Value your body » Physical Health

How To Relief Period / Menstrual Cramps

Chris — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 08:49:50 +0000

I decided to hunt and present a helpful, women related article for all the ladies of the world. I know that for about 40 years in a lady’s life, she has to go through a monthly painful period called the menstrual cycle. These cramps are caused by the uterus contracting, and then relaxing which brings headaches, neck pains, fatigue, nausea, and possibly even diarrhea. Anyways, I have found very useful information all around the internet about natural and unnatural ways to relieve period / menstrual cramps.

Natural Relieve

Heating pads

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Place a warm heating pad on your abdomen. Actually, heating pads will lose their heating ability before too long. I would suggest making your own sock bag. How?

Use an old tube sock.

Tube Sock

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(men’s tube sock works best)

Fill it up with a pound or two of cheap white rice.
Tie the open end in a tight knot so the rice can’t leak out.
Then, spritz the sock (where the rice is located) with tap water. Spritzing the rice will help keep it moist so it doesn’t dry out.
Finally, place the filled sock in the microwave. A minute or so on the “High” setting should get the rice nice and hot.
Lay your homemade Rice Sock Bag over your abdominal area.

Tea & Medicinal Alchohol

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A cup of hot mint tea or lime tea with lemon. A piece of cloth with medicinal alcohol on the belly and a 2-hour nap on the belly. The tea and alcohol will both induce sleep and numb the pain.

Showers

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Just quick and warm showers.

Exercise

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Exercise routines, practiced throughout your cycle, but particularly a few days before the onset of your period may help to reduce pain by lowering your levels of prostaglandins. Exercise also helps to keep the blood flowing in your pelvis, easing that heavy, bloated feeling. Workouts that stretch your body, like cycling with your legs up in the air, are best. Don’t exercise during menstrual periods and avoid much physical effort.

Food

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1. Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.

2. Avoid spicy food.

3. Zinc, calcium, and B vitamins obtained in food and supplements have been found to reduce cramps, bloating and other symptoms.

Massage

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Massage can ease menstrual cramps. Gently rub your abdomen, or ask your partner to massage your back.

Natural Herbs

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‘Black Cohosh‘
The herb that’s known as ‘Black Cohosh’ has been in the spotlight for the last several years. It’s shown to be effective in treating the symptoms of menopause. It’s also is effective in treating menstrual cramps as well. You can find the Black Cohosh herb at your local healthfood store.

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‘Cramp Bark‘
The herb that’s known as ‘Cramp Bark’ is an effective treatment to relieve menstrual cramps. Cramp Bark relaxes the muscles of the uterus. It can also help relieve lower back and leg pain.

Unnatural

Hormone Treatment Prescriptions

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Anti-prostaglandins are drugs that reduce the effect of prostaglandins and your doctor may prescribe them for you. Birth control pills are the most common prescriptions used to rid cramps. However, there are side effects involved in birth control pills.

Surgery

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In the past, many women with menstrual problems had an operation known as a D & C (Dilation and Curettage) to remove some of the lining of the uterus. This particular operation is rarely performed today but when a woman’s periods are very heavy as well as painful, her doctor may recommend its modern equivalent, endometrial ablation, which involves treatment with a laser.

32 Full Body Exercises You Can Do At Your Desk

Chris — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 07:24:56 +0000

If you’re reading this, you’re probably stuck at a desk job, probably typing away your time in front of the monitor, 9 to 5, five days a week. Sooner or later, the lethargy kicks in. You feel the stiffness of your neck, the dryness of your eyes and the stinging pain of carpal tunnel syndrome. Most of us have to stick it out till the end of the day.

So what do we do?

The answer is simple.

Take mini breaks and perform short 5 minute easy exercises at intervals throughout the day.

Anyway, below is a list of exercises that anyone can perform even if she’s wearing a pair of high heels or mini skirt. Choose 1 exercise for each category and exercise every 45 minutes.

