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Borderline Personality Disorder Solved

Bipolar Disorder Triggers – 5 Things You Need to Avoid to Help Keep Your Moods Stable

Bipolar disorder is a psychiatric condition that is characterized by alternating bouts of mania and depression. People who have bipolar disorders often experience a cyclic change in their energy levels and feelings; ranging from sudden bursts of liveliness and happiness to unprovoked episodes of weakness and sadness. In extreme cases, bipolar disorders manifest psychotic symptoms of delusion and hallucination. This will later on lead to progressive deterioration of the conscious psyche and end up with a person’s derailment from reality. Nevertheless, bipolar disorder is a controllable condition. Further aggravation of the mental state may be avoided given the proper precautions

1.) Cut down on caffeine intake. Caffeine is a stimulant. Without proper regulation, it will tip off the balance in your mood and physical processes. It will make it difficult for you to sleep at night, and consequently make you more emotionally and mentally labile. Chocolate, chocolate byproducts, coffee, tea, sodas, colas, and energy drinks all contain caffeine. There are some pastries too that have high levels of caffeine in them. Try to minimize your consumption of these fares.

2.) Keep healthy and well-balanced interpersonal relationships. Nothing can stimulate this mood disorder better than a fiery argument. Suicidal ideations often come about after heated discussions and disappointing experiences. So make sure to keep things light between your friends, family and loved ones. Don’t be too serious about things; otherwise, you’ll loose touch on how to handle failure. Look out for yourself more. If you think the people you’re with are no good for your health, then might as well stay away. Be with those who understand your condition and are able to accept your varying temperament.

3.) Stay calm. If you easily get frustrated over trivial things, then you will more likely experience a greater number of mood shifts per day than if you’re not. So my advice is to stay calm and collected. If troubles come your way, pause for a moment and breath. Don’t react right away. Give your mind time to think things over. The mood instability caused by bipolar disorder may prompt you to hurt people when you are irritated or angry. So you must endeavor to stay composed all of the time. The last thing you want is a lawsuit on your hands. It might be difficult at first. But if you make a habit to delay negative reaction, then you will get to control your mood swings.

4.) Be prepared for surprises. There are several environmental factors that can trigger bipolar disorders. Time, weather, people, places, insects; I mean, the list goes on and on. And these are things you cannot control. So learn to accept whatever comes your way and be prepared for the world’s surprises. Like when you are on the road and traveling, don’t be bothered if your car breaks down, or if there are no restrooms on the way. Mentally and emotionally condition yourself before you embark on potentially stressful situations and you’ll feel more relieved and relaxed knowing that it’s all out of your control, and all you can do about it is adapt.

5.) This last guideline is applicable for friends and relatives of people with bipolar disorder. Don’t get caught in a bad conversation. When in a depressive episode, people afflicted with bipolar disorder will consistently argue that they are misunderstood, or that their life has no purpose, or that the world is unfair, so on and so forth. As someone who is concerned, all you can do as of the moment is to hear out their complaints. Listening is the most therapeutic way to go about the conversation. Do not argue, for your sake and for your loved one’s sake. Now, if you think that it is leading to a bad place, then directly talk to the person about his or her condition and explain how it is making him or her feel that way. Stop trying to achieve normalcy. With bipolar disorder, you have to handle a person extra specially and extra carefully.

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MinoxidilMax Review

MinoxidilMax is a company that offers a variety of topical solutions for people who suffer from genetic hair loss (male pattern baldness or alopecia androgenetica). One of the key ingredients in MinoxidilMax’s products is minoxidil, the only FDA approved topical ingredient that has been clinically proven to be effective in treating hair loss. A powerful dihydrotestosterone (DHT) blocker, azelaic acid, is another key ingredient in most of its products. The minoxidil concentrations in several of its products are higher than the regular formula such as Rogaine to make it more effective. In addition, glycerin is used to replace propylene glycol in several o f its products to avoid scalp itch in some people.

Different from many other hair loss products that are often made of secret ingredients and depicted as miracle cures for all kinds of hair losses, MinoxidilMax appears more like a chemical company. It specifies the exact ingredients and the quantities in each of products, how to choose and use the products and what to expect from using them.

Several features of MinoxidilMax’s products differentiate them from the regular minoxidil containing products. Firstly, some of MinoxidilMax’s products have minoxidil at much higher concentrations than regular formula such as Rogaine that contains only 5% minoxidil. Even though no official clinical study has ever been conducted to demonstrate that higher than 5% minoxidil product gave better results than 5% minoxidil. Some people swear by the effectiveness of the higher concentration topical solutions such as DualGen-15. They stated that no hair growth was seen when on 5% minoxidil for years, while significant hair growth was noticed after switching to DualGen-15 for a few months.

Secondly, MinoxidilMax offers some of their solutions in propylene glycol free solution to avoid scalp itches. Regular minoxidil containing hair loss product such as Rogaine contains propylene glycol that is known to cause itchy scalp in ~10% of people.

