p><p id="f1-t" align="justify">But the increased risk found in the study for men should be put in perspective, he says. For instance, carrying a gene known as the apoE4 allele boosts the risk of getting Alzheimer's, he says. "The gender effects still take a back seat to the genetic effects [of getting dementia] in terms of magnitude," he says.</p><p id="z2.f" align="justify">Both men and women can improve their lifestyles to reduce their risk of dementia, says Gandy. He cites a recent study in which having belly fat as an adult boosted the risk of dementia later.</p><p id="j_n8" align="justify">"As for recommendations [to reduce risk], for now, <a id="a1iq" href="http://www.webmd.com/diet/default.htm"><span id="yza0" style="color:#006699;">diet</span></a> and lifestyle remain the mainstays," he says. The Alzheimer's Association recommends staying active mentally, socially, and physically, as well as adopting a "brain-healthy" diet.</p><p id="vekg" align="justify">To qualify as brain-healthy, a diet should be low in fat and <a id="xa9o" href="http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/default.htm"><span id="c3-d" style="color:#006699;">cholesterol</span></a> and be rich in dark vegetables and fruits.</p><h3 id="l:re" align="justify">Interpreting the Findings</h3><p id="rpet" align="justify">The new findings are at odds with some studies that have concluded women have more dementia than men, Roberts says. She isn't certain how to interpret the findings thoroughly yet. The findings may suggest that men have a delayed progression from mild impairment to dementia or that women stay in the mild-impairment transition phase more briefly, progressing more quickly than men do to dementia, she says.</p><p id="v3vd" align="justify">The risk factors for mild impairment (such as advancing age) may be different for men, she also speculates, or they may occur at different phases of life for men than for women.</p><p id="jk6-" align="justify">"A person with mild cognitive impairment might have problems with memory, making decisions, or problem solving, or problems with language, like finding a [right] word," Roberts says.</p><p id="u:to" align="justify">These difficulties are "not severe enough to affect social functioning or work," she says. "It's not something you would notice if you didn't live closely with them."</p><p id="u5b0"></p>Nurulhuda_yuihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251442445591955090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172246933858332430.post-73623305863996734432008-04-22T20:09:00.000-07:002008-04-22T20:12:37.137-07:00<h2 id="gbkz">"I Hate Asking for Help"</h2><div id="ls.2" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1em; PADDING-TOP: 1em; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><img id="ez67" style="WIDTH: 404px; HEIGHT: 213px" height="393" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dhscp728_222c8hwng7j_b" width="448" /></div><p id="qvau"></p><p id="cr6l" align="justify">WebMD Feature from "Good Housekeeping" Magazine</p><div class="reviewedBy_fmt" id="qlyw" align="justify"></div><div class="clearBoth_fmt" id="hvy5" align="justify"></div><h3 id="rpz3" align="justify"></h3><p align="justify">By Cynthia Hanson<br id="bfvk"><br id="sgz7"><b id="w-8v">It's the four-letter word no woman likes to utter. How to ask for what you need.</b></p><p align="justify"><br id="n_er"></p><p id="mp-x" align="justify">It wasn’t until Kathleen Hornstein realized that she couldn’t move her legs that she finally broke down and asked for help. A 34-year-old Pilates instructor and mom of two, Hornstein was pregnant with twins, and despite being overextended and overtired, she had barely slowed down and prided herself on being able to handle anything that came her way. Then, during her second trimester, as she sat on the basement steps one day talking to her husband and her brother while they hung drywall, she suddenly discovered that she couldn’t stand up. “It felt like my hip and thigh had dislocated,” recalls the West Chicago, IL, mom, now 39. “I was shocked — and scared! — and glad people I could count on were there.” </p><p id="cnhl" align="justify"></p><p id="zuhq" align="justify">Minutes later, Hornstein was able to support herself again, but the brief experience of dependence was a wake-up call for her: “My body — and my life — were undergoing rapid changes. I realized I’d need to reconsider my attitude about asking for help if I wanted things to run smoothly — especially after we became a family of six.”</p><p id="wlx3" align="justify"></p><p id="ksm:" align="justify">Hornstein’s reluctance to reach out is all too common in our culture, where self-reliance is a revered, ingrained habit, says life coach M. Nora Klaver, author of <i id="euo0">Mayday! Asking for Help in Times of Need.</i> “Being on the receiving end of a helping hand seems harder for women because we’re raised to be caregivers,” she says. “Asking for care ourselves feels like a personal failure.” In a recent survey of 100 former clients, Klaver found that seven out of 10 had wanted help at least once during the previous week but hadn’t been able to bring themselves to make the request.</p><p id="nmrt" align="justify">Like Klaver’s clients, most of us deal with our daily burdens and serious crises on our own, often winding up isolated and overwhelmed. The alternative would be to admit to ourselves — and others — that we’re not perfect. But we’d rather keep up the appearance of being in control, says psychologist Marcia Reynolds, Psy.D., author of <i id="domr">Outsmart Your Brain.</i> “Our resistance is about maintaining our own self-concept,” she explains. “It may often take a life-changing event like pregnancy or a medical emergency to teach us that even the most competent women can use a little help sometimes.”</p><p id="yy9f" align="justify"></p><p id="ao3p" align="justify">But why wait for a crisis? We’ve culled the top five excuses women make to justify their reluctance to ask for aid — and the experts’ analysis of what’s really going on behind these bogus rationales. Read on, then grasp a helping hand.</p><h3 id="b6ua" align="justify">Excuse #1 “I Don’t Want to Look Weak”</h3><p id="es9i" align="justify">On his first day of kindergarten, Joy Stewart’s son brought home a raft of paperwork, but only one document gave her pause: the emergency-contact form, on which she had to name someone who could pick Joshua up at school if she or her husband couldn’t be reached. “My family and friends aren’t available during school hours, so I didn’t have many options,” says Stewart, 41, a real estate agent and mom of two in North Wales, PA. “I wanted to ask my neighbor Nancy but we weren’t close — we just smiled and waved across the cul-de-sac. I figured she’d see me as pathetic and think, Why is Joy asking me? Doesn’t she have any friends?”</p><p id="bsxp" align="justify"></p><p id="wd:s" align="justify">Turning to others in times of need should not be a source of shame. Rather, it’s a sign of strength and smarts because it means you know what you can and can’t handle and that you’re planning ahead to get everything done regardless. “But asking for help can reveal things about yourself that you may not be proud of or happy with,” Klaver says. “In Joy’s case, she didn’t like admitting that she didn’t have anyone she could call on to help her out.” To avoid falling into a similar trap, remind yourself that asking for help strengthens social bonds. “When you make yourself vulnerable, others open up in return,” Klaver points out.</p><p id="j4je" align="justify"></p><p id="awju" align="justify">Stewart agonized for two weeks, and then, finally, the day before the form was due, she mustered the courage to approach Nancy. Not surprisingly, Nancy happily agreed to be her emergency contact. “I wish I’d asked sooner, because it would have spared me a lot of angst,” Stewart says. “I wasted so much energy — and if Nancy had said no, I wouldn’t have had any backup plan.” A bonus to Stewart’s outreach: The two women now are friends and regularly chat together.</p><h3 id="uw3c" align="justify">Excuse #2 “I Don’t Want to Impose on My Friends”</h3><p id="vup:" align="justify">When Sharon Marcus moved to New York City from San Francisco, her good friend Anita volunteered to come paint her new apartment and do minor repairs. Marcus wanted to learn those skills and knew she would enjoy working with her friend. Still, “it seemed like a terrible imposition to ask her to take time off from her job, fly across the country, and spend a long weekend working on my new place,” says Marcus, 41, an English professor. She fretted for a week about whether or not to take Anita up on the offer.</p><p id="dl66" align="justify">She needn’t have, says Reynolds. “Ultimately, it’s up to the other person to decide whether your request crosses the line.” Most people like to be helpful, especially if you’ve given them a hand in the past. If you’re not sure, then before you reach out, ask yourself if the friendship could withstand a “no.”</p><p id="epd:" align="justify">When Marcus finally followed up, Anita gladly agreed to help; as it turned out, she was eager to see her friend. The two enjoyed a whirlwind weekend of painting and reminiscing, transforming Marcus’s apartment. Marcus also learned enough to go it alone with a paintbrush and small tools. “Anita’s help actually made me need less assistance on other projects,” she says.</p><p id="tjs4" align="justify">Whenever you ask for a significant favor, acknowledge that it’s a big deal (“I know I’m asking a lot”) and give the person permission to decline up front (“I understand if it’s too much and you can’t do it”). And of course, give assurances that you’ll return the favor when she needs it.