Health Life

2009-02-22T17:08:00.000-08:00

Definition
Splenic trauma is physical injury to the spleen, the lymphatic organ located in the upper left side of the abdomen just under the rib cage. The spleen weighs between 75 and 150 grams (between 0.16 and 0.33 pounds) in adults.

Description

The spleen is an organ that produces white blood cells, filters the blood (10-15% of the total blood supply every minute), stores red blood cells and platelets, and destroys those that are aging. It is located near the stomach on the left side of the abdomen. A direct blow to the abdomen may bruise, tear or shatter the spleen. Trauma to the spleen can cause varying degrees of damage, the major problem associated with internal bleeding. Mild splenic subcapsular hematomas are injuries in which bleeding is limited to small areas on and immediately around the spleen. Splenic contusions refer to bruising and bleeding on and around larger areas of the spleen. Lacerations (tears) are the most common splenic trauma injuries. Tears tend to occur on the areas between the three main blood vessels of the spleen. Because of the abundant blood supply, splenic trauma may cause serious internal bleeding. Most injuries to the spleen in children heal spontaneously. Severe trauma can cause the spleen or its blood vessels to rupture or fragment.

Splenic trauma is more common in children than in adults. In general, children are prone to abdominal injuries due to accidents and falls and because their abdominal organs are less protected by bone, muscle and fat. Abdominal injuries including splenic trauma are the most common cause of preventable deaths in children.

Causes and symptoms

The most common cause of injury to the spleen is blunt abdominal trauma. Blunt trauma is often caused by a direct blow to the belly, car and motorcycle accidents, falls, sports mishaps, and fights. The spleen is the most commonly injured organ in blunt abdominal trauma; splenic injury occurs in nearly 25% of injuries of this type. Penetrating injuries such as those from stabbing, gunshot wounds, and accidental impaling also account for cases of splenic trauma, although far less frequently than blunt trauma.

In adults, ruptured spleens may have been preceded by conditions causing rapid splenic enlargement, such as infections, particularly those caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV); cancer; immune system disorders; diseases of the spleen; or circulatory problems. In a very few cases the spleen may be injured by a spell of violent coughing. This type of rupture is known as an atraumatic rupture.

A spleen that has become enlarged and fragile from disease is sometimes ruptured by a doctor or medical student in the course of palpating (feeling) the patient's abdomen, or damaged by a surgeon in the course of an operation on other abdominal organs.

Damage to the spleen may cause localized or general abdominal pain, tenderness, and swelling. Fractured ribs may be present. Splenic trauma may cause mild or severe internal bleeding, leading to shock and for which symptoms include rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, thirst, pale or clammy skin, weak pulse, low blood pressure, dizziness, fainting, sweating. Vomiting blood, blood in the stools or urine, deterioration of vital signs, and loss of consciousness are other symptoms.

Diagnosis

The goal of diagnosis of all abdominal traumas is to detect and treat life-threatening injuries as quickly as possible. The physician will determine the extent of organ damage and whether surgery will be necessary while providing appropriate emergency care. Initial diagnosis consists of detailing all circumstances of the injury from the patient and bystanders as well as the close physical examination of the patient and measurement of vital signs. Blood tests, urinalysis, stool samples and x rays of the chest and abdomen are usually performed. Plain x rays may show abdominal air pockets that indicate internal ruptures, but are rarely helpful because they do not show splenic and intra-abdominal damage.

Several other diagnostic tests may be used for the noninvasive and accurate assessment of splenic damage: computed tomography scans (CT), of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), radionuclide scanning, and ultrasonography. Ultrasonography-particularly focused abdominal sonographic technique (FAST)- has now become a standard bedside technique in many hospitals to check for bleeding in the abdomen. Imaging tests allow doctors to determine the necessity and type of surgery required. The CT scan has been shown to be the most available and accurate test for abdominal trauma. MRI tests are accurate but costly and less available in some hospitals, while radionuclide scanning requires more time and patient stability. Peritoneal lavage is another diagnostic technique in which the abdominal cavity is entered and flushed to check for bleeding. When patients exhibit shock, infection, or prolonged internal bleeding, exploratory laparoscopy is used for emergency diagnosis.