Lastly, a powerful natural dihydrotestosterone (DHT) blocker, azelaic acid, is added to MinoxidilMax’s DualGen products. Azelaic acid is a naturally occurring substance found in whole grains that studies have shown to inhibit 5-alpha-reductase in human skin. 5-alpha-reductase converts testosterone into DHT, accumulation of which in scalp is believed to be responsible for the male pattern hair loss. Inhibition of this enzyme by azelaic acid can reduce the concentration of DHT in scalp and therefore facilitate hair regrowth. The mechanism how azelaic acid works is the same as Propecia, the only FDA proved oral medication for hair loss (See reference at the end of this article for more information on Propecia).

Of note, Lipogaine is the most advanced product from MinoxidilMax. It appears to be a mix of two products: Xandrox 5% from Regrowth LLC (5% minoxidil+5% azelaic acid, see reference for Xandrox review) and Spectral-DNC or Min New York Agent, both of which contain DHT blockers, vitamin complex & liposome vehicle for better scalp penetration. MinoxidilMax’s product lines include Dualgen, Essengen and Lipogaine.

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Thigh Glider Review

It’s well known that many women are unhappy with the shape of their thighs. It’s one of the most common trouble spots women have. The Thigh Glider is a fitness product that’s sold with the promise of helping deal with this issue, by toning and firming your thighs. You may have seen the Thigh Glider in an infomercial online or on TV. It is a very simple device really. To use it you need to kneel on top of it, placing one lower leg on each of the pads. These pads are attached to a circular groove on which they can move sideways. By placing your legs on these pads and moving them back and forth, you can target your inner thighs.

With the Thigh Glider machine, you also get additional components which include: workout bands that you can attach to the machine to perform upper body exercises, wedges that you can attach to the machine and control your range of motion, and exercise DVDs to give you a selection of workouts that you can perform in your home with the Thigh Glider.

Does the Thigh Glider really work? Is it truly an effective way to tone and slim your thighs?

There is no question that the Thigh Glider does work your inner thighs. If you’re looking for a product that focuses on the thighs than this is a good contender. However, you should be aware of one fact: while you may be able to work on the thigh muscles and tone them with this product, it is virtually impossible to lose thigh fat specifically with it. The truth is that spot fat reduction is a myth. When you train a specific muscle, your body doesn’t burn fat from that area. Your muscles don’t turn to the fat stores around them. It simply isn’t the way our body works.

To lose thigh fat you must simply burn off more body fat in general. This is done by working out your entire body, eating correctly, and doing intensive cardio workouts. Simply working on your thighs is not enough.

The Thigh Glider is sold for about $200 (plus shipping and handling costs). It is up to you to decide if you wish to spend this kind of money on a fitness machine. No one can make this decision for you. Get it only if you are sure that you will be using it regularly.

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How Gratitude Can Change You Life

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, the holiday that has its origin in the Puritan’s tradition of giving thanks for a good harvest. The Puritans weren’t the first in this regard. Many religious and societal traditions are based in the concept of gratitude. What all these traditions may or may not have known is that recent scientific studies point to a direct link between gratitude and a deep satisfaction with life. Not only is it good to give thanks, it is good for you to do so!

In a study at the University of California at Davis, Professor Robert Emmons came up with some very interesting and illuminating results from his research project on gratitude and thankfulness. Professor Emmons found that people who kept gratitude journals on a weekly basis exercised more regularly, reported fewer physical symptoms, felt better about their lives as a whole, and were more optimistic about the upcoming week compared to those who recorded hassles or neutral life events. In addition, participants who kept the journals were more likely to make progress towards their personal goals in life.

The study also notes that people with a strong disposition toward gratitude have the capacity to be empathic and to take the perspective of others. Grateful individuals place less importance on material goods; they are less likely to judge their own and others success in terms of possessions accumulated; they are less envious of wealthy persons; and are more likely to share their possessions with others relative to less grateful persons.

If the practice of gratitude is so beneficial to our overall well-being, how can we learn to cultivate it more? My gut feeling is that the type of gratitude we normally experience when we see others that are less fortunate than ourselves is not enough. If it were, we would all be much happier as we are surrounded by evidence of the suffering of so many people in the world today. It seems that we need to look directly at our own lives in order to be truly grateful and thereby reap the benefits of gratitude.

The concept of gratitude is directly related to the idea of the power of positive thinking. Concentrating on what we do have versus what we don’t have seems to be the key. Reminding ourselves on a daily basis of all the things that come our way keeps us grounded in gratitude instead of want. At any given moment during the day we can stop in the moment and be thankful. Keeping a record of these moments, journaling, is what Professor Emmons recommends. When life becomes overwhelming we can look back at our musings and see just how lucky we really are.

Indeed, further results of the University of California’s study show that a daily gratitude intervention (self-guided exercises) with young adults resulted in higher reported levels of the positive states of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, attentiveness and energy compared to a focus on hassles or a downward social comparison (ways in which participants thought they were better off than others). There was no difference in levels of unpleasant emotions reported in the three groups.

As we are told not to sweat the small things so too can we be very grateful for the little joys in our lives. I just got back from running to school to drop-off something for my daughter. Upon entering the house, which is warm and toasty compared to the rainy, cold day outside, I was greeted by my three dogs with tons of kisses and love. They now lie by my feet as I type away. The house is peaceful and quiet like my own personal sanctuary. I glance out my windows and see nothing but the foliage that envelops my home. These are the little moments that that we can become attuned to in gratitude. There are hundreds of such moments in any given week if we are mindful of them. They add up and build upon one another to create a more centered, content and positive perspective on life.