</p><p id="t8se" align="justify"></p><h3 id="ixqf" align="justify">Excuse #3 “I’ll Look Incompetent”</h3><p id="bs25" align="justify">When she took her job as director of career services at a liberal arts college, Kim Heitzenrater knew there’d be a learning curve. Nonetheless, during her first three months, whenever students asked her questions about applying to graduate programs, she researched the information herself, even though it would have been much faster and easier to check directly with faculty advisors. “I was afraid that if I asked too many questions, the dean would think he’d made a mistake in hiring me,” says Heitzenrater, 40, a mother of two in Sewanee, TN.</p><p id="abh-" align="justify"></p><p id="f2pi" align="justify">While Heitzenrater’s attitude is common, particularly in the workplace, not tapping others’ knowledge is counterproductive, says Karissa Thacker, Psy.D., a New York City management psychologist who specializes in career issues: “Everybody <i id="a570">expects</i> you to ask technical questions.” Heitzenrater ultimately reached the same conclusion. “I wasted too much time looking up everything myself,” she admits. “If I’d asked my colleagues for help early on, I would have gotten up to speed on the job faster and developed relationships with them sooner.”</p><p id="p4s2" align="justify"></p><p id="k1wb" align="justify">Asking your boss and coworkers for assistance — tips on shortcuts, a deadline extension, even feedback — doesn’t signal incompetence. On the contrary, says Thacker, “You may feel vulnerable, but what you’re really saying is, ‘I want to do the job right, and I understand the value of teamwork and cooperation.’”</p><p id="pcws" align="justify"></p><p id="er5_" align="justify">To switch your mind-set, first, recognize that today’s workplace is more collaborative than it used to be. Even if you haven’t been formally assigned to a work team, it’s likely that you’ll need an occasional assist from your peers to do your job. Second, practice asking for help (and giving it) every day so that it starts to feel natural, Thacker recommends.</p><h3 id="rhc8" align="justify">Excuse #4 “It Won’t Get Done Right if I Don’t Do It Myself”</h3><p id="fkr9" align="justify">“Some women won’t accept help because it means surrendering control,” Reynolds says. Case in point: Lori Reidel, 52, of Cincinnati, who didn’t trust other parents to drive her son, Logan. She chauffeured him almost everywhere, even though it meant paying for extra gas and losing the time and flexibility that come with carpooling. “But if I’d let Logan ride in someone else’s car and something happened, I wouldn’t have been able to forgive myself,” Reidel explains. “Primal parental fear is understandable,” comments Reynolds, “but that unbending attitude is unrealistic and unhealthy for child <i id="l2m2">and</i> mother.”</p><p id="i9rc" align="justify"></p><p id="m:ei" align="justify">Accepting a helping hand requires an active leap of faith that everything will turn out OK. “You must stand up to the fear and mentally take it down,” Reynolds explains. “Tell yourself, ‘This is an irrational fear. I will accept help for one week; if I can’t handle it, then I’ll make a different choice next week.’” Another mental trick: Remember other occasions when you felt anxious about letting go but that turned out fine — the first time you left your child with a babysitter, for instance.</p><p id="z9-2" align="justify"></p><p id="f.nq" align="justify">When her son, now 14, started seventh grade, Reidel heard about a new carpool down the street, and she took a deep breath and joined. The result has been win-win: Logan has become pals with the other kids and Reidel has gained more time — and more trust in the other parents.</p><p id="vxlo" align="justify">Relinquishing lesser tasks may be easier, but it also requires an honest evaluation of costs and benefits. Is it better to let your 9-year-old make his bed badly or to take the time to do it yourself? After a party, does it make more sense to let guests help you clean up or to stay up by yourself washing dishes? Finally, Reynolds says, ask yourself this, “Is it the end of the world if my son’s bed looks sloppy or my margarita glasses aren’t perfectly lined up?” Focus on what you stand to gain — a lighter workload; more time for your kids; a chance to bond with your friends.</p><h3 id="m4aq" align="justify">Excuse #5 “I Was Raised to Be Self-Sufficient”</h3><p id="mbls" align="justify">When her husband went away on a five-day business trip last September, Isadora Fox, 39, of Austin, couldn’t bring herself to call on a neighbor — even just to watch her 4-year-old daughter, Sasha, for 90 minutes while she prepared for two big exams. Fox, who works part-time as a writer while she studies to become a nurse-practitioner, also had three major deadlines and sole responsibility for driving Sasha to preschool, swimming, gymnastics, and a birthday party. To get everything done, she stayed up until 2 every night, even though she was five months pregnant. “I <i id="gdqz">chose</i> to be a mother, go back to school, and work part time,” Fox says, “so I thought I should suck it up and handle everything myself, because this is what I signed up for.” Instead, she collapsed with a nasty sinus infection.</p><p id="g8wz" align="justify"></p><p id="kmiz" align="justify">Subduing an independent-to-a-fault streak takes soul-searching. Try to shift your focus from self-reliance to self-care, understanding that doing what’s best for you will give you strength to care for others. Edit your mental self-talk about independence by telling yourself it’s nothing but a self-imposed, self-limiting mantra.</p><p id="ic1g" align="justify"></p><p id="sowh" align="justify">That strategy worked for Fox. “I started thinking about how I do favors for other people,” she says. “I don’t think worse of them for needing some assistance, and I’m sure that none of my friends and neighbors would mind helping me.” A few months later, when her husband was away during her final exams, Fox asked a friend to babysit for three hours one night while she studied. “I still won’t call someone for help because I’m just tired,” Fox says. “But I will in an emergency — and being eight months pregnant and in the throes of finals counts!”</p><p id="hn4d" align="justify"></p><p id="vqda" align="justify"></p><p id="nw-v" align="justify">And what of Kathleen Hornstein? Today, she usually doesn’t hesitate to request the assistance she needs either, whether it’s sending her husband grocery shopping, tapping her daughter to fold laundry, or asking a neighbor to babysit her 4-year-old twins. The result: She’s more relaxed and less frazzled. Better yet, Hornstein says, is seeing the positive impact her requests have had. “My kids are learning responsibility and getting a feeling of accomplishment when they do small chores. And from carpooling, I’ve gotten to know other moms and deepened some existing friendships. I had to learn to ask for help, but now, I can’t imagine living my life any other way.”</p>Nurulhuda_yuihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251442445591955090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172246933858332430.post-71740197368234978022008-04-21T18:57:00.000-07:002008-04-21T21:03:30.008-07:00Stressed? Grab Your Own Slice of Bliss<div id="j05t" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1em; PADDING-TOP: 1em; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><img id="vv0v" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dhscp728_214d52s5vnr_b" /></div><h2 id="tpfl"><span id="av4." style="font-size:85%;color:#0000ff;">Stress: Busted!</span></h2><div class="subhead_fmt" id="m93n"></div><div class="author_fmt" id="mixo">WebMD Feature from "Women's Health" Magazine</div><div class="reviewedBy_fmt" id="bryw"></div><div class="clearBoth_fmt" id="l3ea"></div><h3 id="ccg-"></h3><p id="zp97" align="left">By the Editors of Women’s Health</p><p id="ngem"></p><p id="z9a9"><span id="rf1-" style="color:#000000;"><b id="yxgb">Sanity-saving strategies you can use right now</b> </span></p><p id="dk58"></p><p id="vsg7"><b id="p3_x">1. Work Pressures</b> <br id="qv7g"><b id="y_qt">Change your schedule.</b> </p><p align="justify"><br id="mqih">When most people get in to work, they check their e-mail and voice mail. Save it for later. Spend your first hour, when you're the sharpest, on creative and strategic thinking. While you're at it, break down your day into specific tasks, rather than trying to juggle everything. Studies now show that a 50-minute task takes four times as long if you juggle too many tasks at once. "Are you a starter of all and finisher of none?" asks Julie Morgenstern, author of <i id="ex2t">Making Work Work</i>. If you can, pick one day a week to leave 30 minutes earlier than usual. "It feels like corporate suicide," Morgenstern says, but allowing yourself that early exit will keep you on deadline and make you hyperfocused to complete jobs more efficiently.</p><p id="rvej"></p><p id="z6as"><img id="ovmz" alt="Womenshealth Woman Raising Arms" src="http://img.webmd.com/dtmcms/live/webmd/consumer_assets/site_images/articles/features/other/womensnshealth_woman_raising_arms.jpg" align="right" border="0" /> </p><p id="qh6f"><b id="pvt3">2. Personal Pressures</b> <br id="ob00"><b id="jkit">Change the habit, not the world.