Eyes

Close your face with hand. Open your eyes and look into the darkness for 10 seconds. Now close your eyes and lower your hands. Stay at this position for 10 seconds. Repeat it all over twice.

Focus on a word from a document for 10 seconds.

Then focus at an object into the distance for another 10 seconds. Repeat twice.

Move your eye in a clockwise or anti clockwise direction, imagine moving along the edges of a big clock (12 – 1- 2), while keeping your head still all the while. Change directions after 10 rounds.

Neck

Tilt your right ear as if to touch your right shoulder. Feel the stretch on the left side of your neck. Change sides after 10 repetitions.

Turn your head to look right and keep it there for 10 seconds. Change directions and keep it there for 10 seconds. Repeat twice.

Rotate your head in a clockwise position for 10 rounds. Now move it anticlockwise for another 10 rounds. Repeat twice.

Shoulder

Move your shoulders up towards your ears and sink your head as far as it may go. Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat twice.

Hold a water bottle in your left hand, extending your left arm to the left while keeping the wrist facing up.

Push the water bottle up and slowly lower it to the original position. Repeat 10 times. Do the same for the left.

Rotate your shoulders clockwise/anticlockwise 10 rounds. Change directions and do 10 more rounds. Repeat twice.

Arm

Hold the water bottle in one hand.

Curl it for 10 times. Do the same for the other arm. Repeat twice.

Hold the water bottle at the back of your head with your left hand.

Straighten your arms towards the top slowly. Do this for 10 reps and do the same for your right hand.

Move your right forearm clockwise or anticlockwise, as if spinning a wheel, for 10 rounds. Change directions and do 10 more rounds. Do the same for the left forearm.

Stand up, make sure there is ample space in around you and swing your arms back and forth for 10 cycles. Rest awhile. Repeat twice.

Wrist

Put your hands straight in front of you and pull your fingers back from the top with the other hand. Hold for 10 seconds.

Now hold your fingers back from the bottom for another 10 seconds before changing hands.

Put your hands straight out in front of you and rotate your wrists one direction for 10 rounds. Reverse your direction for another 10 rounds. Rest awhile. Repeat twice.

Fingers

Stretch your fingers as far as they can go. Hold for 10 seconds.

Then bend them at the knuckles and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat twice.

Push all fingers onto the table as hard as you can for 10 seconds. Rest and repeat again twice.

Shake your hands vigorously in front of you, as if to get rid of a spider crawling on your hand, for 10 seconds. Rest awhile. Repeat twice.

Put your hands straight out in front of you. Pull each finger back one by one, pausing for 2 seconds at each finger.

Back

Interlace your fingers behind your back. Then turn your elbows gently inward, while straightening your arms. Hold this position for 10 seconds. Repeat twice.

Space out in front of you. Bend your head down to as far as you can go and try to hug your knees. Feel a mild tension at the back. Hold for 10 seconds. Slowly come back up. Repeat twice.

Put your hands behind your lower back and push forward while bending your shoulders back to arch your spine. Hold for 10 seconds. Rest. Repeat twice.

Waist

Sit in an upright position. Slowly lower your right hand till it touches the floor. Feel the tension at the waist. Feel it. Hold for 10 seconds. Change sides. Repeat twice.

Hold on to the back of your chair with your left hand and turn your waist to as far right as you can go. Pull with your left hand to go further. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat the same for the other side. Do this twice.

Upper Leg

Put water bottle in between the knees. Squeeze and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat twice.

Lift the left leg off the floor. Hold for 10 seconds. Do the same for the right. Repeat twice.

Extend your left leg as straight as you can. Hold for 10 seconds. Do the same for your right. Repeat twice.

Stand up.

Slowly move your butt down, hovering just above the seat almost touching it, and then stand up again. Repeat 10 times.