Furthermore, the research reports that grateful people do not deny or ignore the negative aspects of life. Again, my intuition tells me that given the perspective that gratitude gifts us, we are undoubtedly more equipped to handle life’s challenges. One’s attitude can determine how effective one is in coping with what life throws in our direction. Our perspective on life determines our reality. If we approach things with a perspective grounded in say the belief that life is unfair, everything that turns up will look unfair. But as we practice gratitude, we are endowed with its gifts of optimism and the necessary energy required to take on our lives.

How can you start to practice gratitude? Begin with the art of mindfulness, being totally present in the moment. Notice all the little things that surround you, things you might take for granted if you hadn’t stopped to really look. Offer acknowledgement of these small gifts much like my moment in a warm and peaceful home with my dogs. Write them down in a gratitude journal. The little things make up the fabric of our days, our months, and our years. Oftentimes we hardly notice them because we are so caught up in the task of living. As they say, stop and smell the roses.

Stop and consider what you have been given in life. Are you blessed with financial security? Do you have loving children, a supportive family? A nice home? Are you in good health? Do you enjoy your work? Do you have wonderful friends? What does nature give to you? Do you have a supportive and loving mate? Concentrate on what you do have and not what you lack.

Research also tells us that the act of giving back to the world has much the same effect as gratitude. Interestingly enough, Emmons study also found that participants in the daily gratitude condition were more likely to report having helped someone with a personal problem or having offered emotional support to another. The act of gratitude and the act of giving back therefore reinforce each other and lead to the inevitable …more fulfilling, meaningful and happy lives.

These are things that we all know to be true in the abstract and yet we can take them from the abstract into the specifics of our own existence. Start practicing gratitude today. Pull out a notebook and write down just one thing. Commit to adding to this journal everyday. A good time might be before bedtime when you have time to reflect back on your day. Think of all the good things that occurred. Perhaps a brief but meaningful exchange with a child or a friend. Maybe a great cup of coffee. When you put down your pen and paper, you might just go to sleep easier. That’s yet something else for which to be grateful.

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Pearly Penile Papules Treatment Using Electrodesiccation With Curettage

This is a type of Electrosurgery that is also used for PPP removal. Like the previous methods, the purposes of this surgery are to reduce benign and malignant lesions, control bleeding, and cut or excise tissue. The major types of electrosurgery are electrodesiccation, electrocoagulation, electrosection and fulguration.

Electrosurgery can be used for incision techniques: full-thickness excision of nevi, produce partial-thickness removal of superficial lesions, and also for deducting vascular lesions like hemangiomas or pyogenic granulomas. Burns, shocks and infection transmission can be prevented through electrosurgery.

Electrodesiccation and curettage (ED&C) is a very useful method for removing a variety of superficial skin lesions. Some of them are basal cell epitheliomas, granulation tissue, pyogenic granulomas, seborrheic keratoses, squamous cell carcinomas, genital warts and of course, the pearly penile papules.

This is done by tearing down tissue by dehydration which is done through a high-frequency electric current or electric spark. Small superficial growths like PPP are eliminated but if abnormal tissues and swollen skin form and bleeding occur, it is then performed with curettage. In case things get worse, layers of skin may be burned and so they will be successively scraped away. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia.

But before acknowledging an electric treatment, you have to be sure that this procedure is safe for you. Regarding the matter, an M.D. named Glenn Goldman said, “Most dermatologists recognize that there are certain areas in which curettage should not be performed, but it’s still relatively prevalent in the community for lesions that might be better treated by surgical incision to be treated by curettage and electrodesiccation.”

Nevertheless, if you pursued this treatment, be sure to prevent infection after the surgery. When the wounds are healing, it should be cleansed daily and apply with petrolatum or antibiotic ointment. These ointments can provide damp protection for new tissue growth. Afterwards, cover the affected area with ordinary adhesive bandages.

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Five Ways An Independent NH Insurance Agent Will Benefit You

Whether you’re surfing the web, listening to the radio, or watching television, you are probably aware of the multitude of insurance agencies promising huge savings on your policy in just minutes. Though these ads may be enticing, it is advisable to consider what you could turn out to be giving up for this plunge in dollars and how extensive your insurance NH policy is if created in just a few minutes’ time. Within the insurance industry, price presents just one of the many elements you should think about, and determining the right policies for your needs frequently involves exploration. Along with carrying out these studies for you, looking at many different insurance companies’ costs and coverage possibilities to chose the plans that work best with your unique requirements and potential risks, listed below are several additional benefits associated with working with a private insurance broker:

1. Service – With so many businesses switching to automatic telephone systems, the personalized customer care you’ll still get at your local independent insurance agency is often refreshing. When you’ve got a coverage issue or worse, need to file an insurance claim, would you want to phone your insurance company and be greeted by a computerized recording or an actual human being? At localized insurance providers, an actual human being will still greet and assist you, and in the unlucky circumstance that you have to file an insurance claim, your agent will not only make it easier to comprehend the coverage you have, but also help you to report the claim.

