Most Common Causes for Lower Back Pains

Back pain - PAIN that arises from injury to the structures of the spine. Most back pain involves the soft tissue structures muscles, ligaments, tendons, and CARTILAGE. Back pain is very common, affecting nearly every adult at some time in his or her lifetime and is second only to HEADACHE as a reason for missing work. Though most back pain heals without residual consequences, chronic back pain (back pain that continues beyond three to six months) remains the leading cause of occupational disability.



The most common cause of lower back pains are injury or overuse of muscles, and pressure on nerve roots caused by osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis, fractures, and herniated discs.

The back is made up of a structure of bones, muscles and tissue, of which the most important support structure is the spinal column, which covers the spinal cord. The spinal cord is responsible for carrying signals and conveying messages. The spinal cord also supports the body's weight. Injuries, accidents, or poor posture can result in strain being placed on it, resulting in back pains in the lower region.

Acute back pain develops suddenly, a consequence of traumatic injury or surgery, and improves when the underlying cause improves. The low back (lumbar spine) and the neck (cervical spine) are the most vulnerable to traumatic injury. Low back strain is a common injury often related to overuse, incorrect lifting (including lifting too much weight), and sudden twisting movements. Cervical strain often results from incorrect posture, especially prolonged sitting in the same position, or whiplash-type trauma in which the head moves suddenly and more rapidly than the body in a whipping fashion that stretches muscles and ligaments. Chronic back pain is pain that exists or continues when there is no pathologic reason and more often affects the low back.


Pregnancy

One of the typical causes of lower back pain on the right side is often overlooked. In women, pregnancy can often lead to the development of pain on one side of the back. This is because pregnancy alters the formation of the body considerably. As the fetus grows, it often places pressure on the bones, tendons and ligaments of the back, resulting in an irritation of the nerves. This irritation of the nerves results in pain and discomfort. This pain may get worse as the pregnancy continues or the body’s posture may shift and provide some relief.

How to Control Binge Eating Using Your Mind

According to recent experiments conducted on the causes of infertility, the gluttony is one of the factors leading to it. The experiments were conducted on animals showed that some of them, which dealt with his food greedily has decreased fertility rate, while others maintained the high fertility rate, especially if you did not address that contains a lot of calories.
On this discovery, new science, said Dr. Hassan intellectual Mansour, director of the Ibn Sina feeding in Damanhur, Egypt it was the harm caused by excessive eating as well as obesity, high blood sugar, it causes the Federation of substance phytic with salts of calcium and magnesium, to produce salts insoluble and can not intestine for absorption.
Suggests Dr. Mansour said in a statement made ​​by the newspaper "Al Ahram" Egyptian that the excessive consumption of bread is an impediment to absorb calcium and lead to a reduction of average in the body, which results in weakness in the teeth and bones, and in some cases, muscle weakness, neurological disorder, and the difficulty of absorption of iron.
Scientists call the disease in binge eating or food addiction bulimia name. The disease infected devour large quantities of food without the awareness or perception, and even without the pleasure of feeling what they eat, and in most cases, be quick meals.

By far the most important thing to do is to recognise that it is happening and just relax. Instead of eating find a place where you can be comfortable, allow yourself to relax and stop yourself getting stressed out about your sudden desire to eat. The more stressed you get, the more you eat!

One way out of a “binge”, is to bring your focus on what you are doing. If you are eating, then focus on that. This can take a bit of will power, but your mind can do this for a short period of time. Then you will find you can pick better foods to eat. So rather than worrying about stopping, simply change what you are eating.

When you eat a lot of high processed sugary foods, a chain of events occurs in your mind and body. For example, you eat some chocolate; the sugar quickly enters your bloodstream and your blood sugar levels go up. When this happens signals are sent to your brain and immediately it sends a message to the organ that controls insulin. Your pancreas quickly releases some insulin into the blood stream so as to lower your sugar levels.

 

By far the most important thing to do is to recognise that it is happening and just relax. Instead of eating find a place where you can be comfortable, allow yourself to relax and stop yourself getting stressed out about your sudden desire to eat. The more stressed you get, the more you eat!

One way out of a "binge", is to bring your focus on what you are doing. If you are eating, then focus on that. This can take a bit of will power, but your mind can do this for a short period of time. Then you will find you can pick better foods to eat. So rather than worrying about stopping, simply change what you are eating.

When you eat a lot of high processed sugary foods, a chain of events occurs in your mind and body. For example, you eat some chocolate; the sugar quickly enters your bloodstream and your blood sugar levels go up. When this happens signals are sent to your brain and immediately it sends a message to the organ that controls insulin. Your pancreas quickly releases some insulin into the blood stream so as to lower your sugar levels.


So how can you break this cycle? First become aware of what you are doing. Secondly, acknowledge it. When you try to ignore something your mind will want it more. So do not ignore it but say to yourself it is happening, and then you can release it. Next, you need to eat foods that release sugar slowly into your body. A good choice is a combination of protein, carbohydrates and fat in your diet.
The next importantly thing is to release any stress, worry or anxiety you have about it. These can make you overeat. But as you learn how to handle this type of imbalanced eating behaviour, it occurs less and less. Through the use hypnosis and NLP, you are able to get it under control much faster.

So allow your mind to use its will power to simply acknowledge what you are doing and user your mind to focus on something else that you can do that is not food related.

Of course, the ideal solution is to try something like Hypnotic Gastric Banding, because you use your mind to create new habits around eating, and stop those cravings and binges.

Cosmetic Dentistry - An Insight

Your smile is one of the first impressions people receive about you. Are you comfortable with the message your smile communicates?