Walk up 1 floor worth of stairs. If your office is on the 31st floor, stop at the 30th floor in the mornings, after lunch, etc, and walk.

Put your right feet on top of your left hip and push down your right knee to as far as you can go. Hold for 10 seconds. Change positions. Repeat twice.

Lower Leg

Push up your feet from the tip of your toes and hold for 10 seconds. Rest awhile. Repeat twice.

Try to kick your butt from the back with one leg for 10 times. Do the same for the other leg. Repeat twice.

Personally, I use an open source free software called Workrave, an excellent program that reminds me to take micro breaks and short breaks at intervals throughout the day. Download Workrave and mix up some of the exercises with the ones listed here.

Do share your suggestions and ideas in the comments below.

25 Weight Lifting Tips That Make Sense

Chris — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:54:39 +0000

Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the strength and size of skeletal muscles. I like weight training because it tones my muscles, causes my body to burn calories even while I’m sleeping, makes me stronger, improves my posture and my overall health. A complete weight training workout can be performed with just a pair of adjustable dumbbells and a set of weight disks.

Anyway, here are 25 tips picked up from years of weight training. May they be of assistance to you.

Overload the muscles.

You’ve just bench pressed a weight 8 times and you cannot do even one more full rep. Instead of lowering down the barbell and take a breather, lower it halfway. Then raise it back to the full extended position. These partial reps are called burns. It allows you to go beyond what you’d normally do and a normal person can squeeze out at least 2 additional half reps. Bear in mind that burns should be done at the end of the set as it wears out your muscle. It may be half a rep but that extra bit builds a hefty amount of strength.

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Build Popeye forearms.

Turn those toothpick looking forearms into arms that are toned and powerful. If your local gym doesn’t have a wrist roller, build one yourself easily. Find a 10 inches long stick and drill a hole in the center. Rope 1 arm’s length worth of rope through the hole and tie the end to the stick. Tie a weight plate to the other end and you’re set. All you need to do is roll the stick till the rope wraps around it and unroll it back to where it started. Doing this exercise 3-4 times, adding weight each time it becomes easier, completes your forearm workout. Benefits other than growing Popeye forearms include a firmer handshake and an advantage in sports involving carrying or hitting a ball.

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The time saving pyramid system.

Do this only when you’re pressed for time. In a continuous fashion, you warm up your muscles, exercise them and cool them down. Let’s take the dumbbells at the rack as an example. Pick up the lightest and curl them for 5 times. Pause for 10 seconds. Pick up the next heaviest and curl them for 5 times. Progress until it is too heavy to curl 5 times. Then you work your way down until the lightest dumbbell. You’ll know you’re on the right track when you look a little funny trying to lift the lighter ones.

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The eccentric is as important as the concentric.

There are two parts to every exercise: lifting the weight and lowering it. When a muscle shortens during weight lifting it is called concentric, or positive phase of contraction. When it lengthens during lowering, it is called the eccentric, or negative phase. It makes sense to assume that the lifting phase contributes more to muscle building as it is harder but research shows that the lowering phase is as, if not more, important. Concentrate on slower and more controlled lowering movements. Eg: take 2 seconds to lift and 4 seconds to lower.

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Calculate your 1 rep max.

Take the weight that you can do 10 complete repetitions with and add 33% to it. If you can do 100 pounds consistently, then your 1 rep max is about 133 pounds.

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ALWAYS use perfect form.

Select weights that your body can handle without having to cheat or force the weight up. It also happens often when the exercise becomes difficult towards the end of a set and the temptation to cheat rises. What happens is you shift the effort to other muscles, weaker ones, that weren’t meant to handle the weight. This includes using momentum to swing the weight up or rounding your back. One overstresses the muscles and joints while the latter leads to serious lower back injuries. Successful weight trainings are performed correctly. Let’s take pull ups for example. If your arms are not strong enough and all you can do is 3 reps with proper form, do it 5 times and you get 15. If you can do 4 reps, do it 4 times. 5 reps, 3 times. As you grow stronger, you can do more reps but the difference is you’re doing it right at every single rep.