2. Community Involvement- A lot of independent insurance agencies stress a strong emphasis on community participation, and watching your agent give back to the local community will make you feel fantastic about working with them. From supporting local fundraising events and helping organizations promote their upcoming events to acting as board participants for neighborhood non-profits as well as donating funds to neighborhood charitable groups, there are numerous ways your NH insurance agency might help assist your town.

3. Local knowledge- Besides giving back to the community, independent agents are also native residents with a lot of knowledge about the area. This level of experience allows them to greater protect your properties and assets. As an example, a local insurance agent is likely to be more familiar with New England’s high water tables that raise flood dangers in the spring than an insurance supplier based in the South is. Due to this, a nearby agency is far more likely to advocate basement water protection, which is normally not included in a typical homeowners policy, to shield you against this annual threat. A lot of insurance brokers have lived in your community for decades and use their understanding of the community to assist you to further understand and minimize your risks.

4. One-stop shopping- Regardless of whether you are looking for personal insurance to protect your house and automobile or professional insurance coverage for your company, private insurance companies provide you with the convenience of one-stop shopping. Your insurance broker can not only manage your personal and business enterprise insurance demands, but additionally can help you purchase health, life, dental, disability, and long-term care insurance. Some full-service firms also provide financial planning assistance and exclusive varieties of coverage such as horse insurance and medical malpractice insurance. Relying on one NH insurance agency for your circumstances will help you stay organized and enjoy stress-free experiences whenever an insurance claim develops or perhaps coverage concerns crop up.

5. Reputation- Although a few innovative sorts of marketing have come about in recent years, popularity and recommendations from people you trust generally still play a crucial role in finding companies you can depend on, and many insurance firms are proud of the well-established reputations they maintain inside their towns and cities. You could potentially find a quote from a web-based insurance company in a matter of moments, but wouldn’t you rather put your trust in an insurance company in which your friends, family, neighbors, or co-workers can give you a testimonial? Not only does a company’s years of service function as a testament to its well-proven status, but it also tells you its financial stability, letting you really feel certain that your resources are protected through a business which will be in business for years to come.

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Why Did You Choose to Become a Respiratory Therapist?

When we were little kids, we had a clear idea of what we wanted to become. Children are specific in what they want to achieve in life. They want to become doctors, nurses, artists, architects and engineers to name a few. As they grow older, their preferences are changed.

For a respiratory therapist, what are some of their reasons why they chose this career among the others? Does it have a special meaning for them? Are they inspired by someone? At times that their work is weighing them down and almost wants to make them give up, it is best to reminisce and remember the reason you become a respiratory therapist.

First Realization

How did you arrive at a decision that you want to be a respiratory therapist? I am sure there is an underlying reason for some people to choose this career. It could be a childhood dream, or it could be because of a death of a loved one due to cardiopulmonary disease that inspires you to pursue this career.

Inspiration

We become what we are because we have our idols and role models. Some people became respiratory therapist because they are inspired by someone. It could be a close family or a friend. Whoever it is, being inspired by a role model could help you decide to take this career path.

Fascination with Science

Most career in medical care deals with Science. It is more evident in respiratory therapy because there are different components needed to help a patient overcome the different cardiopulmonary diseases. If you are a person who lives and breathes Science especially the respiratory system then the most obvious choice of career for you is to become a respiratory therapist.

Concern for the Environment and Health

A respiratory therapist is not only after the treatment of the breathing diseases but they are also after the prevention. In fact, they preferred to prevent the diseases than treat it. What prompted them to choose this profession is the concern that the environment is the main culprit why some people have problems with their respiratory system. They want to make help make the world a better world to breathe in. This is the action that they will take in order to be of help to the society and the people in it.

Whatever is the reason why some people choose the field of respiratory therapy, there is one major goal at hand. That is to give patients a fighting chance to overcome their breathing problems.

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The Best Foods You Can Eat to Nourish the Kidneys and Bladder

In Oriental Medicine, the nature and quality of food including its flavour, taste and heat/cold nature, determines its healing potential and its ability to balance or unbalance the body, through affecting the Blood, Qi and other body fluids.

There are many ‘diets, and the aim of this perspective on food and nutrition, is not to give you another ‘diet’ to follow rigidly, but rather, to give you some simple guidelines from a combined western and oriental perspective. These will give you a way to gently nurture and support your body from the inside.

The Water Element which governs the Kidney and Bladder organs in Traditional Chinese Medicine, relates to the season of winter, and it the most yin part of the seasonal cycle. It is the time for introspection, rest, putting oneself into a receptive mode and storing energy, nutrients and Chi. It is also about warming the body’s core.

The flavours that support the Water energy are the salty and bitter flavours, because they promote a sinking, centering quality.

Bitter foods include lettuce, endive, watercress, turnip, celery, asparagus, alfalfa, rye, oats, quinoa, amaranth and citrus peels.

Salty foods include, miso, soya sauce, seaweeds, millet and barley.

The Kidneys in Traditional Chinese Medicine are seen as the core of the body and are the foundation of all yin and yang qualities in the body.