Many people hesitate to smile because they are embarrassed by the look of their teeth or their gums. But thanks to advancements in cosmetic dentistry, several options are available to assist individuals with improving their smiles

Traditionally dentistry focused on keeping hygiene of the oral cavity, prevent and treat diseases of the gums and teeth. But nowadays, dentistry has a curative effect to it in the form of cosmetic dentistry. Cosmetic Dentistry commonly refers to as a work on the teeth which makes the exterior or the appearance of an individual's gum or teeth better. It is a common practice that some dentist called themselves as cosmetic dentists although in reality they might not be qualified or trained enough to carry out this practice. This field is not endorsed by the American Dental Association and they do not regard it as a formal discipline. However, promoting oneself as a cosmetic dentist is a common practice these both on the internet and otherwise.

Dentistry was initially a discipline that dealt with problems related to teeth and gums but now it has a wide application in making people beautiful.

Cosmetic Dentistry entails the following:

    * Adding the dental material to the gums or teeth like crowns, laminates etc.
    * Extraction of the structure of the tooth and the gums like gingivectomy
    * Teeth bleaching activities
    * Making the teeth straight


Another activity which the cosmetic dentists commonly perform is the reshaping or straightening of teeth. It is often performed to change the length, position and the shape of the teeth. This process can be sometimes used an alternative for braces. This process, however, removes the enamel on the teeth. Enamel or dentin is very valuable for teeth. Absence or erosion of enamel can make the teeth sensitive and once removed, it cannot be replaced.

The advancements in technology have made the dental procedures more effective and predictable than they were before. In addition to this, dentists are using methods that save most of the natural structure of the tooth and gums. Cosmetic dentists make use of certain technologies like lasers to carry out some processes pertinent for cosmetic treatment in their own clinics thus eliminating the requirement for referrals from other specialists. Due to this, it becomes easier for the patients as they do not have to move back and forth between the doctors. It also makes it easier for them to recover quickly from the ailment.

Veneers
A veneer is a thin piece of porcelain the dentist cements to the surface of the front teeth to enhance your smile. It is designed to cover up teeth that are stained, crooked, chipped, spaced unevenly or overlapping. Porcelain veneers are strong, durable, easy to maintain and difficult to stain, usually lasting more than 10 years.

To design the veneer, the dentist will remove a small amount of the tooth surface to ensure a natural look. Although veneers are designed to fit your teeth, sometimes there is a slight color difference from other teeth. Once the veneer is in place, you may need to practice clearly pronouncing words with “s” and “f” sounds.

Bonding
During a bonding procedure, dentists affix tooth-colored dental material to the teeth to improve chipped or broken teeth, fill in gaps, reshape or recolor teeth. Bonding lasts for many years and requires one or two dental visits to complete, depending on the restoration need. But the material is more susceptible to staining or chipping as compared to other cosmetic dental procedures.

Crowns
Dentists use crowns to restore teeth with extensive decay. Once the cavity is removed, dental impressions are taken of the tooth, and a crown (also known as a cap) is prepared at the dentist’s office or offsite at a dental lab and then affixed to the tooth. Crowns typically last the longest of all cosmetic restorations.

Whitening
Considered an easy procedure to improve your smile, whitening (also called bleaching) involves a chemical process that lightens tooth color. Individuals can have the procedure performed at the dentist’s office or use dental materials at home. Depending on the individual’s personal habits, teeth whitening may last one or two years. Some people who are sensitive to the whitening chemicals temporarily may experience sore gums or teeth, but the discomfort should disappear after the procedure is completed.

Dental Implants
When teeth are broken off or missing, dental implants may be an option for filling in the gaps. If an individual has sufficient jaw bone, a titanium implant post is surgically screwed into it to serve as an anchor for a natural-looking false tooth. The individual must have sufficient jaw bone in the area under the missing tooth to hold the implant. Otherwise, a bone graft procedure may be required to strengthen the jaw.

Dental implant procedures can be time consuming and expensive, especially if a bone graft is required. And some individuals report experiencing discomfort, pain, bruising and swelling for several days following the procedure.

Gum Surgery
Your gums have the important job of holding your teeth in place. Depending on the shape of the mouth, some people show a lot of gum tissue when they smile. Others may have lost gum tissue due to periodontal disease or as a natural result of shrinking and receding due to age. Gum surgery is a cosmetic procedure performed to correct these problems. Depending on the specific need, the gum may be sculpted with a laser to remove excess tissue to make teeth look longer, clean up and remove areas that are diseased, or graft new gum tissue to strengthen teeth and protect the roots from continued shrinkage and risk of decay.

As with all surgical procedures, individuals may experience some discomfort, pain, bruising or swelling following the procedure while the gum tissue heals.

If you want to improve your smile, consult with your dentist to explore a variety of options to create the look you desire.

What Are the Two Types of Age-Related Macular Degeneration?

The retina is the tissue that lines the back of the eye. It sends visual signals to the brain. The macula is part of the retina. It is responsible for central vision. Macular degeneration is decline of the macula. It causes a gradual loss of sharp, central vision. The condition is mainly a disease of aging. In rare cases, it can occur in younger people. 

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) affects the older generation and is one of the most common eye conditions in elderly people. It damages the yellow, oval macular of the eye (which allows you to see fine details) and can result in a complete loss of central vision. There are two main types of this eye disease, so let's find out more about each ailment.

The 'dry' type

The 'dry' type of age-related macular degeneration occurs when light-sensitive cells in the macular fail to work properly and can greatly affect vision. As the retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE) which support the light sensitive photoreceptor cells break down, a loss of central vision can occur. This type of AMD usually develops over many years and tends to affect 80 per cent of those with the condition.

Many patients with the dry type of age-related macular degeneration will find that their vision deteriorates slowly. Symptoms may not be obvious in the early stages but central vision usually gets worse with time. Sufferers can find it hard to read small print or watch TV and might need more light to see objects clearly. As the condition progresses, a blind spot can develop in the middle of each eye, however, peripheral vision is rarely affected.