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The importance of a spotter.

They support your weight when can no longer support it yourself. They encourage you and as a result you are able to lift 5% to 8% more weight. They are able to see and assess you when lifting and are therefore qualified to point out what you did wrong and what you can improve on.

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Strength training, a habit, a lifestyle.

The closer you move to the half-century mark, the more your focus should shift toward strength training. If you don’t do any resistance exercise, you’ll lose about 10 percent of your muscle mass between ages 25 and 50. Between 50 and 80, you lose another 35 percent. Everyone should be lifting weights by midlife. Include cardiovascular exercises as well. It helps ward off heart disease.

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The big 3.

These are the squat, the deadlift and the bench press. Squats are excellent for the butt, hips, thighs and calves. The deadlift is a compound movement that works grip strength, the deep muscle around the spine, the lower back, the thigh and the calf. The bench press strengthens the triceps, both deltoids, pectoralis major and minor, grip strength. Even the rotator cuff and biceps are slightly strengthened as they stabilize the shoulders while bench pressing. All big 3 builds strength, condition and bulk and should always be included in one form or another.

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Exercise order.

It is standard practice to set up a resistance-training routine to work large muscle groups before smaller ones. The reason is that a small muscle group that fatigues first will be the weakest link in the chain and prevent large muscle groups from working to full capacity. For example, if you isolate and fatigue your bicep muscles with curls and then do pull ups (which use biceps, shoulders and back), you won’t be able to do as much work for your shoulders and back because your biceps will already be fatigued. Also equally work the muscles in opposing pairs. For example, hamstrings at the back of the thigh are worth as much attention as the quadriceps at the front.

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Train 3 times each week.

At least. Only at 3 do you create a muscle-building stimulus. Remember, exercising contributes to only about 25% of muscle building and weight loss. Rest well as muscle building occurs during resting days. Anyway, the rest of the 75% comes from dieting.

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Choose only 1 type.

Either train like you’re going for a marathon OR a bodybulding competition. Of course, you can mix cardio and weights. Sure, it makes a great fitness combo but at the extremes, the training physiology and biochemistry are contradictory and you will not maximize your results unless you concentrate on one or the other.

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Eat sufficient protein.

Milk is one of the best.

Even if you train hard, the maximum amount of protein you need for muscle building is about 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day. Protein supplements are not necessary if you eat enough lean protein day-to-day. If you decide to use a supplement drink, whey, soy or even skim milk is suitable. Amino acid supplements are not necessary. Pesonally, I’d suggest guzzling some chocolate milk post workout. In a study at James Madison University, soccer players who downed a glass after an intense workout suffered less muscle damage from training than players who had a sports drink. What’s milk’s advantage? Protein. The perfect amount of the nutrient is essential in any post-workout recovery meal. Moreover, milk is cheaper.

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Measure body fat consistently.

Don’t be discouraged if your weight does not change much when you train with weights. You may be losing fat and increasing muscle. This is not easy to do at the same time, yet net weight loss or gain is not a good measure of muscle or fat movement.

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Set reasonable goals.

Monitor your progress and be patient. Keep track of your BMI and WHR, the latter being more accurate. Objectively monitor muscle mass gains every month. The best bodies are the result of hundreds of hours of effort. Start slowly, stay motivated and be realistic. And if muscle gains are not observed over time, exercise and dietary changes can be made in a timely manner. Remember, the fitness and health you attain become assets that will stay with you for as long as you keep training.

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Muscle gain equals effort.

To pack on muscles like a spartan, you have to work out like a spartan. It requires commitment and discipline. Push hard. And don’t let that 1 minute rest in between sets slip to 5 minutes. Most importantly, much much more important than training hard, is to eat well.

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Free weights are better.