</b> </p><p align="justify"><br id="rile">Destressing isn't about eliminating all of your stresses; it's about getting control of them, one at a time. To do that, you should make micro-adjustments in your life, not big ones that eventually add more stress, says Stan Goldberg, Ph.D., author of <i id="qalg">Ready To Learn</i>. "What's important is whatever [changes you make to your routine] need to be small enough so that there is a minimal amount of difference between what you've been doing and what you now do," Dr. Goldberg says. If you're working on being prompt, get to every appointment—not just to work—5 minutes earlier than normal. Successful change is permanent, not dramatic.</p><p id="p:wv" align="justify"></p><p align="justify"><b id="cgul">3. Self Care</b> <br id="whuc"><b id="khgm">Eat the antistress diet.</b> </p><p align="justify"><br id="o_dz">When you're in stress mode, your insides produce more chemical reactions than Marie Curie's lab—you experience surges of the hormone cortisol and sugar levels that spike and plummet, which can leave you feeling under pressure and sluggish. Counteract those reactions with the right foods, says Elizabeth Somer, R.D., author of <i id="gep1">The Food & Mood Cookbook</i>. For breakfast, avoid sugary cereals or breakfast bars and eat whole-grain cereal and a piece of fruit. Then pop a vitamin with at least 500 milligrams (mg) of calcium and 250 mg of magnesium. Magnesium, which is flushed out when stress rushes in, helps regulate those cortisol levels. For a snack, the crunch of veggie sticks or carrots helps release a clenched jaw and the tension headache you can get as a result of stress. Before bed, go with a light carbohydrate-rich snack, like toast and jam, to quicken the release of the feel-good hormone serotonin, which will help you sleep better.</p><p id="opr7" align="justify"></p><p align="justify"><b id="fnvs">4. Personal Power</b> <br id="shvq"><b id="wwx9">Always avoid "always".</b> </p><p align="justify"><br id="cb_m">One of the biggest booby traps in your life is overgeneralizing—first dates never work out, she always gets promotions before me, he always arrives at least 5 minutes late. Unconsciously, using "always" and "never" steers you away from feeling that you have any control over changing the things that stress or worry you, says Daniel Amen, M.D., author of <i id="vhf0">Change Your Brain, Change Your Life</i>.</p><p id="lgnd" align="justify"></p><p align="justify"><b id="bqoh">5. Emotional Symptoms</b> <br id="umom"><b id="pcdv">Schedule your emotions.</b> </p><p align="justify"><br id="snj:">If we let it, stress can eat away at us like a squirrel with a nut. That constantly worried mentality impedes decision-making, says Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, Ph.D., author of <i id="of4d">Women Who Think Too Much: How to Break Free of Overthinking and Reclaim Your Life</i>. She suggests you write down what you're worried about, then set aside some quiet time (say 30 minutes) to figure out solutions. That way, worrying won't disrupt your work, and you'll be able to think through the answers.</p>Nurulhuda_yuihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251442445591955090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172246933858332430.post-60396313488535220312008-04-19T01:44:00.000-07:002008-04-21T21:03:30.009-07:00<h2 id="ln.l"><span id="zo0l"><span id="jj0e" style="color:#9900ff;"><span id="txad" style="font-size:85%;">Forgive and Forget</span> </span></span></h2><div class="subhead_fmt" id="imir"><span id="j_:." style="color:#9900ff;"><i id="m2ok"><img id="j.5b" style="WIDTH: 371px; HEIGHT: 288px" height="288" hspace="0" src="http://img66.imageshack.us/img66/9355/bigstockphotomaleforgivsj5.jpg" width="353" border="0" /></i></span> </div><div class="subhead_fmt" id="jigf"><span id="uq_5" style="color:#000000;"><i id="a1iy">It's not always easy, but the benefits of forgiving -- and 'forgetting' -- can be powerful. Here are some tips.</i></span> </div><div class="author_fmt" id="rk-b">By <a id="p-72" href="http://www.webmd.com/tom-valeo"><span id="ptq1" style="color:#008c99;">Tom Valeo</span></a><br id="t-6j">WebMD Feature </div><div class="reviewedBy_fmt" id="wsyn">Reviewed by <a id="nx__" href="http://www.webmd.com/cynthia-dennison-haines"><span id="zkaq" style="color:#008c99;">Cynthia Dennison Haines, MD</span></a> </div><div class="clearBoth_fmt" id="b.i1"></div><h3 id="c_gs"></h3><p id="rciz" align="justify">Many people view forgiveness as an offshoot of love -- a gift given freely to those who have hurt you. </p><p id="w_65" align="justify"></p><p id="jx3q" align="justify">Forgiveness, however, may bring enormous benefits to the person who gives that gift, according to recent research. If you can bring yourself to forgive and forget, you are likely to enjoy lower blood pressure, a stronger immune system, and a drop in the stress hormones circulating in your blood, studies suggest. Back pain, stomach problems, and headaches may disappear. And you’ll reduce the anger, bitterness, resentment, depression, and other negative emotions that accompany the failure to forgive. </p><p id="hhlm" align="justify"></p><p id="aj:y" align="justify">Of course, forgiving is notoriously difficult. “Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea until they have something to forgive,” said C.S. Lewis. </p><p id="xaaz" align="justify">And forgetting may not be a realistic or desirable goal. </p><p id="a-px" align="justify"></p><p id="i8.3" align="justify">“Despite the familiar cliche, ‘forgive and forget,’ most of us find forgetting nearly impossible,” says Charlotte vanOyen Witvliet, PhD, associate professor of psychology at Hope College. “Forgiveness does not involve a literal forgetting. Forgiveness involves remembering graciously. The forgiver remembers the true though painful parts, but without the embellishment of angry adjectives and adverbs that stir up contempt.” </p><h3 id="k.b9" align="justify"><span id="sqvu"><span id="ol2_" style="color:#0000ff;"><span id="ol7u" style="font-size:85%;">Forgiving (and Forgetting) Quells Stress</span> </span></span></h3><p id="s3.a" align="justify">That type of angry “embellishment,” as Witvliet calls it, seems to carry serious consequences. In a 2001 study, she monitored the physiological responses of 71 college students as they either dwelled on injustices done to them, or imagined themselves forgiving the offenders. </p><p id="ejr:" align="justify"></p><p id="dx3z" align="justify">“When focused on unforgiving responses, their blood pressure surged, their heart rates increased, brow muscles tensed, and negative feelings escalated,” she says. “By contrast, forgiving responses induced calmer feelings and physical responses. It appears that harboring <i id="e83l">unforgiveness</i> comes at an emotional and a physiological cost. Cultivating forgiveness may cut these costs.” </p><p id="cdi_" align="justify"></p><p id="dw_0" align="justify">But how do we cultivate forgiveness? </p><p id="a6nk" align="justify"></p><p id="iqr9" align="justify">Frederic Luskin, PhD, director of the Stanford University Forgiveness Project, readily admits that forgiveness, like love, can’t be forced. </p><p id="t7i8" align="justify"></p><p id="q6mk" align="justify">“You can’t just will forgiveness,” says Luskin, author of <i id="ostr">Forgive For Good: A Proven Prescription for Health and Happiness</i>. “What I teach is that you can create conditions where forgiveness is more likely to occur. There are specific practices we offer that diminish hostility and self-pity, and increase positive emotions, so it becomes more likely that a genuine, heartfelt release of resentment will occur.” </p><p id="z2ji" align="justify"></p><h3 id="yf:c" align="justify"><span id="b6vq" style="color:#0000ff;"><span id="mev1" style="font-size:85%;">How to Encourage Forgiveness</span> </span></h3><p id="yqq3" align="justify">For example, Luskin encourages the practice of gratitude -- the active effort to acknowledge what’s good in your life. </p><p id="fqcu" align="justify"></p><p id="l3oz" align="justify">“Gratitude is simply focusing your attention on the positive things that have happened,” he says. “That creates a biochemical experience that makes it more likely that forgiveness will occur.” </p><p id="bkh9" align="justify"></p><p id="uxdu" align="justify">Stress management, whether through meditation, deep breathing, or relaxation exercises, also helps quell the stress of anger and resentment, he says. So does “cognitive reframing,” which fosters acceptance of the facts of your situation.. </p><p id="zdvh" align="justify">“You may wish you had a better mother or a better lover,” Luskin says, “but the world is the way it is.” </p><p id="jodk" align="justify"></p><p id="johs" align="justify">Finally, Luskin encourages people to change the story they tell themselves so they appear more like survivors who are hopeful about the future rather than victims with a grievance. </p><p id="tkcc" align="justify"></p><p id="vovv" align="justify">“You can change, ‘I hate my mother because she didn’t love me,’ to, ‘life is a real challenge for me because I didn’t feel loved as a child,’” Luskin said. “That makes forgiveness so much more possible.” </p><h3 id="q1bb" align="justify"><span id="adpw" style="color:#0000ff;"><span id="zeuu" style="font-size:85%;">Two Types of Forgiveness</span> </span></h3><p id="oqm9" align="justify">Everett L. Worthington Jr., PhD, a professor of psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University and the author of <i id="v3qn">Forgiveness and Reconciliation: </i></p><p id="zct." align="justify"><i id="h0a7">Theory and Applications</i>, divides forgiveness into two types. Decisional