Treatment

Not long ago nearly all cases of splenic trauma were treated by laparoscopy, opening the abdomen, and by splenectomy, the surgical removal of the spleen. This approach resulted from the difficulty in assessing the severity of the injury, the potential dangers of shock and death, and the beliefs that the spleen healed poorly and that it was not an important organ. Nowadays, improved techniques of diagnosis and monitoring (particularly the introduction of CT scans), as well as understanding that removal of the spleen creates future risk of a lowered capacity to fight infection has modified treatment approaches. Research over the past two decades has shown that the spleen has high healing potential, and confirmed that children are more susceptible to infection after splenectomy (post splenectomy sepsis, PSS). PSS has a mortality rate of over 50% and standard procedure now avoids splenectomy as much as possible. Adult splenic trauma is treated by splenectomy more often than children's; for unknown reasons, the adult spleen more frequently spontaneously ruptures after injury. Adults are also less susceptible to PSS.

Nonoperative treatment

In nonoperative therapy, splenic trauma patients are monitored closely, often in intensive care units for several days. Fluid and blood levels are observed and maintained by intravenous fluid and possible blood transfusions. Follow-up scans may be used to observe the healing process.

Operative treatment

Splenic trauma patients require surgery when nonoperative treatment fails, when major or prolonged internal bleeding exists and for gunshot and many stab wounds. Whenever possible, surgeons try to preserve at least part of the spleen and try to repair its blood vessels.

Prognosis

The ample blood supply to the spleen can promote rapid healing. Studies have shown that intra-abdominal bleeding associated with splenic trauma stops without surgical intervention in up to two out of three cases in children. When trauma patients stabilize during nonoperative therapy, chances are high that surgery will be avoided and that spleen injuries will heal themselves. Splenic trauma patients undergoing diagnostic tests such as CT and MRI scans have improved chances of avoiding splenectomy and retaining whole or partial spleens.

Key Terms

Computed tomography (CT) scan: Computer-aided x-ray examination that allows cross-sectional views of organs and tissues.
Laparoscope: An optical or fiberoptic instrument that is inserted by incision in the abdominal wall and is used to view the interior of the peritoneal cavity.
Laparoscopy: Procedure using a laparoscope to view organs, obtain tissue samples and perform surgery.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): Imaging technique using magnets and radio waves to provide internal pictures of the body.
Radionuclide scanning: Diagnostic test in which a radioactive dye is injected into the bloodstream and photographed to display internal vessels, organs and tissues.
Ultrasonography: Imaging test using sound waves to view internal organs and tissues.

For Your Information

Resources

Books

Beers, Mark H., MD, and Robert Berkow, MD., editors. "Splenic Rupture." Section 11, Chapter 141 In The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy. Whitehouse Station, NJ: Merck Research Laboratories, 2004.

Periodicals

Bjerke, H. Scott, MD, and Janet S. Bjerke, MSN. "Splenic Rupture." eMedicine June 19, 2002.
Dixon, E., J. S. Graham, R. Sutherland, and P. C. Mitchell. "Splenic Injury Following Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography: A Case Report and Review of the Literature." Journal of the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons 8 (July-September 2004): 275-277.
Kara, E., Y. Kaya, R. Zeybek, et al. "A Case of a Diaphragmatic Rupture Complicated with Lacerations of Stomach and Spleen Caused by a Violent Cough Presenting with Mediastinal Shift." Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore 33 (September 2004): 649-650.
Laseter, T., and T. McReynolds. "Spontaneous Splenic Rupture." Military Medicine 169 (August 2004): 673-674.

Organizations

American Trauma Society. 8903 Presidential Pkwy Suite 512, Upper Marlboro, MD 20227. (800) 556-7890.