Free weight training may recruit more muscles than a machine because you have to stabilize your body when you lift a dumbbell, whereas the weight machine supports you. For example, a biceps curl is going to feel more natural and use more muscles in your torso to support the weight than if you did a seated biceps curl in a machine where it does some of the work when you lean against it for leverage. You can also do more types of exercises with free weights than with machines. Lunges, step ups, clean and jerks and Romanian deadlifts are just a few of the many exercises that can be done with free weights. In any gym, there is ONLY 1 machine worthy of your time. That machine is called cables.

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Shoes, gloves, waist belt.

It is important to protect your feet and ankles from harm. Since you are lifting very heavy weights during this extreme athletic activity, there is always the chance that you will drop the weight and cause it to land on your foot or ankle. Make sure it has good traction too. Gloves and grips are also important as they make sure the weights are secures in your hands as weights are often slippery with sweat and oils from the hands. ALWAYS wear a belt when you are lifting heavy. Once injured, your back will never be the same again.

Breathe in, breathe out.

Holding your breath causes your blood pressure to spike. This is dangerous as your muscles need a constant supply of oxygenated blood and by denying them that you risk broken blood vessels or even a hernia. Constantly remind yourself to keep breathing.

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Focus the muscle, not the motion.

The next time you shout ‘COME ON! 2 MORE!’, make sure it’s for your biceps instead of for more power the next time you perform any workout. You are making your encouraging the right muscles to do the lifting instead of cheating and shifting the effort to other muscles. Focusing also helps keep you in proper form during each rep.

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Weaker 1st, stronger second.

When performing unilateral exercises, begin with the weaker side first. Then complete only as many repetitions on the stronger side as performed on the weaker side.

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Range Of Motion.

During a warm-up set with a light weight, take note of the angle or height the moving body segment or the position of the apparatus at full range. All subsequent workout repetitions should reach this benchmark without accelerating the weight through this harder portion of the exercise. Shrugs, jumps and throws are some of the examples that has a peak tension curve.

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Returning from a long hiatus.

Increase the amount and intensity systematically. Start off light during the first workout. Keep it fairly easy. This is to ensure that your muscles aren’t too sore for subsequent workouts. The body adapts more efficiently to change with less chance of injury.

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Suggested weight lifting repetition range.

Population	Rep Range
Healthy participants under age 50-60	8-12
Pubescent children	8-12
Pre-pubescent children	8-15
Individuals older than age 50-60 or frail persons	10-15
Individuals primarily interested in muscular endurance	10-15
Cardiac patients with physician’s approval	10-12 comfortably
Pregnant women without contraindications who have previously participated in weight training	12-15

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Use variety.

The body is very adaptive. Performing the same routine over and over is not only boring, but your body will get used to the routine and quit responding. Change your exercises, the order in which you do them, the number or sets and reps, or change the weights. In one workout you may use dumbbells, another you may use barbells, in another, cables, in another, body weight. Find an excellent weight lifting program that suits you. There are so many free ones out there. Just google it. I, for example, train using Men’s Health’s Power Training Program. I’d recommend you to give it a try.

It’s also important to tell the difference between a fitness myth and a fitness fact. Clear your doubts by reading this.

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5 Impacts of Global Warming On Human Health

Chris — Fri, 23 May 2008 10:00:49 +0000

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Global warming is real. The rise of sea levels, retreat of glaciers and shrinking of the arctic are some of the most obvious effects. However, more is to come. Many scientists around the world have included extreme weather, alteration of the timing of seasons and radical economic repercussions as some of their predictions. An Inconvenient Truth explains it best.

Humans themselves suffer most. They will be the hardest hit, health wise. Summarized below are 5 major consequences of global warming on human health.

Overworking the cardiovascular system

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Hotter temperatures will lead to an increase of heart and respiratory problems. Existing people with heart problems are most vulnerable as it puts on additional strain to the cardiovascular system to keep the body cool.