forgiveness involves choosing to let go of angry thoughts about the person you feel has wronged you. </p><p id="m1bv" align="justify"></p><p id="wz-v" align="justify">“You can tell yourself, ‘I am not going to seek revenge,’ for example, or, ‘I am going to avoid that person,’” Worthington says. “You could choose decisional forgiveness and still have a lot of emotional unforgiveness.” </p><p id="ezyz" align="justify"></p><p id="ed8b" align="justify">The ultimate goal, however, is emotional forgiveness, in which negative emotions such as resentment, bitterness, hostility, hatred, anger, and fear are replaced with love, compassion, sympathy, and empathy. </p><p id="n-x4" align="justify"></p><p id="w2gc" align="justify">“Emotional forgiveness is where the health action is,” says Worthington. “Emotional unforgiveness causes a chronic stress response, which results in obsessing about the wrong done to you. Rumination is what gets people into trouble. Rumination is the mental health bad boy. It’s associated with almost everything bad in the mental health field -- obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, depression … probably hives too.” </p><h3 id="ycbn" align="justify"><span id="kq.b" style="color:#0000ff;"><span id="zaxk" style="font-size:85%;">REACH for Forgiveness</span> </span></h3><p id="rke-" align="justify">To help people achieve emotional forgiveness, Worthington has devised a 5-step program called REACH, with each letter representing one step. </p><p id="m5mx" align="justify"></p><p id="d2w-" align="justify">“First you <b id="gp:9">recall</b> the hurt objectively, without blame and self-victimization,” Worthington says. “Then you <b id="rfr1">empathize</b> by trying to imagine the viewpoint of the person who wronged you. The <b id="wswu">altruistic</b> part involves getting people to think about a time they were forgiven and how that felt. </p><p id="d6e5" align="justify"></p><p id="pex3" align="justify">When it’s time to <b id="omfx">commit</b> to forgiveness, people usually say, not yet, but when they finally do, they must then <b id="krp2">hold on</b> to forgiveness.” </p><p id="onw_" align="justify"></p><p id="ev.o" align="justify">All this is not merely theoretical for Worthington. His mother was beaten to death with a crowbar in 1995, and yet, by applying the five steps of REACH, he managed to forgive. </p><p id="km_5" align="justify"></p><p id="bmcp" align="justify">“Within 30 hours I was able to forgive the youths who had committed this horrible crime,” he writes in <i id="t5ju">Forgiveness and Reconciliation</i>. </p><p id="vplm" align="justify"></p><p id="pb2_" align="justify"><span id="puwa" style="color:#0000ff;"><span id="rmu8" style="font-size:85%;"><b id="g42q">When Not Forgiving Is OK</b></span> </span></p><p id="vxed" align="justify"></p><p id="mcvj" align="justify">But some people cannot forgive, and that’s OK too, according to Jeanne Safer, PhD, a psychotherapist and the author of <i id="hf-q">Forgiving and Not Forgiving</i>. For some of her patients, recognizing that they don’t have to forgive is a huge relief. </p><p id="p03p" align="justify"></p><p id="ujeg" align="justify">“Many don’t have to forgive in order to resolve their feelings,” Safer says. “They say, ‘I can never feel OK about these terrible things, but I’m not going to be vengeful.’” </p><p id="oet5" align="justify"></p><p id="o:da" align="justify">To help them achieve this resolution, Safer offers a three-step process. The first step involves <b id="sh4r">re-engagement --</b> a decision to think through what happened. The second step, <b id="cju_">recognition</b>, means looking at every feeling you may have about the injury. “You ask yourself, ‘why do I want revenge?’” Safer said. “Revenge is based on powerlessness and it’s doomed to failure.” </p><p id="ojm_" align="justify"></p><p id="pjaz" align="justify">The final step involves <b id="kfxc">reinterpretation</b> of the injury, including an attempt to understand the person who caused it. “This is where forgivers and nonforgivers divide,” Safer said. “Sometimes you’re not able to reconnect with the person, but if you go through this process, at least you won’t be a victim.” </p><p id="n212" align="justify"></p><p id="shht" align="justify">Forgiveness research proliferated after the publication in 1984 of <i id="pdeq">Forgive and Forget: Healing the Hurts We Don’t Deserve</i>, by Lewis B. Smedes, who claimed that forgiveness produced benefits for the forgiver. </p><p id="fn8l" align="justify"></p><p id="lkxr" align="justify">Safer, however, is wary of those who picked up on this idea and started to promote what she calls “promiscuous forgiveness.” </p><p id="k11-" align="justify"></p><p id="h:5t" align="justify">"What’s important is working it through and achieving resolution, whether it leads to forgiveness or not. Forgiveness involves wishing the other well. You’re already there if you don’t wish them ill,” Safer says. </p>Nurulhuda_yuihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251442445591955090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172246933858332430.post-934494372553743282008-04-15T15:56:00.000-07:002008-04-21T21:04:23.681-07:00<h2 id="oafp"><span id="rok3" style="font-family:Arial Narrow;font-size:100%;">Coffee: The New Health Food?</span></h2><div class="subhead_fmt" id="fbaa"><span id="na9y" style="font-family:Arial Narrow;"><div id="qc5." style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1em; PADDING-TOP: 1em; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><img id="fp_x" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dhscp728_204hmkmf4g3_b" /></div></span></div><div class="subhead_fmt" id="pysj"><span id="k.ba" style="font-family:verdana;">Plenty of health benefits are brewing in America's beloved beverage.</span></div><div class="author_fmt" id="ocjf"><span id="umqc" style="font-family:verdana;">By </span><a id="klc5" href="http://www.webmd.com/sid-kircheimer"><span id="q3nn" style="font-family:verdana;color:#006699;">Sid Kirchheimer</span></a><span id="qt2n" style="font-family:verdana;"> <br id="iz71">WebMD Feature</span></div><div class="reviewedBy_fmt" id="scm4"><span id="ym44" style="font-family:verdana;">Reviewed by </span><a id="n0re" href="http://www.webmd.com/michael-w-smith"><span id="jhzm" style="font-family:verdana;color:#006699;">Michael W. Smith, MD</span></a></div><div class="clearBoth_fmt" id="b8y0"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><h3 id="ualj"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;"></span></h3><p id="a90t" align="justify"><span id="q:2r" style="font-family:verdana;">Want a drug that could lower your risk of diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and colon cancer? That could lift your mood and treat headaches? That could lower your risk of cavities?</span></p><p id="f54j" align="justify"><span id="kzg9" style="font-family:verdana;">If it sounds too good to be true, think again.</span></p><p id="awo5" align="justify"><span id="isa2" style="font-family:verdana;">Coffee, the much maligned but undoubtedly beloved beverage, just made headlines for possibly cutting the risk of the latest disease epidemic, type 2 diabetes. And the real news seems to be that the more you drink, the better.</span></p><h3 id="keau" align="justify"><span id="iu0r" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;">Reducing Disease Risk</span></h3><p id="urzv" align="justify"><span id="lq3l"><span id="f04c"><span id="im2e"><span id="f8h0"><span id="veve"><span id="ccsv"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span id="tq.d">After analyzing data on 126,000 people for as long as 18 years, Harvard researchers calculate that compared with not partaking in America's favorite morning drink, downing one to three cups of caffeinated coffee daily can reduce diabetes risk by single digits. But having six cups or more each day slashed men's risk by 54% and women's by 30% over java avoiders.</span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p id="ve37" align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></p><p id="d59o" align="justify"><span id="psrr"><span id="a742"><span id="qca7"><span id="w7t0"><span id="uvop"><span id="r-mt"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span id="j.3s">Though the scientists give the customary "more research is needed" before they recommend you do overtime at Starbuck's to specifically prevent diabetes, their findings are very similar to those in a less-publicized Dutch study. And perhaps more importantly, it's the latest of hundreds of studies suggesting that coffee may be something of a health food -- especially in higher amounts.</span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p id="o_.:" align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></p><p id="l9.q" align="justify"><span id="g-06"><span id="gizz"><span id="wpcl"><span id="ienu"><span id="ohhp"><span id="u8uu"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span id="ht-.">In recent decades, some 19,000 studies have been done examining coffee's impact on health. And for the most part, their results are as pleasing as a gulp of freshly brewed Breakfast Blend for the 108 million Americans who routinely enjoy this traditionally morning -- and increasingly daylong -- ritual. In practical terms, regular coffee drinkers include the majority of U.S. adults and a growing number of children.