Other

American Association for the Surgery of Trauma home page.

How to Maintain Your Weight Loss!

2009-02-19T19:36:00.000-08:00

Once you have started losing weight, it is crucial to think of how to maintain that weight loss in the days ahead.

It may seem hard to believe, but taking the weight off is the easy part. Maintaining weight loss for good is where the real challenge lies. If you are like me, you have tried countless diets only to gain the weight back. People lose lots of weight on diets everyday, but 95% of them gain it back because they have focused only on the weight loss. They follow the diet until they get to a particular number on the scale and then shortly after, they go back to the old lifestyle that made them overweight in the first place. Of course, over time the weight comes right back.

The truth is, almost everyone can lose weight but only 5% keep it off. These are the Weight Loss Registry's figures, not mine. The WLR followed highly successful dieters and came up with seven reasons why people were able to keep the weight off.
Here are the seven reasons the dieters were successful.

1. The dieters accepted failure and kept on trying.

2. The dieters did not deny themselves--they indulged from time to time.

3. They weighed themselves often.

4. They exercised one hour a day.

5. They added little bits of activity into their daily life.

6. They followed a high carb and low fat diet.

7. They ate 5 meals a day.

When I compare my own weight loss success to the list above, I would say I learned how to maintain weight loss due to the following: I do the best I can with what I have available. Sometimes I am not always in a perfect situation with the healthiest choices, but I make do with what is there and I stick to the plan. If I make a not so healthy choice, I don't beat myself up for it.

I eat YUMMY and whole foods. Using the finest ingredients makes the most delicious meals and has helped me stick to Living Well. If I wanted to indulge, I would make it from scratch using the healthiest ingredients possible. To me, indulging does not mean eating junk.

I use a tape measure to keep tabs on my weight and occasionally weigh myself.

I really struggle with exercising regularly and I have NEVER exercised for one hour a day consistently. I will do heavy housework and other activities around the house to get my heart rate up and I try different forms of exercise all the time because I get bored easily.

I think it is vital to get moving every day, somehow, and it doesn't always mean you have to be in an aerobics class or on some sort of machine to get your heart rate up.
I eat organic whole foods and healthy oils. I am not sold on the idea that low fat and high carb is the way to go. High fat is not the answer either, but healthy oils are not the enemy. The rights oils will actually speed up the metabolism.

I eat only 3 meals a day and rarely snack. I do better when I don't snack or graze on food all day. BUT, you may be different. You have to do what works best for you and your unique body.

This is the MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL I think of the health I have now and my future health EVERYDAY. I really want to enjoy my older years and I want to be healthy. I don't want to sit in a rocking chair, talking about all my symptoms and the things that ail me when I am in my golden years.

The Weight Loss Registry tips and my maintenance tips are not the only path for everyone, but instead are some ideas you can use to come up with your own way to keep the weight off once you have lost it.
Ultimately, I think it is crucial to focus on your health when changing over to a healthy lifestyle. So many people are in a hurry to lose weight. They spend their entire lives putting on the weight, losing the weight temporarily on diets and just want to get rid of it as fast as possible not taking in consideration their state of health. I know you have heard this many times before but if you don't have your health, you don't have much. Being thin will mean nothing to you if you compromise your health along the way.

Even if you are losing weight slowly, good for you! The idea here is to take off the weight and keep it off for good. Even just a couple of pounds a month adds up over the course of a year. And for those that were doing everything they could and continuing to gain weight, just stopping that weight gain is a measure of success.

With these tips, you now know how to maintain weight loss. Give yourself time to adjust to a new and healthy lifestyle and enjoy yourself along the way. A year from now your body will be thanking you for it!

Our Better Half: What We Look For In Those We Date

2009-02-19T18:14:00.000-08:00

No matter what anyone tells you, everyone wants to meet the person of his or her dreams. Everyone wants to meet the person who possesses all the qualities that make us happy, and none of the qualities that make us angry. Most, if not all of us, have an image in our minds (and in our hearts) about what the perfect person is to us. Most of us soon realize that there is no such thing as the perfect person. In fact, many times after meeting a person that we like, we find that there are many things about him or her that we don't like, but we are willing to compromise for the sake of the relationship.