Ozone is harmless, only when above the atmosphere.

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Higher air temperature increases ozone at ground level. Ozone, although helps to keep us safe from the sun’s UV rays, is a harmful pollutant. When ozone is mixed with dust, smoke and chemical fumes over urban areas, you’ll get smog. Defined as ‘fog having a high pollution content’. It damages lung tissues and affects those with lung diseases such as asthma.

Heat waves

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Rising temperature means rising heat related deaths. Heatwaves, a period of time which consists of more than three days of maximum temperatures at or above 32 degrees Celsius, will be more frequent and intense. The European heatwave of 2003 was already bad enough. It led to a health crises in several countries that saw 35,000 people dead as a result of the heat wave. When compared to cold, heat is more severe. Based on the Environment Protection Agency of America, people who die from heat outnumber those who die from cold by about 2x.

Spread of disease

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Global warming might extend the region for insects that carry infectious diseases such as mosquitoes, ticks and sandflies. Cases of malaria, dengue fever, lyme disease, encephalitis and visceral leishmaniasis may increase to a significant level in countries that previously had no reason to be concerned with. A recent report by ABC Australia showed an increase of malaria disease in the highland areas of Papua New Guinea, where it has always been too cold for disease spreading mosquitoes.

Rising sea levels

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You can evacuate people, but you cannot evacuate infrastructure. 13 of the 20 largest cities in the world is at sea level. Tokyo (most populated city in the world), Mumbai (3rd largest) and Shanghai (6th) are pretty good examples. It simply means that the risk of flood not only affects people but also hospitals and water treatment plants. A very good example of the impact on health care is New Orleans, where the health effects of losing those facilities continue long after the water has receded. The cause = melting polar ice caps.

Wii Exergaming = Have Fun Working Out Indoors

Chris — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 03:37:54 +0000

Usually, the only part of your body that gets workout are your fingers. Specifically, the thumbs. Well, thanks to WII, getting fit virtually is now a reality. Below are 3 of the healthiest Wii video games you can ever find.

Wii Fit

Thanks to Shigeru Miyamoto, the man who brought us world famous games like Mario, Donkey Kong and Legend of Zelda, you can now transform your living room into a fitness center. The specially made, unique Wii Fit balance board can measure a user’s weight and their center of gravity, and calculate their body mass index when told the user’s height. The ability to compare other player’s fitness levels is good in way that it motivates you.

Some of the games include :

A ball-rolling mini-game, where the player uses the Wii Balance Board to roll a ball on a platform into a certain hole.
A Boxing minigame.
Hula hooping.
Jogging.
Sit ups.
Push ups.
Ski jumping, whereby the player squats as low as possible, while maintaining their balance, and then quickly stands as fast as possible in order to gain a good jump.
Snowboarding.
Heading on-coming soccer balls and avoiding other objects by leaning forward and back.
Step aerobics, including a game in which the player must step on and off the Wii Balance Board in rhythm to the background music.
Tightrope walking, where the player must maintain the balance of a Mii walking on a tightrope from one building to to another.
Yoga exercises.

20 minutes each of quick cardio, ski jumping and yoga will burn you around 436 calories in an hour! Which is also equivalent to cycling at an average speed of 11mph for an hour.

Wii Sports

It consists of 5 separate sports games.

Tennis
Baseball
Bowling
Golf
Boxing

The Wiimote provides you with realistic motion control and an ease of play. Bowling seems to be a common favourite among gamers as they enjoyed the experience. Golf on the other hand has the best content and is the most good looking among the other 5. Tennis seems to be the most fun, accessible and easiest to play. You can play more and more doubles and the opponents get better as you go along. It’s pretty addictive. Boxing provides you with the best workout as it burns more than 500 calories in an hour.

Adding in variety by spending 12 minutes each on tennis, baseball, bowling, golf and boxing burns you 433 calories! It’s almost like hiking cross country for an hour. The only difference is you have a swinging fun time burning calories in your living room.