Both eyes are usually affected at the same time, but it is possible for one eye to be worse than the other, so discuss any abnormalities with your optometrist. An eye care specialist will look out for small, yellowish deposits known as drusen (which are an early sign of this disease) and will refer you to the hospital if they are worried. There is no cure for dry AMD; however, magnifying glasses and electronic devices can help you live your life to the full.

The 'wet' type

The 'wet' type of age-related macular degeneration occurs when new blood vessels on the retina leak very suddenly and can cause severe damage to your eyesight. It's a lot more serious than dry AMD and must be treated as a medical emergency. Always seek help if you experience sudden or gradual loss of your eyesight and don't put up with any pain or discomfort.

Your optometrist will use a special book to look for distortion of your central vision and will examine your retina (a collection of sensitive cells at the back of your eye). If they notice a problem you'll probably be referred to an eye care hospital where you'll receive professional help. Laser treatments can stop the vessels from leaking and innovative new injections can prevent your vision form worsening.

Simple Steps to Prevent Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity can cause social, psychological and health problems, and is linked to obesity later in life and poor adult health.

There are simple factors in every parent's control that can  reduce the chance of childhood obesity. In society today, approximately one in five children will be labeled as obese. Obesity is defined as an excess amount of body fat, measured as a percentage of total body weight. A child is considered obese when their body weight is 20% higher than the average weight of children of the same age. It is imperative that parents realize how their choices impact the chances of their children developing obesity.

The main contributing factors to childhood obesity are lack of physical activity and high calorie intake, as well as the variety of foods consumed. The recent emphasis on technology as well as convenience, high calorie meals have had a detrimental effect on child health. Furthermore, one of the worst physical effects of childhood obesity is the susceptibility to diseases such as diabetes, high cholesterol, and early onset of heart disease.

Obesity has negative effects on emotional health as well. Society today labels those that are obese as lazy or unmotivated. These stigmas contribute to the increasing onset of depression, anxiety, and low self esteem in children. These factors then affect the social health of children as well, as there can be a lack in the development of relationships and acceptance from their peers.

Parents do have control over several factors that contribute to obesity. The eating habits of children can be controlled, as parents need to resist the urge to provide the quick, convenience 000meals such as fast food and high-calorie, low nutritional snacks.

Parents can also provide a variety of physical activities for youngsters. A creative mind can create unique activities that require participation and motion. Some examples of such activities are outdoor play, such as games like tag or hide and seeks, and indoor play such as fort-building, balloon play, or dancing to upbeat music.

Stress and tension

Stress and tension has become synonymous with our daily lives. Our days start with running for work amid the crowded and polluted roads instead of a healthy jog in nature’s lap. We work like there is no tomorrow and at the end of the day we seek the comfort of the bed. The lifestyle we live will eventually take a toll on our physical as well as mental being. A little bit of indulgence and pampering is something that can set things right. Spas and massages are a wonderful option for de-stress therapy

We all live in a sometimes if not constantly stressful world, deadlines, appointments, errands, work, school, kids, pets, traffic, relationships; whatever it is we all face stressful times. But there are ways of dealing with it and self massage techniques that can get rid of the stress in a positive healthy way. This article will teach you to relax enjoy being with yourself and how to give yourself a relaxing head and face massage.

The first and highly important piece to you getting to relax unwind and let go into relaxation is your environment. Find a spot, any spot were you can get comfortable maybe alone or near a silent partner. If you live in a very crowded loud space learn to get creative in ways to escape. Your parked car is always an option if you have noisy kids, pets or roommates. Sometimes in the shower with the water turned off is an option. Where ever your place is make it yours. This is all about you making a deeper connection with yourself, taking time out to relax and give yourself the love you need. Just like a meditation practice lay sit or rest in a comfortable position laying on your back is preferred because it allows most of the muscles in your body to let go of tension and relax.

Start lying on your back on the floor on carpet or a rug or soft blanket close your eyes and focus only on breathing in to a count of 4 and breathing out to a count of 4. Slow steady breaths in wave crashing on the shore, breath out wave going back to the ocean, steady slow and consistent. Effortless breathing, let go of all thoughts and send yourself positive energy.

Place your thumbs underneath your eyebrows just below the ridge of your forehead bone or frontal bone under the eye sockets. Feel a sensation as you press firmly but still soft on the pressure points. These points when massaged regularly detox the body and get rid of stress very quickly. Press and circle with counts of 3. Press and circle 3 times repeat until any slight pain or sensation fades away into relaxation. Follow the under part of the eyebrows pressing and circling 3 times until you come to the sides of your eyes by your temple. Press and circle your temple 3-6 times. Next move to the sides of your nostrils, using your index fingers press and circle 3 times. Follow the under part of your cheek bones pressing and circling until you reach your ears. Continue pressing and circling your masseter or jaw muscle all the way down following your mandible or jaw bone until you reach your chin. Move around your mouth with larger circles massaging the cheeks in bigger circles. Move back to your temples circling 3-6 times in forward and backward circles. Next move to your forehead; massage in small circles moving your hands towards each other meeting at the center of your forehead. Move your hands up a little bit starting at the center with both hands and moving towards your ears. Continue back to the center part of your forehead massaging with small circles. Move your fingers to the top of your head at the front of your hairline. Massage the skull in small circles with strong but not stiff hands. Next move to the ears circle around the ears then focus on the earlobes and ear itself. Follow the underneath part of your jaw line end with pressing and squeezing your thyroid and parathyroid gland underneath your Adams apple.
 