</span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p id="vg:x" align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></p><p id="b9fu" align="justify"><span id="qvcs"><span id="xg4m"><span id="luh0"><span id="fq__"><span id="xqmp"><span id="nt2-"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span id="wx_m">"Overall, the research shows that coffee is far more healthful than it is harmful," says Tomas DePaulis, PhD, research scientist at Vanderbilt University's Institute for Coffee Studies, which conducts its own medical research and tracks coffee studies from around the world. "For most people, very little bad comes from drinking it, but a lot of good."</span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p id="tlxw" align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></p><p id="x1ft" align="justify"><span id="wuzl"><span id="z:nw"><span id="z64c"><span id="snzp"><span id="nroa"><span id="qh0r"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span id="t08q">Consider this: At least six studies indicate that people who drink coffee on a regular basis are up to 80% less likely to develop Parkinson's, with three showing the more they drink, the lower the risk. Other research shows that compared to not drinking coffee, at least two cups daily can translate to a 25% reduced risk of colon cancer, an 80% drop in liver cirrhosis risk, </span><span id="aln:">and nearly half the risk of gallstones.</span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p id="y08n" align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></p><p id="bggk" align="justify"><span id="qu.2"><span id="f0ft"><span id="sfm2"><span id="k1y1"><span id="bb9j"><span id="f_gu"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span id="md94">Coffee even offsets some of the damage caused by other vices, some research indicates. "People who smoke and are heavy drinkers have less heart disease and liver damage when they regularly consume large amounts of coffee compared to those who don't," says DePaulis.</span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p id="vcda" align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></p><p id="ypsp" align="justify"><span id="gc0a"><span id="zcbs"><span id="m-.p"><span id="fw9d"><span id="t255"><span id="l4bq"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span id="tuwe">There's also some evidence that coffee may help manage asthma and even control attacks when medication is unavailable, stop a headache, boost mood, and even prevent cavities.</span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p id="dwyp" align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></p><p id="dann" align="justify"><span id="nd:d"><span id="d6om"><span id="n1-t"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span id="ghc4">Is it the caffeine? The oodles of antioxidants in coffee beans, some of which become especially potent during the roasting process? Even other mysterious properties that warrant this intensive study?</span> </span></span></span></span></p><p id="n.kp" align="justify"><span id="xolu"><span id="nbzq"><span id="r6s1"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span id="e-xm">Actually, yes.</span> </span></span></span></span></p><p id="oqo9" align="justify"><span id="qhc9"><span id="pwuo"><span id="nvjr"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span id="b_zg">Some of coffee's reported benefits are a direct result of its higher caffeine content: An eight ounce cup of drip-brewed coffee contains about 85 mg -- about three and a half times more than the same serving of tea or cola or one ounce of chocolate.</span> </span></span></span></span></p><p id="kfrj" align="justify"><span id="bn8t"><span id="wm_s"><span id="g.-r"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span id="o36l">"The evidence is very strong that regular coffee consumption reduces risk of Parkinson's disease and for that, it's directly related to caffeine," DePaulis tells WebMD. "In fact, Parkinson's drugs are now being developed that contain a derivative of caffeine based on this evidence."</span> </span></span></span></span></p><p id="frb2" align="justify"><span id="a014"><span id="qwhk"><span id="fjw3"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span id="uy_i">Caffeine is also what helps in treating asthma and headaches. Though not widely publicized, a single dose of pain reliever such as Anacin or Excedrin contains up to 120 milligrams -- what's in a hefty mug o' Joe.</span> </span></span></span></span></p><h3 id="z9fr" align="justify"><span id="agxr" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;">Boost to Athleticism</span></h3><p id="xm93" align="justify"><span id="luk6"><span id="fj93"><span id="cmdz"><span style="font-family:verdana;">It's also caffeine -- and not coffee, per se -- that makes java a powerful aid in enhancing athletic endurance and performance, says physiologist and longtime coffee res<span id="ll.y"><span id="dkm2">earcher Terry Graham, PhD, of the University of Guelph in Canada. So powerful, in fact, that until recently, caffeine in coffee or other forms was deemed a "controlled" substance by the Olympic Games Committee, meaning that it could be consumed only in small, designated amounts by competing athletes.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p id="y4_8" align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></p><p id="vgxa" align="justify"><span id="i.2-"><span id="tqrx"><span id="gx3h"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span id="mcaf">"What caffeine likely does is stimulate the brain and nervous system to do things differently," he tells WebMD. "That may include signaling you to ignore fatigue or recruit extra units of muscle for intense athletic performance. Caffeine may even have a direct effect on muscles themselves, causing them to produce a stronger contraction. But what's amazing about it is that unlike some performance-enhancing manipulation some athletes do that are specific for strength or sprinting or endurance, studies show that caffeine positively enhances all of these things."</span> </span></span></span></span></p><p id="m8tj" align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></p><p id="qo4b" align="justify"><span id="tzj7"><span id="pfc9"><span id="tbln"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span id="xm4-">How does this brew affect growing minds and bodies? Very nicely, it seems, says DePaulis. Coffee, as you probably know, makes you more alert, which can boost concentration. But claims that it improves a child's academic performance can be exaggerated. Coffee-drinking kids may do better on school tests because they're more awake, but most task-to-task lab studies suggest that coffee doesn't really improve mental performance, says DePaulis.</span> </span></span></span></span></p><p id="s5zv" align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></p><p id="z8hf" align="justify"><span id="cvnn"><span id="z-ax"><span id="pz_k"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span id="uq6v">But it helps kids' minds in another way. "There recently was a study from Brazil finding that children who drink coffee with milk each day are less likely to have depression than other children," he tells WebMD. "In fact, no studies show that coffee in reasonable amounts is in any way harmful to children."</span> </span></span></span></span></p><p id="cvst" align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></p><p id="w.qp" align="justify"><span id="fqyy"><span id="rnhu"><span id="gx9s"><span id="fhvo"><span style="font-family:verdana;">On the flip side, it's clear that coffee isn't for everyone. Its legendary <span id="fksb" style="color:black;">jolt in excess doses -- that is, more than whatever your individual body can tolerate -- can increase nervousness, hand trembling, and cause rapid heartbeat. Coffee may also raise cholesterol levels in some people and may contribute to artery clogging. But most recent large studies show no significant adverse effects on most healthy people, although pregnant women, heart patients, and those at risk for osteoporosis may still be advised to limit or avoid coffee.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p id="e03b" align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></p><span id="ijo1"><p id="c4sm" align="justify"><span id="xa5y"><span id="zwqn"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span id="bqan" style="color:black;"><span id="a7-q">The bottom line:</span> </span><span id="pq40">"People who already drink a lot of coffee don't have to feel 'guilty' as long as coffee does not affect their daily life," says Hu. "They may actually benefit from coffee habits in the long run."</span> </span></span></span></p><p id="v-f3" align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></p><p id="rmuu" align="justify"><span id="z96_" style="font-family:verdana;">In other words, consume enough caffeine -- whether it's from coffee or another source -- and you will likely run faster, last longer and be stronger. What's enough? As little as one cup can offer some benefit, but the real impact comes from at least two mugs, says Graham. By comparison, it'd take at least eight glasses of cola to get the same effect, which isn't exactly conducive for running a marathon.</span></p><p id="ftmi" align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></p><p id="fhmx" align="justify"><span id="n3t1" style="font-family:verdana;">But the harder you exercise, the more benefit you may get from coffee. "Unfortunately, where you see the enhancing effects from caffeine is in hard-working athletes, who are able to work longer and somewhat harder," says Graham, who has studied the effects of caffeine and coffee for nearly two decades. "If you a recreational athlete who is working out to reduce weight or just feel better, you're not pushing yourself hard enough to get an athletic benefit from coffee or other caffeinated products."