It has won many awards since it’s launch. They include :

Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party

Basically, you step on the mat, pick a song and dance by hitting the correct direction arrows as they rise to the top of the screen. In this game, the upper body movements are also taken advantage of by the Wiimote and Nunchuk. Fun parts of the game include beating the venue master, clearing 3 songs, etc. As you progress along, you’ll unlock new songs and clothes for your character.

There’s also a workout mode that keeps track of all calories burned based on your weight and height. In an hour, you will easily sear more than 400 calories!

The 3 Common Sleep Positions And Their Health Effects

Chris — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 01:03:05 +0000

Sleep is the state of natural rest observed in humans and throughout the animal kingdom, in all mammals and birds, and in many reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Sleep is necessary for survival. And how you sleep will affect your morning. If you’re waking up sore and achy and your mattress is new, you may need to reevaluate how you’re sleeping. Below are the 3 most common sleep positions adopted by humans all over the world and their health effects.

Face Up

Lying flat on your back forces your spine into an unnatural position, which strains the muscles, joints, and nerves. The spine isn’t meant to be straight. It has three natural curves. One in the lower back, one in the middle of the back, and one near the neck. Snoring also happens mostly because of this position.

If you must sleep on your back, place a pillow under your knees to help maintain the normal curve of your lower back and to reduce the pressure on the sciatic nerve in your lower back. A small rolled towel under the small of the back would do good as additional support. Always support your neck with a pillow. Snoring doesn’t happen when you sleep on your sides.

On The Abdomen

The sleeping position to be avoided. Sleeping on the abdomen exaggerates the arch at the base of your spine and cause strain. It is hard on the back and uncomfortable for the neck.

This sleeping position is only recommended to those with degenerative diseases or herniated disks in the central portion of the spine. Other than that, don’t sleep on the stomach. Break the habit by taping a beer bottle to the front of your pajamas.

On The Side With Legs Bent

The No.1 recommended position. Make a habit to sleep sideways. It takes the most stress off the back. Take the comfort further by placing a pillow between your knees to naturally support your hips and lower back. Use a bolster if you prefer.

This sleeping position is beneficial for those with hip pains, osteoarthritis in the spine or spinal stenosis (narrowing in the spine).

Sunscreen For Protecting Your Skin

Chris — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 08:57:56 +0000

Summer is commonly viewed as the season with the longest and warmest days of the year, in which the daylight predominates, through varying degrees. Countries that are in the northern hemisphere experience summer throughout the months of June, July and August. Where I come from, it’s summer everyday.

Putting on some sunscreen isn’t as simple as it sounds. Do know that skin cancer is the No.1 cancer type in the United States. It has been predicted that more than 1 million people in the US will be diagnosed with skin cancer.

A research revealed that sunscreen becomes less effective when it is thoroughly massaged into the skin. British researchers applied sunscreen onto human skin either in a thin layer or until it disappeared, and then exposed the epidermises to simulated solar light. When they measured the resulting free radicals, it became clear that the more completely the lotion was rubbed in, the less protection skin received. it is suspected that when sunscreen is applied to the point where it disappears, it sticks into crevices and sweat glands.

The more effective types of sunblock are the ones that works like an aerosol spray.

UVA rays are the type of UV ray that is strongly linked to skin cancer and wrinkling while UVB rays causes sunburn.

The FDA has just approved ecamsule, a new sunscreen ingredient that blocks a wider array of UVA rays and breaks down more slowly than existing sunscreen agents. Anthelios SX by L’Oreal will be the first over the counter product that contains ecamsule to be sold in US. Actually, the Ecamsule chemical has been available all around Europe and Canada since the early nineties.

So be sure to lather some sunscreen whenever you’d be out exposed in the sun for a long period of time. Apply it approximately 30 minutes before being in the sun so that it can be absorbed by the skin and less likely to wash off when perspiring. Make sure it is above SPF-15 and water proof.