The Yin energy is about nurturing, supporting, stabilizing, moistening and building the body. The Yang energy warms, energizes, and animates the body. The Kidneys also store the Jing essence, which is the Qi (vital energy) passed on from the parents. Jing determines the constitution and health of the person, and once it is used up, life ceases. Certain foods nourish Jing, and will promote the growth, renewal and development of the body and mind, resulting in more vitality, longevity, increased reproductive capacity and protection from premature ageing.

The Kidneys can manifest a deficiency of Kidney Yin and/or Kidney Yang, Deficient Kidney Qi, (which is not as deep as a Kidney Yang deficiency and Jing (essence) deficiency.

Symptoms of Kidney Yin deficiency are those which indicate a drying up of internal fluids and an increase in deficient heat symptoms. For example, dry mouth and throat, fever, dizziness, tinnitus, constipation and spontaneous sweating.

Symptoms of Kidney Yang deficiency include cold extremities, an aversion to cold, lack of sexual desire, frequent clear urination, weak knees and back and a pale complexion.

Foods that nurture Kidney Yin include millet, barley, tofu, string beans, black beans, kuzu, watermelon, berries (black, mulberries, blue) potatoe, seaweeds, spirulina, chorella, black sesame seeds, sardines, crab, clams, eggs, pork and cheese.

Foods that nurture Kidney Yang include cloves, fennel, anise, black peppercorn, ginger, cinnamon, onion family, chicken, lamb, trout, salmon, quinoa and walnuts.

Foods that build up the Kidney Chi include parsley, wheat berries and sweet rice.

Foods that nourish Jing essence include chorella, spirulina, fish, liver, kidney, bone and marrow, almonds, milk, ghee, royal jelly, bee pollen, plus vitamin A and B12.

A common imbalance in the Bladder is a condition known as Damp Heat in the Bladder, in western terms a Bladder infection. This indicates that dampness and heat have combined in the bladder, producing symptoms of burning, painful or frequent urination, sometimes fever, thirst and a sensation of urinary fullness.

Bitter, cooling and alkanizing foods help reduce dampness and heat.

Useful foods for damp heat conditions include aduki beans, lima beans, celery, carrots, winter squash, potatoes, asparagus, mushrooms, lemon and cranberries.

Eating lightly (vegetable broths) and drinking plenty of fluids is the best recommendation, especially in the acute stage of the infection.

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Lose a Significant Amount of Weight Between Thanksgiving and Christmas

If you’re anxious about Thanksgiving and Christmas time eating, there’s a diet that could be the solution to your problems. Eating at Thanksgiving and at Christmas can be a dieter’s nightmare. Constant temptation and tradition and emotion all wrapped up with a pretty bow on it, huh?

What can you do?

Should you ruin your holidays by fending off temptation? Or, should you roll with it and make up for the bad behaviour at the New Year when just about everyone and their brother is resolving to lose that spare tire?

The Holiday Diet

Consider doing the Calorie Shifting Diet between Thanksgiving and Christmas. There’s a window of a few weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas that are a great time to sacrifice and diet. This way, you can enjoy both holidays and still do a bit of damage control in the middle. Then January 1, go back on your diet wagon… if even necessary!

During those few weeks in the middle of the two fattening holidays, you might consider doing the calorie shifting diet because this is a diet that has many rave reviews of 7-10 pounds lost in 11 days through caloric cycling or zig zag dieting.

May will also do a cabbage soup / sacred heart detox diet.

What does this diet do?

The diet tricks your metabolism by having you zig zag and vary your caloric intake greatly and by giving you a specific diet menu to follow that releases fat burning hormones. Also, you’re eating 4 meals a day on this diet instead of 3 so your metabolism works much harder and helps you avoid the weight loss plateau. This diet can be done at any time of the year but doing it in early December can be helpful because:

1) You’ve gotten Thanksgiving out of the way

2) You’re going to be busy for a few weeks shopping and living before the real festivities hit.

3) This diet works in 11 day rotations with 3 day cheat days in between so this can even time well with some holiday parties.

Getting Started

Starting the diet around December 1 could result in up to 10 pounds lost by December 11.

Starting around December 5 could result in up to 10 pounds lost by December 16.

After the holidays are over, you’ll probably lose more than the typical 5 pounds that you gained over the holidays because most people lose 7-10 pounds.

This diet is available online with two components.

1) A Diet Guide

2) An online menu planner

The menu planner enables you to simply print off your menu and head to the grocery store for everything you need. Then, you simply eat what you’re told for each specific day. You’ll have 4 meals and you can eat them in any combination. There are no measurements or calorie counting and you simply eat until just before you’re full. There are other guidelines included such as plenty of water, going easy on the condiments and there are even tips for handling yourself at parties or restaurants which is a big dilemma for many dieters during the festive season.

The best thing about this type of plan is that you can do it whenever you need to. If you get to your goal weight in January and then fall of the wagon a little on a holiday or from some winter comfort eating, you can shed weight quickly by simply running the menu generator again and doing another 11 day stint.

If you’re reading this article too close to Christmas to get started on this diet, consider using if for your New Year’s Resolution diet.

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Finally, a Nearly Perfect Go Bag

For many years my emergency kit consisted of a Rubbermaid box with an eclectic mix of half used items. It worked well enough- as long as I didn’t have to carry it and I could scavenge forgotten items from the rest of the house as needed.