</span></p><p id="test" align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></p><p id="modi" align="justify"><span id="du1h"><span id="wmcp"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span id="oybz">But you can get other benefits from coffee that have nothing to do with caffeine. "Coffee is loaded with antioxidants, including a group of compounds called quinines that when administered to lab rats, increases their insulin sensitivity" he tells WebMD. This increased sensitivity <span id="b240" style="color:black;">improves the body's response to insulin.</span></span> </span></span></span></p><p id="u8jd" align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></p><p id="zwcs" align="justify"><span id="vvg4"><span id="v45r"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span id="xlcv">That may explain why in that new Harvard study, those drinking decaf coffee but not tea beverages also showed a reduced diabetes risk, though it was half as much as those drinking caffeinated coffee.</span> </span></span></span></p><p id="e:gc" align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></p><p id="nvhz" align="justify"><span id="yy1w"><span id="zlu5"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span id="q:pu">"We don't know exactly why coffee is beneficial for diabetes," lead researcher Frank Hu, MD, tells WebMD. "It is possible that both caffeine and other compounds play important roles. Coffee has large amounts of antioxidants such as chlorogenic acid and tocopherols, and minerals such as magnesium. All these components have been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism."</span> </span></span></span></p><p id="wyww" align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></p><p id="ixkr" align="justify"><span id="wzrw"><span id="ohpi"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span id="imuc">Meanwhile, Italian researchers credit another compound called trigonelline, which gives coffee its aroma and bitter taste, for having both antibacterial and anti-adhesive properties to help prevent dental cavities from forming. There are other theories for other conditions.</span> </span></span></span></p></span><p id="n_z1" align="left"></p>Nurulhuda_yuihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251442445591955090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172246933858332430.post-71414421012826303592008-04-14T07:22:00.000-07:002008-04-21T21:04:23.681-07:00<p id="xol2"><b id="blxz">Drinking May Raise Breast Cancer Risk </b></p><div id="h544" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1em; PADDING-TOP: 1em; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><img id="ca46" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dhscp728_200pfkqqkg2_b" /></div><p id="em9s"></p><p class="storyhdr" id="h6uc" align="justify"><span id="enw4">By Amanda Gardner<br id="g9dr"><i id="ltjb">HealthDay Reporter</i> </span>1 hour, 12 minutes ago </p><div class="spacer" id="q538" align="justify"></div><p id="pzsu" align="justify">SUNDAY, April 13 (HealthDay News) -- Alcohol, consumed even in small amounts, increases the risk of breast cancer and particularly estrogen-receptor and progesterone-receptor positive breast cancer, a new study shows.</p><div class="lrec" id="qb-v" align="justify"></div><p id="puyl" align="justify">The findings, expected to be presented Sunday at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, in <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1208178127_0" style="BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">San Diego</span>, are followed by a second study that found an association between <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1208178127_1" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">breast cancer risk</span> and two genes involved in alcohol metabolism. </p><p id="mpfu" align="justify"></p><p id="ha-7" align="justify"></p><p id="dw-g" align="justify">Previous data has suggested that consuming alcohol ups the risk of breast cancer, although the precise mechanisms have not been clarified. </p><p id="luah" align="justify"></p><p id="x11s" align="justify">In some forms of breast cancer, malignant cells have receptors that render them sensitive to hormones such as estrogen. The first study aimed to see if the hormone receptor status of the tumor influenced the relationship between alcohol consumption and breast cancer risk. </p><p id="rmrf" align="justify"></p><p id="m4lu" align="justify"></p><p id="pagb" align="justify">In the study, a team led by Dr. Jasmine Lew of the U.S. <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1208178127_2" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">National Cancer Institute</span> followed more than 184,000 postmenopausal women for an average of seven years.</p><p id="iu7." align="justify"></p><p id="nzei" align="justify"></p><p id="nfai" align="justify">Those who had less than one drink a day had a 7 percent increased risk of breast cancer compared to teetotalers, the team reported. Women who drank one to two drinks a day had a 32 percent increased risk, and those who had three or more glasses of alcohol a day had up to a 51 percent increased risk. </p><p id="jr_m" align="justify"></p><p id="l0_." align="justify"></p><p id="z8.e" align="justify">But the risk was seen mostly in those 70 percent of tumors classified as estrogen receptor- and progesterone receptor-positive. Researchers suspect that alcohol may have an effect on breast cancer via an effect on estrogen. </p><p id="lezk" align="justify"></p><p id="q6eo" align="justify"></p><p id="chyc" align="justify">The risk was similar whether women consumed primarily beer, wine or spirits, the NCI team noted.</p><p id="plif" align="justify"></p><p id="zsz_" align="justify"></p><p id="h9dt" align="justify">The second study dug deeper into other possible mechanism by which alcohol consumption increases breast cancer risk. </p><p id="lhmc" align="justify"></p><p id="rlf7" align="justify"></p><p id="ief1" align="justify">"For years, we've known that there's an association between alcohol drinking and breast cancer risk, but nobody knows yet what the underlying biological mechanisms are," said Dr. Catalin Marian, lead author of the study and a research instructor in oncology at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1208178127_3" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Georgetown University</span> in Washington, D.C. "The logical step was to begin analyzing the alcohol metabolizing genes." </p><p id="cpx4" align="justify"></p><p id="e7mv" align="justify"></p><p id="wnkl" align="justify">And indeed, two of these genes -- ADH1B and ADH1C -- were associated with a two-fold increase in breast cancer risk.</p><p id="x2ca" align="justify"></p><p id="qnx3" align="justify"></p><p id="v2sw" align="justify">But the study does not prove a definite cause-and-effect link. "This is an association," Marian said. "This type of study is good for generating hypotheses. It's not a definite conclusion. It needs to be replicated by other studies to say for sure that what we found is there." </p><p id="ym92" align="justify"></p><p id="p56j" align="justify"></p><p id="iysp" align="justify">Another researcher urged caution in interpreting the results of both studies.</p><p id="ii0p" align="justify"></p><p id="pk6g" align="justify"></p><p id="sk.0" align="justify">"These studies are too early for use in a clinical setting or to advance a public health message," said Dr. Peter Shields, co-author of the genetics study and deputy director of the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.</p><p id="n0ru" align="justify"></p><p id="lmiv" align="justify"></p><p id="xlil" align="justify">However, he added that the findings "really do advance science, and, with proper replication in other studies, then they may be highly clinically significant."</p>Nurulhuda_yuihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251442445591955090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172246933858332430.post-12795831958832714032008-04-12T08:38:00.000-07:002008-04-21T21:04:23.682-07:00<h2 id="za8i"><span id="ytrz" style="font-size:100%;">Belly Up to the Salad Bar</span></h2><div class="subhead_fmt" id="rkk1"></div><div class="author_fmt" id="f5hv"><div id="u7.l" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1em; PADDING-TOP: 1em; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><img id="qxy." src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dhscp728_197g3zvdbc6_b" /><br id="sov7">WebMD Feature from "Men's Fitness" Magazine</div><div id="xv_q" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1em; PADDING-TOP: 1em; TEXT-ALIGN: left">By Elizabeth M. Ward, M.S., R.D.<br id="ir9q"><br id="vsjh"><b id="qg4.">RAW</b></div></div><p id="jaqc" align="justify">Fresh spinach has nearly nine times the bone-building vitamin K of iceberg lettuce. Use at least 2 cups and you’ll get some hefty doses of zeaxanthin and lutein to protect your vision as well.</p><h3 id="vqql" align="justify"><span id="vjam" style="font-size:85%;">BRIGHTEN UP</span></h3><p id="z78:" align="justify">Brightly colored produce generally serves up the most nutrients. For example, carrots and broccoli contribute beta-carotene (which the body can convert to vitamin A to bolster immunity, eyesight, and skin health) and anticancer compounds. The best salads include a variety of vegetables, such as artichoke hearts, beets, corn, red and green bell peppers, peas, plus lots of tomatoes (an excellent source of vitamin C).