Shining Some Light on Vitamin D3

Vitamin D3 is one of the most useful nutritional tools we have at our disposal for improving overall health. Vitamin D3 acquires hormone-like actions. As a hormone, the vitamin controls phosphorus, calcium, and bone metabolism and neuromuscular function. D3 is the only vitamin the body can manufacture from sunlight. Yet, with today's indoor living and the extensive use of sunscreens due to concern about skin cancer, we are now a society with millions of individuals deficient in life-sustaining bone building and immune modulating vitamin D3.

Vitamin D3 plays a wide role in overall health,

It's becoming clear that a large percentage of individuals are deficient in this important nutrient. This deficiency is many times miss diagnosed as fibromyalgia. The fear of skin cancer has stopped many individuals from obtaining beneficial amounts of sunlight. Even individuals, who venture out into the sun often and use suntan lotion, may be deficient in vitamin D and need supplements to maintain health.

Where Do We Get Vitamin D3?

The primary source of vitamin D for both children and adults is from sun exposure, not from diet.

*Vitamin D3 is one of two forms of vitamin D used for nutritional supplementation.

A. Vitamin D3 is manufactured from lanolin derived from the wool fat of sheep.

B. The other form, known as Vitamin D2 is a vegetarian form manufactured by the ultraviolet radiation of yeast. Vitamin D is naturally produced in the skin following exposure to sunlight. Very few foods naturally contain vitamin D (namely fatty fish, egg yolks and liver) or are fortified with vitamin D.

What Are The Benefits?

Vitamin D3 has been shown to be at least 3 times more effective than vitamin D2 in both animal and human studies.

* Vitamin D3 is free of toxin tagalongs.

* Supports many body systems including healthy bones, nerves, heart, brain, lung, esophagus, breasts, colon, stomach, pancreas, prostate, uterus, ovaries, kidneys.

What Is The Proper Dosage?

A growing number of researchers who have widely studied vitamin D's are almost begging the general public to consume more of this important nutrient. Vitamin D3's high safety profile and the wide role it plays in our health, researches recommend consuming 2,000 to 4,000 IU per day of this nutrient at times of the year when sunlight is scarce is a prudent way to improve overall health. In conclusion, I have generated information on this vitamin. A growing number of researchers who have widely studied vitamin D3 are almost begging the general public to consume more of this important nutrient. because of the wide role it plays in our health. So treat yourself and purchase Nature's Sunshine Vitamin D3.

Are you getting enough of the “sunshine vitamin”? More and more experts think not. Vitamin D is so critical to our health that nature designed a fail-safe way to obtain it: from the sun. Throughout history, exposure to the sun gave humans the vital doses needed to build bones, protecting children against the characteristic bowed legs of rickets and adults from osteomalacia, or softening of the bones.


Now, we spend more time indoors, in cars or behind computers. We drink less milk and when we do go out, slather on sunscreen. It is no coincidence, experts say, that rickets (which had been virtually wiped out until the 1990s) is making a comeback. Scattered cases of rickets in African-American infants and breast-fed babies have been documented as far south as Georgia; just last February, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh found that over 80 percent of pregnant black women and nearly half of pregnant white women (and the babies they later gave birth to) were classified as “insufficient” or “deficient” in vitamin D. Older people in hospitals and nursing homes are especially likely to lack the vitamin; in one study, 57 percent of elderly patients admitted to a Boston hospital were found to be vitamin D-deficient, according to blood samples and diet records. What’s more, dietary surveys suggest that most Americans, young and old, aren’t getting recommended amounts of the vitamin.


The Promise of D
Vitamin D is essential for helping bones absorb calcium, keeping them strong and preventing osteoporosis. Vitamin D also helps maintain muscle strength and balance and lowers the risk of bone fractures in older people. But it seems meant to do more: there are receptors for vitamin D in almost every cell in the body, and evidence is growing that the vitamin helps the immune system function and regulates cell growth.

Exciting new research suggests that vitamin D may offer protection against some types of cancer, including breast and prostate cancers and, in particular, colorectal cancer. How vitamin D fights cancer isn’t known for sure, but it “helps reduce cell proliferation and differentiation, and it may reduce inflammation,” says Edward Giovannucci, M.D., professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. Giovannucci, whose work has reported increased risks of digestive system cancers among people with low vitamin D levels, threw down the gauntlet in a keynote speech at the American Association of Cancer Research in 2004. “I would challenge anyone to find an area or nutrient or any factor,” he said, “that has such consistent anti-cancer benefits as vitamin D.”



Experts are not sure about how vitamin D protects against autoimmune diseases, but believe that it may serve as a brake on the overactive immune cells. “Vitamin D may decrease the development of type 1 T-helper cells,” explains Charles Stephensen, Ph.D., a research scientist at the USDA’s Western Human Nutrition Research Center at the University of California, Davis. These cells are involved in protective immune responses, “but they may also initiate autoimmune disease, especially in people who may have a genetic predisposition.”

Other, preliminary research hints at a connection between inadequate prenatal vitamin D and asthma in young children. Recent data even suggest that low vitamin D may be linked with epidemic influenza (which tends to strike, after all, during sun-deprived winter months).

How To Get Big Biceps - The Fundamentals

Common characteristics of people with ectomorphic body types include being skinny with narrow shoulders and a slight build. Males utilizing the finest ectomorph bodybuilding nourishment strategy will not only increase weight but also build muscle and grow in size. Therefore if you are a man with an ectomorph body then you need to know the best diet and workout that will help you in building the muscle mass you want.

When you are starting a bodybuilding program then you should take a high intake of proteins. It is advised that you eat in excess of two grams of protein each day in addition to consuming a high protein meal after completing a workout. When you're training your muscles, they'll get very tired and the muscles will go to a state called catabolic. To replace hormones that are released during exercise, it is beneficial to consume a meal high in protein right after your workout.