Eventually we begin to realize that certain qualities are more important than others, and it is then that we give ourselves a more realistic chance at meeting the so-called perfect person. Check out the qualities that people most often look for in a person they would like to date. Anything sound familiar?

Looks

Looks aren't everything … they're the only thing. Unless you plan going on an actual blind date where neither you nor date can actually see what the other looks like, appearance is going to play at least a small role in what you think of each other. Don't despair though, not everyone is looking to date a Victoria's Secret model or a guy straight out of the Abercrombie & Fitch catalogue. If this were the truth, there would be less than one hundred people ever going out on dates. The reality of the matter is that people are looking for a person who is attractive to them, and you just might be the one. So before you give up, give the guy (or the gal) a chance to appreciate you for who you are on the outside.
Personality

After the initial physical impression comes the internal impression. Personality plays a huge role in attraction, and can often be the determining factor that helps a person meet and keep the man or woman of his or her dreams. Sometimes, personality it is a great way to balance-out a person's appearance, be it attractive or unattractive. Beauty is only skin-deep, and after a few months of staring at a good-looking person, people are eventually going to want to date someone who they can actually carry-on a meaningful conversation with.

Countdown to Fitness Success...

2008-02-14T20:02:00.000-08:00

Count Down To Fitness Success And Keep Your Motivation Drive Alive By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS There are many fantastic ways to get focused and motivated to begin a diet
or exercise program, but often the most difficult thing to do is keep that drive and ambition alive for more than a few weeks and see your goal throughto completion.

Within just weeks of starting, many people have already hit their first snag or setback, and as a result, have slipped back wards in the mental focus and motivation department. Setting goals
in writing is an essential step to success, but how do you stay focused on them? One technique I have used ever since my very first bodybuilding competition18 years ago, is...

The "contest countdown calendar." I have used it ever since, through 28 competitions and it will work for you too, for any fitness goal.

I purchase a desk or wall calendar - the type that shows each week stretching horizontally across the page with an open block of space for each day.

After I set my goal and place a deadline on it, I do NOT stop there. I take out my calendar and start counting backwards from my target goal deadline to the present day.

T-minus 117 days....

T-minus 116 days...

T-minus 115 days....

I also fill in my workouts for the entire 3-4 month period, which is the typical length I allow for my mid-range goals like contest prep.

you would be shocked - pleasantly so - just how focused this keeps you. Even better still, you get MORE and MORE motivated with each passing day you countdown because the deadline is getting closer Deadlines are absolutely critical to your success. Little gets done without deadlines.

There is a saying in management and psychology that "work will always expand to fill the time allowed for it's completion."

Remember term papers in school? when you were given a term paper assignment and
you had the entire semeseter to do it, did you run home that first night and get crankin on it?

How about after a week? two weeks? A month? TWO MONTHS? probably not, eh?

If youre like most people, you put it off until the last minute and you barely got it turned in on time. In fact, there are always a few people who pull all nighters the night before!

Alas, the power of the deadline! In your fitness endeavors, if you dont have IMPENDING deadlines that give you that twinge in your stomach that says "take action now, or else!" then you find it very easy to say to yourself, ' I have plenty of time so this one cheat meal doesnt matter... it doesnt make much difference at this point if I skip this one workout... I have time to
make it up..." And then, just like the term paper, you are scrambling at the last minute to reach
your weight goal. But in the case of a your body, the consequences are more severe and painful than just a bad grade or late penalty.

Inevitably, you succumb to crash dieting and overtraining or other unhealthy fast-weight-loss madness, which eats up your own muscle like a hungry cannibal and sends you spiraling into the dark pit of metabolic damage and the inevitable plateau and weight gain that follow.

But the solution is so simple: Count your way down to success!