But no longer do I have to worry about not being able to carry it, or forgetting something, or not having enough toilet paper- Gorgimi has nearly perfected a line of Go-bags that puts everything you should need to be comfortable for 72 hours into an ingeniously designed dry bag that can be grabbed at a moments notice. It contains everything- Shelter, Water, Food, Bedding, Hygiene, First Aid, Tools and Rescue Aids- everything. And none of the contents are the novelty items that so many companies cram into a cheap daypack and call it a survival kit – this is the real deal. The poncho tarp is the same used by elite backpackers and renown for its durability, there is a real fleece blanket, the food and water require no preparation or utensils and have a five year shelf life, the tools are from a world leader in the industry, the flashlight radio has its own generator so that it never requires batteries (or shaking), and it has enough water to stay comfortable. The contents are organized into modules that make them easy to retrieve and keeps it all organized. The elite nature of the equipment not only makes for more comfortable emergencies, it also keeps the weight way down, coming in at only 25 lbs or so (depending on the model). The dry bag can be carried as a backpack (because of their Sliding Harness technology) or as a duffel, it is waterproof, and the entire package floats. It can’t be beat.

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Importance of Patient Education in the Hospital Setting

Shorter hospital stays related to cost containment with managed care, make another area important. That is patient education.

In hospitals who set the highest standards and have the budgetary ability for its support,there is a patient education department or at least the ability to provide to patient educational material. In most hospitals the nursing standards includes the provision of education to patients and families along with the appropriate literature related to their illness and incorporates this into nursing care.

Budget cutting that excludes the process of patient education falls short in meeting the needs of patients and fails miserably in our health care system.

What does this mean to a patient? It means from the time you enter a hospital until and including their discharge, there should be ongoing information provided.

It begins with instruction on the use of your call bell, with essential confirmation that you understand by feedback to your nurse. All the questions you are asked provide healthcare staff of important information, such as any allergies you may have. A wrist band should include your name and allergies.

Every procedure that is done to you as a patient should be preceded by an explanation as to what it is evaluating and how it is done.

Everytime a medication is administered to you, its name and action should be explained along with the provision of printed educational material.

When there is a change in your condition requiring a new plan of care you and your family should have input into it.

If you or your family member needs additional support not available through the hospital such as your community or religious support, they can be notified. Patient confidentiality prevents the hospital from making your stay there public.

Do not fear the hospital environment, but be alert to anything unusual, if your medication looks different or if you are suddenly being whisked off for a test you have not been advised of, notify your nurse. Make sure the hospital staff uses your last name in your care with frequent checks of your ID band.

When your injury or illness causes you pain. It is best to request medication before it becomes too severe as it will take time for the nurse to visit you and then obtain it for you. They should be using a pain scale to assess your pain and to be sure your pain relief is adequate.

Remember your nurse and your doctor should also be your teachers.

It is critical that any sudden pain or distress, such as chest pain or shortness of breath,be addressed promptly and it is most appropriate to call out for help if there is a delay in answering your call bell.

At the time of your discharge from the hospital, which can be overnight or a day or two.You should be given in writing discharge instructions with a verbal review for you and your family It should include new medications how they are to be taken and matching literature for reinforcement. It should advise diet and activity level, as well as return visit with doctor. There should be phone numbers and instructions for contact in the event of any complications.

In this harried time in health care try to understand the hospital has to triage in the emergency room,that means that the most critically ill patient must be seen first and often that means you must wait your turn. For non emergency type health problems it is best to use the office visit.

Ask questions freely, the harried staff will appreciate this and will give you clarifications rather then having things come undone through misunderstandings.

We are all part of this system as it is today,those who care for you also get ill and experience the same frustrations as everyone else. But, with all its imperfections, we have made great advances in healthcare and most of us will have a better quality of life because of it.

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Aromatherapy Massage – Its Importance and Health Benefits

Aromatherapy is the science that uses the healing powers of essential oils. Aromatic essential oils are distilled from organic plant sources. These plants produce many natural phyto chemicals. Thus, essential oils have diverse therapeutic effects on the mind, body and spirit.

Massage and Aromatherapy go hand in hand. In ancient Egypt, aromatic baths were a daily ritual. This was followed by a massage using aromatic oils made from cinnamon, rose, cedar wood, lilies, myrrh and so on. The last Egyptian queen Cleopatra was famous for exotic massages, aromatic baths and perfumes. She lavishly used perfumes to seduce both Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony. In those days, aromatherapy massage was meant for relaxation, pleasant bodily scents, skin conditioning and overall healing. They did not have a clear distinction between perfumery and healing. We now know that an aromatic essential oil massage heals through the sense of touch and smell.

Importance of Aromatherapy Massage

The true significance of an aromatherapy massage is to completely harmonize the mind and the body. Pure and natural essential oils both heal and beautify the body, emotions, and the psyche for a truly powerful and unique sensory experience. An aromatherapy massage is effective due to the ability of the essential oil to penetrate the skin layers and tissues. This permits the oil to enter into the blood quickly and spread the therapeutic benefit throughout the body. The quality of the essential oil will directly affect the extent to which the positive health effects the oil can be derived.