</p><h3 id="p36v" align="justify"><span id="r:dd" style="font-size:85%;">PILE ON FREEBIES</span></h3><p id="tpsh" align="justify">They’re not nutritional superstars, but you can’t go wrong with cucumbers, mushrooms, celery, or zucchini. They’re low cal, and their exceptional water content helps to fill you up.</p><h3 id="j0q7" align="justify"><span id="k:bf" style="font-size:85%;">SKIP SPROUTS</span></h3><p id="ohnx" align="justify">They may look healthy, but raw alfalfa and mung sprouts have been linked to nearly 40% of recent food-related illnesses.</p><h3 id="b:vr" align="justify"><span id="ao1p" style="font-size:85%;">SKIRT THE CREAMY STUFF</span></h3><p id="owc2" align="justify">Steer clear of all mayo-based concoctions. Just ½ cup of pasta salad runs about 115 calories and 5 grams of fat; potato salad costs you around 180 calories and 10 fat grams. If you must have them, skip the dressing on your green salad.</p><h3 id="x1eg" align="justify"><span id="lkn4" style="font-size:85%;">POUND PROTEIN</span></h3><p id="jfcz" align="justify">Aim for at least 25 grams of high-quality protein, which will help keep you fuller longer. The best salad bar sources include whole egg (7 grams); cottage cheese (7 grams per ¼ cup); tofu (6 grams per 1.4 ounces); chopped chicken or turkey (11 grams per ¹/³ cup); or plain tuna (23 grams per 3 ounces). Avoid using shredded cheese. A cup supplies 28 grams but has more fat than a Big Mac.</p><h3 id="trj:" align="justify"><span id="go21" style="font-size:85%;">FILL UP ON FIBER</span></h3><p id="p4.5" align="justify">Although most vegetables are decent fiber sources, beans are the best. Include ½ cup of chickpeas (garbanzos) for 5 fiber grams, or get 8 grams with black beans. Three-bean salad is another worthy option.</p><h3 id="n:xe" align="justify"><span id="mpw_" style="font-size:85%;">GO NAKED</span></h3><p id="u6x5" align="justify">Toppings like bacon bits, fried chow mein noodles, and croutons are a tease, with few nutrients and lots of calories. Sunflower seeds are the one exception. Two tablespoons (100 calories) provide nearly half your daily quota for vitamin E, necessary for fighting off many forms of cell damage. At 61 calories per 2 tablespoons, raisins are another OK choice—if you can spare the calories.</p><h3 id="osw9" align="justify"><span id="o6yg" style="font-size:85%;">CHANGE YOUR OIL</span></h3><p id="i0pg" align="justify">If you have to add some flavor to your vegetables, at least pick the right one. Prepared dressings are loaded with sodium, calories, and fat. Instead, top your salad with one tablespoon of heart-healthy olive oil plus as much red wine or balsamic vinegar as you want.</p><h3 id="dcdz" align="justify"><span id="wpvb" style="font-size:85%;">GET SOME ON THE SIDE</span></h3><p id="g3oi" align="justify">Man does not live by salad alone, and neither should you. For balance, choose 1 ounce of whole-grain bread to accompany your (now) healthy platter.</p><p id="dka0" align="justify"></p><p id="whzb" align="justify">Originally published on February 1, 2008</p>Nurulhuda_yuihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251442445591955090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172246933858332430.post-34941766999944810272008-04-10T20:42:00.000-07:002008-04-21T21:10:22.506-07:00<h3 class="post-title" id="cvtv"><span id="t8yb" style="font-size:85%;"><span id="q_qo" style="font-size:100%;">A License to Parent?</span> <br id="phwr"></span><a id="e5rw" title="Bookmark using any bookmark manager!" href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?pub=betablog&url=http://blogs.webmd.com/healthy-children/2008/04/license-to-parent.html&title=A" target="_blank"></a></h3><div id="qj4h" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1em; PADDING-TOP: 1em; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><img id="kvym" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dhscp728_189g7j3bzfx_b" /></div><p id="sn59"></p><div class="post-body" align="justify">Recently I was discussing a few well publicized parenting outrages with a colleague. "I'm sick of <a id="ul.o" href="http://www.webmd.com/parenting/tc/child-maltreatment-topic-overview"><span id="omi4" style="color:#006699;">kids being neglected and mistreated</span></a>!" he said passionately and angrily. "I've decided we should make all parents earn a license before they are allowed to become parents. After all, everyone thinks it's OK for the state to mandate basic requirements before it allows us to drive a car."<br id="tn-o"><br id="x6bx">"Why not then," he continued, "for the most important job of all to get right - that of being a parent? Then we could provide child development and child rearing classes to everyone <i id="qdb9">before </i>they actually had kids to raise. I'm convinced we can diminish the amount of child abuse and neglect in this country through this measure."<br id="o8n6"><br id="xihr"><a id="mjxi" href="http://blogs.webmd.com/healthy-children/uploaded_images/LicensingParents-716172.jpg"><img id="vqa." style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 88px; HEIGHT: 139px" alt="" src="http://blogs.webmd.com/healthy-children/uploaded_images/LicensingParents-716169.jpg" border="0" /></a><br id="r9yj">My colleague cited a book he had just read on the subject. I don't think I can really represent the position fairly, so if you'd like to read a more detailed rationale for the granting of parenting licenses, read the author's own words: <a id="i.pc" href="https://psychiatry.wisc.edu/faculty/FacultyPages/Westman3.htm"><span id="lv3v" style="color:#006699;"><b><i>THE RATIONALE FOR LICENSING PARENTS</i></b></span></a> by Jack C. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Westman</span>, M.D.<br id="tebz"><br id="brjs">Sounds like a good idea, right?<br id="n-7n"><br id="p9l7"><br id="u:i4"></div><p class="post-body" id="ogeb" align="justify">**********</p><p class="post-body" id="zdx4" align="justify">I hope not. To be honest, the idea horrifies me, although I must admit I agree with the sentiment behind his modest proposal and that prospective parents should learn about child development and what constitutes basic parenting skills. Frankly I don't understand why these aren't part of the basic curriculum taught in all schools to<i id="tqjd"> all</i> kids. And, alas, it is true (albeit rarely) that some parents just shouldn't keep having kids (as with a patient of mine whose first five kids are in foster care due to neglect and now she just had her sixth.) </p><p class="post-body" id="qzbb" align="justify">**********</p><p class="post-body" align="justify">But even if we wanted to, could we really weed out those who will become rotten parents? I have been surprised so often I highly doubt it. Take Millie who was a stone cold neglectful cocaine addict when her child was an infant and who, against all odds, turned her life around and got clean and has been a great mom to her four kids since. Or Sally who, after doing OK with her first, had a second child who somehow sent her into a tailspin that turned her into an impossibly neglectful, depressed mom.<br id="bxht"><br id="omqb">Secondly, can adequate parenting skills be taught? Or more importantly, can inadequate parenting skills be overcome by a simple course in child development? I wouldn't bet on it. Can we <i id="htj1">teach </i>someone not to abuse their kids? Would that it was so simple! Can we <i id="xaq4">teach</i> parents to love their kids? Just what would taking a course for the license ensure anyway? Just what would it teach?<br id="l6of"><br id="f.-l">Thirdly, who gets to decide who shall bear children and who shall not? And just where would you draw the line between acceptable and unacceptable future parenting skills? I would bet the bias against poor and minority families would especially play out here, as we denied them the right to parent in far greater numbers than we would economically advantaged parents.<br id="g1.:"><br id="im.q">Finally, just how would we as a society enforce the lack of a parenting license? The ways to do it seem to me to be too intrusive and horrible to contemplate (forced adoption? jail time?). </p><p class="post-body" id="gfx7" align="justify">**********</p><div class="post-body" align="justify">Some human rights seem more untouchable to me than others, and the right to procreate without government interference has to be close to the top, even if you are unlikely to be a candidate for mother-of-the-year.<br id="x_gq"><br id="eh8f">Extreme cases tend to lead to bad ideas and a license to parent is another one of them. Far better to devote enough resources to help families in trouble: high quality early child care and public school, universal health care for children, opportunities for economic self-sufficiency, more programs to help hopelessly inadequate parents, and more safeguards for kids who are exposed to such parents.<br id="u9-c"><br id="w20.">But "No" to authoritarian government intrusion into the lives and reproductive <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">biologies</span> of all families.<br id="gv7b"></div>Nurulhuda_yuihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251442445591955090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172246933858332430.post-56291284473975255162008-04-09T19:26:00.000-07:002008-04-21T21:21:52.660-07:00<p id="j_k6"><b id="tv15">To Vaccinate or Not--That is the Question! </b></p><div id="r1w5" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1em; PADDING-TOP: 1em; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><img id="e2yc" style="WIDTH: 436px; HEIGHT: 258px" height="320" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dhscp728_185g94cvtdh_b" width="508" /></div><p align="justify">My parents never thought twice about my vaccinations. It was required by the schools way back then (I'm 51) and for the most part still is. I know my folks' generation saw this scientific advancement as another way to protect their children.