26 Reasons Why A Massage Is Good For Your Body, Mind And Soul

Chris — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 05:53:36 +0000

Massaging is the art of applying structured or unstructured pressure, tension and motion to the soft tissues of the body, including muscles, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments, joints, lymphatic vessels and organs of the gastrointestinal system to achieve a response. A beneficial response. It is usually done by massage therapists and health care practitioners.

According to the AMTA, Americans spend from $2 billion to $4 billion per year on massage therapy. The surest benefit is the relaxation of both body, mind and soul. Below are the 26 benefits of a massage but take it with a grain of salt.

For The Body

Relieve stress and aid relaxation
Relieve muscle tension and stiffness
Alleviates discomfort during pregnancy
Fosters faster healing of strained muscles and sprained ligaments; reduces pain and swelling; reduces formation of excessive scar tissue
Reduces muscle spasms
Provides greater joint flexibility and range of motion
Enhances athletic performance; Treats injuries caused during sport or work
Promotes deeper and easier breathing
Improves circulation of blood and movement of lymph fluids
Reduces blood pressure
Helps relieve tension-related headaches and effects of eye-strain
Enhances the health and nourishment of skin
Improves posture
Strengthens the immune system
Treats musculoskeletal problems
Rehabilitation post operative
Rehabilitation after injury

For The Mind

Peace of mind
A more relaxed state of mental alertness
Helps relieve mental stress
Increases alertness towards stress signals and the ability to respond accordingly
Promotes calm thinking and creativity

For The Soul

Satisfies needs for caring nurturing touch
Fosters a feeling of well-being
Reduces anxiety levels
Increases the state of awareness between the mind and the body

Did you know that I have 2 other blogs by the name of ‘Value your mind’ and ‘Value your soul’?

The Rise Of Obesity, Diabetes And Cardiovascular Diseases

Chris — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 09:15:28 +0000

Dr. Dean Ornish tracks the dramatic rise of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease across the globe – as the world begins to eat, live and die like we do in the U.S. The good news is – It’s reversible.

18 Facts About Water That Benefits Our Body

Chris — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 07:37:25 +0000

70% of our body is filled with water. In diseased states where body water is affected, the compartment or compartments that have changed can give clues to the nature of the problem. Body water is regulated by hormones such as anti-diuretic hormone (ADH), aldosterone and atrial natriuretic peptide. Check out some facts about the water you’re drinking first. Try to get the best drinking water possible. Anyways, below are 18 uses of water to the human body.

Air is not completely clean, the food we eat may have insignificant amounts of toxic, the products that we use on our skin and hair are also toxic. Water removes the dangerous toxins that are added into our body.
Water cushions our body joints.
Water acts as a transport for oxygen and nutrition throughout the cells in the body.
Water helps regulate body temperature.
Water helps prevent blood pressure from dropping to critical levels.
Water helps to defend against blood clots.
Water encourages bowel movement.
Water helps the normal kidney function from getting impaired.
Water keeps us from getting excessively dry skin.
Water lowers incidence of urinary tract infections.
Water also helps us from experiencing reoccurring headaches.
Water also helps alleviate fevers.
Hydrotherapy is the therapeutic use of hot / cold water externally to problems.
Hot water stimulates the immune system.
Hot water is also used to increase the body’s flow. Imagine coming home from a hard day’s work and soaking yourself in a bathtub for an hour. When you get up, your body will feel more relaxed and stressed than before. Professional athletes will usually take a steam bath or relax in a whirlpool after a rigorous training session.
Cold water reduces inflammation. Ice pack reduces swelling.
A cold water sitz bath is used to treat constipation, irregular vaginal discharge, hemorrhoids.
Spa treatments using alternating hot and cold water improve upper respiratory problems, congestion, foot infections, and headaches.