Aromatherapy massage has been accepted today to play a role in relaxation, rehabilitation, and preventive health care in western medicine as well. These massages are offered as part of the health package in spas, beauty clinics resorts and wellness centers.

Essential oils need to be selected and used with care and caution before delivering an aromatherapy massage. Essential oils can either sedate or stimulate the recipient. Most oils are antibacterial and many anti-spasmodic. There are many aromatherapy products available in the market today which contain synthetic substances. These do not give any therapeutic health benefits and can in fact cause adverse reactions.

Health Benefits for Specific Ailments with Aromatherapy Massage

  • PMS (premenstrual syndrome)
  • Menopausal symptoms
  • Digestive problems,
  • Stress
  • Hypertension,
  • Insomnia,
  • Muscle and joint stiffness
  • Lethargy and low energy levels

These are some health conditions that respond very well to massage with essential oils.

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Are There Any Side Effects of Turmeric?

The side effects of turmeric are mild, unless one takes an unusually high dose. There are some supplement manufacturers currently suggesting 100,000 mg per day. That much will cause diarrhea and can cause anemia. There is no data to support the safety of regularly consuming that much. It is far more than would ever be eaten and far more than has been used in clinical studies.

You might be wondering why a company would recommend such a high dose. There are two words that explain it; low bioavailability. That phrase probably requires some explanation, too.

Drugs, nutrients and dietary supplements may be effective or ineffective, depending on their bioavailability. Basically, that is the body’s ability to absorb the compound into the bloodstream. If it stays in the digestive tract, it will be of little or no benefit, unless the intent is to treat digestive ailments.

At high doses, the side effects of turmeric include diarrhea, because most of it stays in the digestive tract. A practitioner might recommend that kind of dose for someone that is frequently constipated, but it would only be a short-term treatment.

Over the long-term, anything that has a laxative effect interferes with the body’s natural elimination processes, causes dehydration, electrolyte imbalance and mal-absorption of nutrients.

To take a 100,000mg dose on a daily basis would eventually lead to chronic nutritional deficiencies. Chronic nutritional deficiencies lead to a vast array of health problems, including cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, obesity, depression, chronic fatigue, etc.

It borders on negligence for a health supplement manufacture to suggest a dosage that can cause those problems.

At low doses, there are no negative side effects of turmeric, but there is the problem of bioavailability. There is a simple solution to that problem; an enteric coating. Most supplement manufacturers don’t take that route, because coatings are expensive.

It is much cheaper to include piperine, which enhances the bioavailability of a number of different nutrients, including beta-carotene, selenium, vitamin B6 and amino acids.

The best supplement companies include piperine and the enteric coating to keep the required dose as low as possible and avoid the negative side effects of turmeric.

If you really want to do something good for your health, look for a supplement that includes basic essential vitamins, minerals and amino acids, lots of different antioxidants and a variety of plant extracts.

Vitamin deficiencies are on the rise, but recent research indicates that the big brand names that are so common on store shelves are not really effective.

A manufacturer must use the right form of a nutrient and they must use the right delivery system, which is often an enteric coating to prevent stomach acid from degrading it.

Our body is designed to take food and break it down into its component nutrients, discarding fiber and other unusable portions as waste.

It doesn’t need to break down a nutrient in pill form, but it doesn’t know that.

The bottom line is this. Avoid the side effects of turmeric and get the benefits, with a well-designed multi-nutritional supplement.

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7 Valuable Tips to Help With Opiate Addiction Withdrawals and Symptoms From Home

Breaking free from a drug addiction can be extremely hard. It can be both scary and intimidating for those wanting to beat their opiate addictions. Heroin addicts can face some of the most excruciating withdrawal symptoms. For some, in-patient rehabilitation isn’t an option or may not be affordable and can cost thousands of dollars to go through. Although rehab clinics are the best way for someone to overcome a drug addiction, an at-home solution is both discrete and from the comfort of you own home.

Although illicit opiate addictions such as heroin addictions and opium addictions are often the stronger of the withdrawal symptoms, even pharmaceutical opiate addictions can be almost as hard to kick.

Below are some tips for those wanting to beat their opiate addiction from home to enjoy a drug-free clean lifestyle.

1. Get a book or program to help you understand your addiction and aid in your ability to fight the withdrawal symptoms. At the bottom of this article is a website that offers such programs designed to help you from the comfort of your own home. In addiction they cost much less than going in to a rehab clinic and can save you a lot of money. Even a hundred dollar program which is guaranteed to work cost much much less than a in-patient clinic. This is highly advised.

2. All too often people rely on their drug addiction to keep them going. This is one of the biggest mistakes one could make. If you are currently using drugs it is important to do the necessary steps to keep yourself healthy. Eating right, taking vitamin supplements, getting lots of sleep, staying hydrated and making healthy decisions are crucial when you decide to quit or if you are in a position where you can’t maintain your drug habit. Don’t push yourself simply because a drug makes you feel that you can. Instead make every effort to keep yourself healthy, you’ll be thankful when the opiate withdrawal symptoms come around.