Carbohydrates help increase the energy level and as such it should be consumed by men venturing in bodybuilding. Simple sugars are bad for you and should be used only when you need a fast boost. Carbohydrates like potatoes, rice and pasta also should be part of your meals. Carbohydrates released slowly into the body get digested and also help in better digestion.

It is not recommended to take-in fats as a source of bodybuilding, even-though it is rumored that you should. Those fats will just be synthesized into more fats. Ensure your intake of calories is same as body builders since voluminous amounts are needed. Ectomporphs who are consuming a large number of calories because they believe it will benefit them should continue to do so and ingest high calorie foods they way other body builders do. It is important to note that some types of fat will make it more difficult to achieve your goal of building muscle.

You should consume your meals frequently which is very important if you are trying to gain muscle mass. The best way is to eat as often as you can. It is ideal to consume meals every two hours and not more than three hours apart. Try to stay away from large meals to avoid overeating. The goal is to give your body consistent healthy food and avoid the unhealthy foods.

Therefore you should know that if you are doing bodybuilding and you are not having the right diet then you will decrease your overall muscle mass. You should ensured to supply the required nutrients to the body after each and every workout. I recommend performing this in between workouts to improve muscle mass. Ectomorph bodybuilders need to know this is very important.

The fact of the matter is that it is always advisable to increase the weight once you have reached your desired rep range. There is a fairly simple maxim to observe here and that is that your bicep will grow in line with the amount of weight you are lifting and will be aided by the correctness of your technique. Again we go back to the word "concentration". Too many guys at the gym simply forget to concentrate on what they are doing and as a result they lose out on a lot of their potential gains. Concentration is key when it comes to performing at a higher weight for the first time. Feel the blood really gush into your bicep and enjoy the pump.

The bottom line here is that developing big biceps is not going to happen overnight and it is certainly never going to happen without putting the right work in first. You can get huge biceps and you will find yourself being the recipient of those admiring glances as long as you get the basics right. Good luck.

What Triggers Anxiety While Driving, and What Are Some of the Solutions?

Anxiety while driving is a mental disorder affecting both males and females. This involves feelings of immense dread, anxiety and or apprehension towards driving with no justifiable reason. Experts have shown that this condition affects about one in ten people at some point in life. Anxiety while driving falls under mental disorders known as neuroses. Neuroses are phobias that affect individual´s behaviour but not their rational thinking. They may exhibit anxiety every time they sit in a car driving or not. Though it affects both men and women, women are more affected by this condition regardless of their age.
This condition may be triggered by a traumatic experience in the past that affected the motorist like a collision, car accident or any other event. This may cause a motorist to be more apprehensive, unsafe and insecure while driving. The condition may also be triggered by driving under stressful conditions like speeding vehicles on a motorway, or traffic congestion regardless of previous driving experience or accidents encountered. The signs that show a motorist experiencing an anxiety attack are dizziness, trembling or shivering, nausea, headaches, flushing and stomach upset. As these anxiety signs progress, the motorist develops driving phobia. Phobias tend to protect the body against potential dangers. This is when the mind conditions the body into believing that driving is dangerous, so the person may be apprehensive and he may experience panic attacks while on the road.
A motorist may consider consulting a medical professional like a psychiatrist or a psychologist after experiencing such symptoms; he must get a proper diagnosis and know which treatment options are available. This condition is not permanent and, with help, one can overcome it. A motorist may positively affirm him or herself by thinking positively, instead of thinking about the bad experiences in the past. He can reaffirm himself by saying that he is an excellent driver and by thus doing boost his confidence on the road. He or she may also avoid hesitation as this triggers anxiety and panic while driving. If a motorist stops without knowing which way to go, he may worsen the situation causing snarl ups, and he becomes unsure. A motorist may try to relax the body and mind, and ease tension every time he sits in the car, through meditation and he may strengthen his respiration system by trying out some breathing exercises. Another therapeutic means of trying to get back to driving is taking a few minutes a day driving from home, around the neighbourhood and back.

Medical experts suggest that an affected person should do this every ten minutes and have regular five minute breaks. This helps the motorist view driving as a relaxing experience.

Panic attack causes are mostly related to fear and anxiety and are found strikingly different in each and every case. Some people are overanxious during traffic jams. The traffic on high-speed freeways can generate excessive stress. With driving come anxiety and stress. So, panic attacks while driving are quite common. It is a type of claustrophobia due to which some people are extremely afraid of being trapped in a vehicle. Some are always anxious of being hit by an oncoming vehicle while some worry excessively about the failure of brakes or breaking down of their cars or puncturing of a tire while driving. For most of us, there is always a slight fear of driving. Memories of frightful incidents of the past may linger in your mind while driving.

Juicing Information For A Healthy You

Juicing means that you will be taking the load off of your digestive system and feeding high quality nutrients directly to your body. This is only one of the advantages of juicing. In fact it is huge, not only do you get more nutrients than if you simply ate the fruits or vegetables that you are juicing but you are getting nutrients that you wouldn't otherwise access. You see the peel, that most people cut off and throw away, often has a higher concentration of nutrients than any other part and with juicing you throw the whole fruit or vegetable in with the peel intact. Juicing makes the nutritional value quickly available by bypassing the digestion process. This lets you quickly absorb all the vitamins, minerals, and micro nutrients in the food. The nourishment of the fruits and vegetables are easily delivered across the intestinal walls and into the blood, where your body can use them immediately. Not only that but with juice the food is never cooked. Cooking destroys enzymes and some of the vitamins and thus you avoid this destructive process. Enzymes change the food you eat into body tissue and energy, thus increasing your metabolic rate. This means that you will burn more calories with the accompanying weight loss.