<br id="qf6z"><br id="an7d">But there are different schools of thought now on this subject and recent articles, as well as an Op-Ed in The New York Times brought the subject to light again.<br id="v93y"><br id="sf2w">And whenever the subject turns to prevention, we turn to our expert, Dr. Carl Baum of <a id="r-lx" href="http://www.ynhh.org/pediatrics/subspecialties/environmental_toxicology.html"><span id="m7la" style="color:#006699;">The Center for Children's Environmental Toxicology--Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital</span></a>. He took a brief stroll down memory lane and what he remembered might startle you.<br id="cvyp"><br id="gk4d"><span id="a-7c"><i>Here is what Dr. Baum had to say</i></span>:<br id="eq3h"><br id="vqn0">In 1990, a large measles outbreak produced over 27,000 cases and 89 deaths in the United States. In Philadelphia, where I was training in pediatrics, there were over 1400 cases, almost one-third of which occurred among members of 2 church groups in Philadelphia. By the following spring, 6 people had died.<br id="knf4"><br id="bbgd">This was a disaster that highlighted the global importance of prevention. As in many other disasters, a natural process can accelerate because effective preventive strategies fail or are circumvented. In the 1990 measles outbreak, the disease spread rapidly, predominantly among preschool-age children. It turns out that the Philadelphia church groups claimed religious exemption and refused vaccinations for their members.<br id="lq11"><br id="g:1_">Why dredge up this memory? Because it is also the future: there will be more "exemptions" (read: failures) to vaccinate children against preventable disease, and therefore more disasters. In the recent case of Hannah Poling, the 9-year-old autistic girl with mitochondrial disease, a federal vaccine claims court ruled--contrary to the medical literature--that vaccines had worsened her condition. As Dr. Paul Offit, one of the great teachers from my residency, recently wrote in an Op-Ed column in <a id="ftau" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/31/opinion/31offit.html?scp=6&sq=vaccines&st=nyt"><span id="r13." style="color:#006699;">The New York Times </span></a>..."the system worked fine until a few years ago, when vaccine court judges turned their back on science...."<br id="bupu"><br id="lgvc">The irony is that many of the parents who exempt their children from vaccines believe they are doing their best to protect them. In fact, when abandoning effective preventive strategies, they are doing just the opposite.<br id="luf:"><br id="knv_">Do you agree with Dr. Baum? Have you vaccinated your children? Or do you opt out? Let us know...this is an important issue and we want to hear what you have to say.<br id="kuoq"><br id="cc7g"><span id="emab"><i>(c) Leah-Anne Thompson. Image from BigStockPhoto.com</i></span></p>Nurulhuda_yuihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251442445591955090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172246933858332430.post-37437116172664874472008-04-07T18:05:00.000-07:002008-04-21T21:10:22.506-07:00<P id=lz5o><b id=bv1_>Urinary symptoms often affect women's sex life </b></P> <DIV class=storyhdr id=p7j-><SPAN id=t5cm> <DIV id=r7lw style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1em; PADDING-TOP: 1em; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><IMG id=gy3y style="WIDTH: 313px; HEIGHT: 213px" height=189 src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dhscp728_182f7tbspcf_b" width=313></DIV></SPAN> <P id=jcok><SPAN id=sjzo>By Jill Stein </SPAN>Mon Mar 31, 3:53 PM ET </P> <P id=oh9_> </P> <DIV class=spacer id=z.it></DIV></DIV> <P id=j810>MILAN (Reuters Health) - Women with lower urinary tract symptoms, or LUTS, are more likely to have sexual problems than women without LUTS, researchers reported here at the annual meeting of the <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1206993401_0 style="BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">European Association of Urology</SPAN>. </P> <DIV class=lrec id=olwe> </DIV> <P id=hmb5>Dr. Con Kelleher, at <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1206993401_1 style="BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Guy's and St. Thomas' Hospital Trusts</SPAN> in <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1206993401_2 style=" BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">London</SPAN>, and colleagues examined the impact of LUTS on women's sexual functioning using a database that contains records from 333 general practices.</P> <P id=v::y> </P> <P id=astf>The study included 1,377,000 women 18 years of age or older who had been seen at one of the practices from 2000 through 2006.</P> <P id=y1zt> </P> <P id=s1w4>The rate of sexual dysfunction among women with LUTS was twice that of women with no LUTS, researchers found.</P> <P id=u-74> </P> <P id=mntf>The data also showed that women between 30 and 60 years of age were significantly more likely to report sexual dysfunction than women outside this age range.</P> <P id=dpul> </P> <P id=g2ge>Overall, the occurrence of overactive bladder, incontinence, and voiding problems, as well as sexual difficulties, increased markedly during the study period.</P> <P id=ulu3> </P> <P id=mlnm>"The data suggest that the relationship between sexual dysfunction and LUTS (including overactive bladder) should be considered in women when diagnosing and treating these conditions," Kelleher said.</P> <P id=ygkw> </P>Nurulhuda_yuihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251442445591955090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172246933858332430.post-44991135655446273062008-04-06T15:30:00.000-07:002008-04-21T21:10:22.506-07:00<P id=f7eu><b id=l5e.>Sex therapists: A few minutes is best </b></P> <DIV id=nalf style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1em; PADDING-TOP: 1em; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><IMG id=uvcj style="WIDTH: 372px; HEIGHT: 304px" height=286 src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dhscp728_179p3zkqfdq_b" width=337></DIV> <P id=h1b4><SPAN id=nnns>By MEGAN K. SCOTT, Associated Press Writer </SPAN>Thu Apr 3, 11:39 AM ET </P> <DIV class=storyhdr id=sj24> <P id=ttw9> </P> <DIV class=spacer id=y6xj></DIV></DIV> <P id=b4t6>NEW YORK - Maybe men had it right all along: It doesn't take long to satisfy a woman in bed. A survey of sex therapists concluded the optimal amount of time for sexual intercourse was 3 to 13 minutes. The findings, to be published in the May issue of the Journal of Sexual Medicine, strike at the notion that endurance is the key to a great sex life. </P> <DIV class=lrec id=c088> </DIV> <P id=q00a>If that sounds like good news to you, don't cheer too loudly. The time does not count foreplay, and the therapists did rate sexual intercourse that lasts from 1 to 2 minutes as "too short."</P> <P id=gexc> </P> <P id=d76y>Researcher Eric Corty said he hoped to ease the minds of those who believe that "more of something good is better, and if you really want to satisfy your partner, you should last forever."</P> <P id=z3w6> </P> <P id=bndr>The questions were not gender-specific, said Corty (who, it must be noted, is male). But he said prior research has shown that both men and women want foreplay and sexual intercourse to last longer.</P> <P id=sgx7> </P> <P id=a73l><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1207237232_0 style=" BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Dr. Irwin Goldstein</SPAN>, editor of the Journal of Sexual Medicine, cited a four-week study of 1,500 couples in 2005 that found the median time for sexual intercourse was 7.3 minutes. (Women were armed with stopwatches.)</P> <P id=zil6> </P> <P id=bqid>It's difficult for both older men and young men to make sexual intercourse last much longer, said Marianne Brandon, a clinical psychologist and director of Wellminds Wellbodies in <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1207237232_1 style=" BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Annapolis, Md</SPAN>.</P> <P id=inja> </P> <P id=slpf>"There are so many myths in our culture of what other people are doing sexually," Brandon said. "Most people's sex lives are not as exciting as other people think they are."</P> <P id=p-8m> </P> <P id=nyli>Fifty members of the Society for Sex Therapy and Research in the U.S. and <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1207237232_2 style=" BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Canada</SPAN> were surveyed by Corty, an associate professor of psychology at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, and student Jenay Guardiani. Thirty-four members, or 68 percent, responded, although some said the optimal time depended on the couple.</P> <P id=lek1> </P> <P id=tfgm>Corty said he hoped to give an idea of what therapists find to be normal and satisfactory among the couples they see.</P> <P id=g_7->"People who read this will say, 'I last five minutes or my partner lasts 8 minutes,' and say, 'That's OK,'" he said. "They will relax a little bit."</P>Nurulhuda_yuihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251442445591955090noreply@blogger.com0