3. Take it seriously. Don’t plan on your withdrawal symptoms to be easy. Make sure you are fully prepared both mentally, physically and socially to handle such a process. Opiate withdrawal symptoms don’t last very long but you may be in a position where you have to miss work, family occasions and other possible commitments you may have. Again, getting a book or program beforehand is a smart way to play it safe, and you will find such resources at the bottom of this article.

4. Mind over matter. You may get some anxiety when the withdrawal symptoms start to occur. Try to think positive and think of it as your body trying to heal itself and that it is long-overdue. The symptoms won’t last forever and the first two days are always the hardest. Do your best to ignore limiting attitudes and keep in mind that every day, every second, and every minute you are getting better and better and closer to feeling better.

5. Rest as much as you can. Most opiate addicts don’t realize that they don’t get nearly as much sleep because they are not used to feeling bad from a lack of sleep. In other words sleep equals healing. The more you rest and drink plenty of fluids the more your body gets a chance to heal itself thoroughly.

6. Treat yourself as if you have the flu. Whether you are an opium addict, heroin addict, or addicted to methadone, when the withdrawal symptoms hit, it always resembles the flu. So what is the best thing to do? Treat your withdrawal symptoms as the flu. By this I mean, take vitamin supplements, vitamin c, drink plenty of juices, electrolyte sports drinks, lots of water, chicken noodles soups and other “brothy” soups, rest plenty, stay warm, if possible, take a warm bath and soak for a long period of time (this will calm your nerves) and sometimes a little bit of acetaminophen will help the body aches and pains.

7. Create a plan – Having a well-thought out plan will minimize the risk of severely uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms from a severe opiate addiction. For example if you are addicted to opium, the reading about it online or knowing what to expect can prep your mind for the rather uncomfortable experience you are about to encounter.

No matter where you live whether its in Portland Oregon, Los Angeles California, Austin Texas or New York New York, there are countless people going through what you may be going through, and thousands have been able to overcome such addictions. If possible, seek professional advice from a doctor, counselor, friends and family you trust. There are many programs all throughout the world that offer free or inexpensive solutions to drug addiction rehabilitation. Know your options and keep your convictions strong, have a positive attitude and you can succeed at any trial you may be faced with.

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Can Juicing Benefit Your Health Or Help Cure Disease?

Juicing has become very popular in recent times. You don’t even need to have your own juicer at home because there is an abundance of cafes and restaurants that will prepare fresh juice while you wait. Fresh juices taste delicious and most people drink them because they enjoy them but what about the health benefits?

Well there are the obvious benefits like the fact that fruit and vegetable juices are packed full of vitamins, minerals, fiber and live enzymes which are all essential to good health. But surely we get those benefits if we eat the fruit as a whole? Not exactly true – all the nutrients remain, apart from the fiber which is removed during the juicing process. We all know the importance of fiber for good health so surely the removal of it isn’t a good thing?

Well actually, it is the removal of this insoluble fiber that makes the juice easier to digest. In fact fresh juices require almost no digestion so the bioavailability of the nutrients is massively increased. There are many conditions or illnesses where this increased bioavailability of nutrients is so important to the health of the individual! Here are just some examples:

  • Celiac disease – damage to the villi of the small intestine causes malabsorption and often results in nutritional deficiency. Juicing means that a higher amount of nutrients will be absorbed, and assimilated into our cells.
  • Immune conditions including cancer – increased absorption of vitamins, antioxidants and minerals enhances a person’s immunity.
  • Constipation – despite the fact that insoluble fiber has been removed your chances of suffering from constipation are far less of you regularly have fresh juices.
  • Bone health – rapid absorption and assimilation of vitamin C (high in citrus fruits) and bone minerals such as Calcium, potassium and iron contribute to an improvement in bone health.
  • Anemia – by juicing kale (high in iron, vitamin C, calcium and vitamin A) iron levels can quickly increase and anemia can be cured.
  • Food intolerance – leaky gut is often present in cases of food intolerance and also leads to malabsorption of nutrients so juicing increases the absorption of crucial nutrients.

These are just some examples of the types of conditions that can benefit hugely from a fresh, preferably organic, daily juice. Even if you are in excellent health your overall health and vitality can still be enhanced by drinking fresh juices, and adding spices can further increase the health benefits. Every fruit and vegetable has distinct properties and therefore has different effects on our bodies. It is impossible to describe all the possible concoctions of juices for each condition in this article, but our advice would be to choose a variety of your favourite fruits and vegetables that will benefit your condition – you really can’t go wrong!

Some fruits and vegetables are better for certain conditions than others. For instance, antioxidants for cancer and ginger for inflammation like arthritis. You can find out more about which foods are best for your condition and then ensure you juice those each day. if you can’t do it every day, don’t do it in bulk and store the juice in the fridge as nutrients will be lost. If you want to make the juices in bulk, freeze the juices in little tuppawares and defrost on the kitchen counter naturally, one at a time, to preserve more of the nutrients. If you make 7 glasses each time, you have a one week supply!

We suggest you try to juice organic products as unfortunately, due to current farming methods, storage and other issues, an apple bought in the supermarket these days, has far fewer nutrients than the apples our grandparents ate.

Disclaimer: The use of this information is not a substitute for health advice. Please consult your doctor, pharmacist or health care provider for specific medical advice.