Are you interested in age extension and longevity? You'll be happy to know that juicing also promotes longevity and delays the effects of aging, this goes along with better energy. With juice, you will have access to all of natures nutrients locked up in raw fruits and vegetables with none of it lost by cooking and other preparation methods. Know too that by not cooking you will also be preserving the antioxidants. Your body uses antioxidants to cancel free radicals in your system. Free radicals are responsible for aging and degenerative diseases and preserving these antioxidants is akin to finding a fountain of youth.

While we are discussing this Fountain of Youth realize that juicing helps you combat degenerative diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, and other conditions that most people pick up as they age. In the case of type 2 diabetes, it means your body has become resistant to the insulin produced by your pancreas. Research shows that eating raw foods can help combat diabetes. Raw foods supplies nourishment to your body and stabilizes your blood sugar in ways that only raw food can. Traditional opinion tells you to stay away from all sugars, even the sugars found in fruits. That advice has now been counteracted by research which shows that nutrients found in fresh fruits an vegetables help to control the disease naturally. In particular, the vitamin B7 which is found in mangoes, nectarines, and peaches aids your digestive process and activates your enzymes. Diabetes means your body fails to process sugars that you eat and your digestive health is important. Then there is manganese -- which is found in carrots, celery, cruciferous vegetables, garlic, beet greens, parsley, and spinach -- it helps lower insulin resistance and improve glucose metabolism.

Juicing is the Fountain of Youth that people have long sought. It is the best way to optimize your health and energy.

Many people turn to juicing for weight loss.
What a simple alternative to surgery or irritating diets!

Juicing allows you to consume a large amount of vegetables without sitting at the dinner table for hours eating the same amount you can just drink in a glass.

If you are anything like me, you have grown up liking a few favorite veggies, and maybe have found yourself even in adulthood not putting yourself out there to try new veggies…maybe you aren’t sure how they taste, or unsure of how to prepare them, so you stick with what you know.  Juicing gives us a chance to step out of that veggie rut and just stick it in the juicer and try it out.

Juicing has been a super fun journey in my life and I find when I step away from it my energy level decreases to a substantial and noticeable low.
juicing for beginners

Sun Kiss Skin
Simple, Juicing for Weight Loss Recipes

In the beginning, stick with veggies that you are familiar with and enjoy eating.

I also think adding lemon and or an apple to any recipe can really make the drink lighter and not so earthy tasting, for you newbies out there…over time, if you are like me, you may come to love the earthy taste.

Effects of Radiation From Electronic Gadgets on Humans

Each of the gadget emits some sort of radiation. So is this good for you? For many years, people were questioning if the radiation from mobile phones had any effect on humans. However, in the past 5 years, the discussions in mainstream media seem to have died down. So has the radiation simply went away? The answer is no. It is still around, and although each device might be emitting less radiation, we are now using more devices. Even though people have stopped talking about it, it is still a problem. Worse of all, the experts still cannot be sure if they are good or bad for humans.

Do a search on Google for "cellphone radiation effects on human". Look through the first few pages and you will see that the opinion is very divided. Some experts say it causes cancer, can destroy brain cells, increases human reaction time and affects sleeping patterns. However, some experts say that a small amount of radiation can actually improve your health and thinking ability. There are also those that says that the small amount of radiation simply does not make any difference.

We could stop using all our electronic devices from now. Alternatively, there is a very specific branch of research that is looking into ways to balance the bad radiation that humans absorb from electronic devices. Their aim is to attempt to emit the inverse radiation so that the total balances out. Think of it a +1 plus -1 creates 0. They call the balancing radiation positive radiation and the area of research electromagnetic balancing. We do not get anything positive out of it, but at least it neutralises the negative effects of radiation, which by itself is a big improvement.

This is cutting edge research but at least there is hope. Whether you believe that radiation from electronic gadgets is good or bad for you, it is important that you understand the risks and take adequate measures to protect yourself. It is a real problem that affects everyone.

Extremely hazardous effects have been observed in humans who have direct exposure to microwaves, without even having eaten food made in such ovens. There is ample research material available and easy to find on the internet, therefore I would just like to mention that persons near operating microwave ovens experience a breakdown of their life-energy fields. This of course increases relative to the length of exposure. Furthermore their cellular energy decreases, their metabolism destabilizes and there is evidently cell damage. There are many more factors, for example that humans, animals and plants within a 500 meter radius of operating microwave equipment suffer long-term, cumulative loss of vital energies, all the way to hormone imbalances and psychological disorders in humans.

As outlined by Mike Barrett in Natural Society, a new Greek scientific study (published in Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine) has demonstrated how frequency electromagnetic fields, namely cell phones, portable phones, WiFi, and wireless computer equipment, alter important protein changes in the brains of animals. Exposure to electromagnetic frequencies is the result of our advancing technologies, but it is important to study these effects so people know exactly what they’re dealing with in order to take the necessary precautionary measures.

It is known that short term exposure of microwaves exuded from a cell phone, depending on how far the antenna is from the head, can penetrate as much as 1 1/2 inches into the brain, but this study focuses more on the long term effects and how EMF impacts specific brain proteins. This provides new evidence of the potential relationship between EMF and health complications stemming from EMF such as headaches, dizziness, sleep disorders, and even tumors and Alzheimer’s disease.

A number of countries are attempting to adopt precautionary protocols to limit cell phone use in an attempt to mitigate the number of adverse effects they have on human health. In 2011, the WHO/IARC released a report stating that cell phone radiation may have a carcinogenic effect on humans. In fact, the World Health Organization actually said that cell phones are in the same cancer-causing category as lead, engine exhaust, and chloroform.

EMF protection and shielding devices are available but in general it is best to start using common sense and make sure to be as little as possible exposed to EMFs. Avoid cafes and restaurant that lure customers by offering free Wifi and have a look around your house and eliminate any gadgets that you don’t really need, switch off those that you aren’t using, remove that cordless phone from your bedside table and don’t sleep with your mobile!