Don't stop with setting goals. Put your goal countdown on paper, review your goals every single day, AND know, every single day, how many days there are until your target goal date. You will stay more consciously focused and even better, your unconscious mind will go to work for
you in keeping you motivated, on track, and on schedule. You'll come in for a landing on your goal deadline date like an F-16 landing on an aircraft carrier.

I just did my countdown calendar earlier this week... T minus 117 days til my next bodybuilding competition, and thanks to this simple but powerful technique, I'm already focused like a laser beam and have been making steady progress without so much as a hiccup...

Don't under-estimate this simple technique... Give it an honest test... because it's often the simplest motivational techniques that are the most powerful of all!.
About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder and author of the #1 best selling e-book, "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle," which teaches you how to burn fat without drugs or supplements using the little-known secrets of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of
stubborn fat and turbo-charge your metabolism.
natural

Asunto: Brain Science and New Year's Resolutions

2008-01-16T20:26:00.001-08:00

Brain Science And New Year's Resolutions By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS Motivational speaker Jim Rohn once said,
"I find it fascinating that most people plan their vacations with better care than they plan their lives. Perhaps it's becauseescape is easier than change."

Success psychologists say that 95% - 97% of the people in the world do NOT have written goals and fail, while 3-5% have written
goals and succeed.

If these statistics are correct, then Mr Rohn's observation really IS quite fascinating isn't it?

Unfortunately for most people, the odds for success are actually even lower, because out of the few people who do set goals,
most don't take goal setting seriously, they don't do it scientifically and they only do it once a year.

Goal setting is so important, that I always teach goal setting and mind dynamics first, and only THEN, do I teach nutrition and training second.

It doesnt matter how much you know about nutrition or exercise. Until specialized fitness knowledge is linked with goals and directions, the knowledge is useless
and you won't accomplish very much or keep the changes long term.

In fact, I devoted the entire first chapter of my book, Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle (www.burnthefat.com) to the subject of
goals and constructive "mind programming" for successful, permanent behavior change.

I've also studied neuro linguistic programming (NLP) for many years and more recently spent many months researching the latest information
about neuroscience to see just how much of the traditional self help and goal setting wisdom is actually backed by brain research.

As you start thinking about your goals for 2007 right Now, I'd like to help you start the year off right by sharing two very valuable,
science based tips on acheiving your goals: SCIENTIFIC GOAL SETTING TIP #1: Repetition is an effective way to "plant" a goal in the non-conscious mind

Why don't most resolutions stick? Psychology and neuroscience today are giving us the answers.

Thanks to new technologies in brain imaging, such as PET scans, SPECT scans and functional MRI's, we can now actually see your thoughts
as electrochemical impulses and we can see the formation of new neural connections in real time right before our eyes.

We can also see where, geographically, in your brain, a particular type of thought is occuring.

most importantly, we can see how long it takes to form strong neural patterns and what types of stimuli cause the patterns to form more quickly
Here's what we've discovered:

Setting a goal once is a conscious activity. Willpower is also a conscious activity. But research has shown that at least 5/6 of your brain power is in the non conscious mind
and that the information and instructions that reach the non conscious mind are responsible for your automatic behavior.

Some pyschologists believe that 95% of our behaviors are unconscious and automatic... more commonly known as habits.

Long term behavior changes don't take place when you set goals one time as with most new years resolutions. There's an old saying in "self help" circles that it takes at least
21-30 days to form a habit. This has now been proven to be fairly accurate on a neurological basis.
New neural patterns begin to form only after they've been repeated enough times. They continue to strengthen with further repetition.
If you make resolutions on January 1st and you don't continue to repeat and reinforce your desire for those "goals," no new neural
connection is formed, no new habits are formed, no new behaviors are formed....

Your resolutions wither away and die and any results obtained through willpower (trying to force the new behaviors through conscious effort), are quickly lost when
you slip back to your old ways.