The Truth About Abdominal Fat

The Truth About Abdominal Fat
Abdominal fat is nothing to mess around with. Studies have proven that men and women with excessive abdominal fat are at a greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease and cancer, which will likely lead to an early death. "Beer bellies" and "muffin tops" are just as significant of a risk factor as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day or having high cholesterol.
Women typically store fat in their butt and hips, while men tend to store it in their abdominal area, putting men at a greater risk. Specifically, women with waists larger than 35 inches and men with waists 40 inches or more, are about twice as likely to die prematurely of heart disease or cancer.
Visceral Fat vs Subcutaneous Fat
Visceral Fat is the fat around your internal organs, while subcutaneous fat is that annoying fat covering up that six pack. While most everyone hates their subcutaneous fat, that is not the kind you need to be most concerned with. The fact is that visceral fat is more closely linked with health problems than obesity in general. Because visceral fat is so much closer to the intestines, it is easily absorbed into the blood stream, which often ends up clogging the coronary arteries. Clogged arteries can lead to hypertension, diabetes, and many other metabolic problems.
How to tell if you have too much belly fat?
People who gain belly fat are at greater risk of serious health problems, even death, than are people who accumulate fat in other areas. Since men are more likely than women to gain weight around the waist, they should not take their measurements lightly.
Your waist size alone can give you a good estimate of whether or not you have too much belly fat. All you need is a tape measure. To measure your waist:
1. Place a tape measure around your abdomen just above your hipbone.
2. Pull the tape measure until it fits snuggly around you but is not pushing into your skin.
3. Make sure the tape measure is level all the way around.
4. Do not suck in your belly!
If you are a women and your abdomen measurement is >35 inches, or if you're a man with a measurement >40 inches, you may be at risk of developing the following:

• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Stroke
• Some types of cancer
• Type 2 diabetes
• Insulin resistance
• High triglycerides
• Low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good," cholesterol
• Metabolic syndrome
• Sleep apnea

How to Reduce Belly Fat (Diet and Exercise)
Belly fat can be reduced substantially by eating whole grain products rather than refined, due to the fact that whole grains have more volume and fewer calories that keep you satisfied longer. Studies have shown that whole grains "reduce blood sugar levels after a meal because they take longer to digest." Basically, replacing refined grains with whole grains as part of a balanced diet is not only beneficial to your cardiovascular health, but can help you lose abdominal fat as well.
Another way to reduce belly fat is to train the whole body. Spot reduction does not work, so don't waste your time doing a million sit-ups. Strength training and aerobics improve insulin sensitivity and burn calories, which helps to get rid of fat all over the body, including visceral fat. The really good news is that visceral fat is usually the first to go, however, that also means that subcutaneous fat may hang around a little while longer. But don't think that exercise isn't doing a thing for you if your six pack isn't showing; getting rid of that visceral fat will help improve your overall health and may just save your life!

The Effects of Stress on the Heart

• Sudden cardiac arrest accounts for about 400,000 deaths in the U.S. a year, and according to research published in the March 3 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology mental stress such as anger can lead to arrhythmias that can trigger sudden cardiac arrest. The study, conducted by the Yale University School of Medicine, followed 62 patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators and found that their response to a mental stress test was a very good predictor of future arrhythmias; those who showed more anger were more likely to have an arrhythmia.
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  Studies have shown that stress has been linked with heart disease, weight gain (or loss), cognitive impairment, your blood pressure (and risk of stroke) and even some forms of cancer. Other physically related health concerns caused by stress can include diabetes, hair loss, hyperthyroidism, sexual dysfunction, tooth and gum disease, ulcers and even hair loss. Of course, there are many causes of stress, such as having too busy a lifestyle, factors at work, personal relationships, inadequate sleep, poor eating habits (nutrition), lack of physical exercise, environment...and the list goes on. All of these stress related factors can impact your physical health.
  
  It has been estimated that as much as 90 percent of doctor's visits are due to stress related symptoms in some way. It has also been noted that one in every seven men will suffer a heart attack or other disabling heart disease before the age of 60. In our anxiety ridden society, that figure does not seem impossible.
  
  There are a couple of different types of stress that can lead to heart problems. The first is chronic emotional stress in which you may be more likely to develop atherosclerosis, the heart disease process that produces coronary artery disease, stroke and peripheral artery disease. If you suffer from this type of stress, the symptoms of which include clenched teeth, a surge of adrenaline with the fight-or-flight reaction (commonly manifested as frustration, anger or hostility) you are more at risk for atherosclerosis.
  
  Stress, even at normal everyday levels, can cause a temporary worsening in your vascular functions. Hormonal changes can increase the amount of adrenaline in your bloodstream. With chronic emotional stress, adrenaline is pumped into your bloodstream at increased levels and those changes can persist, which can lead to increased inflammation, and this is associated with an elevated risk of atherosclerosis.
  
  Along with that, chronic emotional stress often goes hand-in-hand with other cardiovascular risk factors. For example, smokers under stress commonly increase their tobacco consumption (which can lead to an increased risk of cancer), while others turn to overeating (causing weight gain). Cholesterol levels also tend to go up during periods of increased stress.
  
  The second type involves periods of intense stress that can lead to acute heart problems like heart attacks.
  
  Life events can be extremely stressful. Consider the death of a loved one, loss of a job, business failure, exposure to natural disasters (such as a flood or earthquake), being the victim of a violent crime, or the break-up of your family unit. The anxiety associated with these extreme life events produce the type of stress can definitely increase your cardiac risk. This increased risk of stress related heart attack is caused by significant elevations in blood pressure, your heart rate, vascular tone (or vein constriction), inflammation and accelerated blood clotting. All of these factors can lead to stress-related heart attacks.
  
  If you feel that stress is becoming overwhelming in your life and may be affecting your heart health, it may be wise to seek help in finding ways to reduce your stress or find strategies of help you cope with the stress you are undergoing. If you do not take any action, you may find that the effects of stress on your heart may lead to a significant heart health risks.
  
  

Healthy Foods for a Healthy Heart

Here are some healthy foods are good for your healthy heart. Maintaining cardiovascular health should start early. Do not wait until the heart problem, you just keep it. A troubled heart can have a negative impact on other organs and even cause death.

The research conducted by several health institutions indicates that there are millions of people across the globe, who are undergoing with the serious impacts of heart diseases. Sometime the effect of the disease becomes so severe that they have to take the surgeries for it.

But such adverse situation can be easily avoided or overcome if one prepares to eat a healthy heart diet with the proper recommendations from the medical practitioner. Here is the list of food items that you must include in your daily diet to have a healthy heart and living.

Salmon: One of the best foods for the healthy heart is Salmon. It is an easy to cook dish and has great taste. People love eating salmon in pasta dishes, salads, dips and cakes.

Blueberries: Another important heart food is blueberries. Being rich in anthocyanins, vitamin C and fibre, blueberries prove a great antioxidant that can be included in daily diet in the form of frozen, fresh and dried ones.

Oatmeal: Oats tend to become an excellent diet for the morning hours. Being enriched with fibre content oats are primarily used in bread, cookies, muffins, cakes, meat and poultry dishes. It is the best food to avoid the risk of heart diseases.

Soy Protein: The most easily available food item that proves to be a healthy heart meal is the soy protein. Enriched with vitamins, minerals and fibre, the soya protein is consumed by every individual at least twice or thrice in the week. The major bi-product of the soy protein is tofu, which is eaten by way of salads, soups or snacks.

Nuts: Nuts are yet other important food for healthy heart that helps in controlling the blood sugar and fights triglycerides in the body. The moderate consumption of nuts like almonds, walnuts in the diet on weekly basis is must for everyone.

Vegetables and Fruits: Vegetables and fruits are the major source to enjoy the healthy heart. Green leafy vegetables like spinach, broccoli, kale, mushrooms, asparagus, sweet potato, tomatoes and carrots tend to have great source of iron and fibre that ensures the regular flow of blood to the veins and arteries to lead a healthy living.

  

From Anxiety to Comfort - A Guide to Treating Anxiety

Anxiety disorders are becoming a common cultural issue affecting more people than one might think. Seeking relief comes naturally under the influence of anxiety and often leads to developing coping mechanisms, which are not necessarily healthy. What might help your anxiety in the moment may make it worse later on hence it is important to draw a distinguishing line between techniques that help and the techniques that do the rather opposite.

Generally avoid the following:

Alcohol and cigarettes - sure they bring immediate relief with each gulp and puff, but also cause considerable damage if you rely on these aids daily and solely. Both exhibit neurotoxic and carcinogenic properties and fighting anxiety by inhibiting/pruning already malfunctioning neural connections does not induce relief, but on the contrary, produces anxiety.

Consuming excess sugars - dwelling on soft, sweet drinks as the primary source of fluids is a habit you might consider dropping. It is true that glucose is absolutely necessary for proper brain function, but only to a certain point. Beyond a saturation point you are inducing more brain fog and mood swings than clarity.

Lacking sleep - Sleep is absolutely necessary for proper body and brain function and regeneration. You might have noticed that a day after an inadequate sleeping session you find yourself experiencing elevated anxiety or depression levels, both of which you are here to avoid.

What you might consider implementing into your daily routine in order to bring relief without sacrificing, but rather preserving, long-term health:

Exercise - Aerobic exercise including jogging, swimming, cycling and many others do more good for your mental health than you would expect. Exercise results in formation of new neural connections within the brain region, inherent to memory formation and retention, known as hippocampus, so it actually induces morphological changes!

Meditate - Meditation too causes changes in brain's structure for the better - it results in thickening of the cerebral cortex, which is associated with a broad set of cognitive functions including self-control and focus.

Eat healthily - try to include, often repulsive yet healthy, vegetables and fruits in your diet and spread your meals into several small ones rather than few ample portions. A healthy diet equals a healthy brain. All the essential amino acids and vitamins, deficiencies and imbalances of which might contribute to the feelings of anxiety, are usually found in green foods.

Millions of Americans have anxiety disorders. Many of these disorders begin in childhood, teenage years, or early adulthood. Women have them more than men. They occur with the same frequency in whites, African-Americans, and Hispanics.

These disorders are diagnosed by an evaluation by a doctor. He will ask questions about medical history and may perform a physical exam. The doctor may do tests to find out if there is a physical cause for the symptoms.

If no cause is found, you may be referred to a psychiatrist or psychologist. These are mental health professionals that are trained to treat mental illness. They will use an interview and other assessment tools to evaluate people for anxiety disorder.

Diagnosis will be based on a patient's report of how intense the symptoms are. They will also look at the duration of the symptoms. This will include daily functioning with the symptoms and observation of the patient by the doctor. They will look for the behavior and determine if the symptoms and degree indicate a specific disorder.

Progress had been made in this area in the last few years in mental illness including anxiety disorders. The exact treatment approach will depend on the type of disorder, one or a combination of several therapies may be used. These include:

Medication: medicines used include anti-depressants and anxiety-reducing drugs.

Psychotherapy: This is a type of counseling which addresses the emotional response to mental illness. A trained mental health professional will help the patient by talking through strategies for understanding and dealing with their disorder.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy--People can participate in the type of therapy in which the person learns to recognize and change thought patterns and behaviors that lead to troublesome feelings.