What you repeat over and over again is programmed into the subconscious mind and begins to take root. On a practical level,
this means RE-writing your goals everyday and thinking about them in positive terms and in mental pictures, every day, repeatedly
until the habit is formed and turned over to "auto-piliot."

In 1956, when Earl Nightingale wrote "The Strangest Secret is that we become what we think about most of the time,"
e didnt know what we know now about the brain. Nevetheless, Earl was right.

You don't change your body by trying to change your body. You change your body by creating new habitual patterns of thinking
and visualizing.

Trying to force new behaviors with willpower while continuing with your old ways of thinking will always fail because your
automatic behavior is mostly under non-conscious control.

Its not the resolution you set once... its the goals (mental thoughts and images) you focus on all day long that create the
long term (and automatic) behavioral change... when you change your behaviors, you change your body and your life...

SCIENTIFIC GOAL SETTING TIP #2: Emotion is a goal-turbocharger

Is there any way around this tedious process of "mental programming" through repetition? Not really. The fields of NLP and hypnosis
have given us some tools for creating more rapid changes, but ultimately you have to begin to "run your own brain" and change
your habitual way of thinking. No one else can do it for you and there's no way around it.

there is however, a scientifically proven way to to speed up the process and that is with the use of strong emotion.

Since modern imaging technology can see activity in the brain and scientists have located the seat of emotions in the brain,
we know that the strength and number of neural connections associated with a thought or behavior are increased when you're in a highly emotional state.

The neuron connections are also stronger, longer lasting and it takes longer to lose a neural connection when it was formed with great emotion.

With this knowledge, we see another reason why new years resolutions fail: They are set casually with no emotion and no strong
emotional "reason why" that gives you the leverage to you need to make a change permanent.

On January 1st, you may think you're setting "real" goals, but if you're like most people, you're not only doing it a mere once a year
and then losing focus, you're also likely to be making flimsy, wishy-washy, emotion-less "resolutions."

Zig Ziglar once said that, "A goal casually set and lightly taken will be freely abandoned at the first obstacle."

You might want to back up and read that quote again, maybe even write it down or print it out, because this one hits the bull's-eye!

This truly explains why New Year's resolutions almost never work, and why so few people can keep off the pounds after they get rid of them.

Goal setting should not be casual or lightly taken. Goal setting is an important and serious matter. This is not a game - this is your life, and you only have one life to live.

Goal setting is also not a one time event - it is an ongoing process of literally "re-wiring your brain." With the discovery of brain plasticity, we now know that this is science fact, not self-help fiction.

Make the time to set REAL goals, today! Take it seriously, do it scientifically, re-write your goals every day, think about them constantly, and then take massive action

Do it and this will be the most successful year of your life!

Body Wraps and Waist Wraps

2008-01-16T20:14:00.000-08:00

Body Wraps and Waist Wraps: The Difference Between
Losing Fat And Losing Inches
By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
"Body wraps" have been around for ages in the weight loss and spa industry. Claims include loss of body weight, loss of body fat, and loss of inches. Infomercials for rubber "waist belts" are also back on TV and similar claims are made for these types of wraps as well. What few people realize is that there is a huge difference between losing fat and losing inches. When your body fat decreases, your circumference
measurements will usually also decrease, but "fat" loss and "inch" loss are not one in the same. If you don't know how to tell the difference,
you could be falling for one of the oldest, most notorious fitness and weight loss scams in the book.

The truth is, body wraps and waist belts do not shrink fat cells or burn body fat - no matter what type of wrap is used: bandages, plastic, foil, vinyl, or rubber and regardless of what you are wrapped in: herbs, minerals, enzymes, seaweed, clay, or mud - it doesn't matter. Fat can only be lost with a caloric deficit from a reduction in food intake, an increase in activity or ideally, a combination of both.

Whenever you see fat loss claims for wraps or any other product which doesn't involve a caloric deficit created though nutrition or exercise, the "scam alarm" should go off in your head, and you should always stay away, no matter how compelling the sales pitch.

Furthermore, the companies making fat loss claims would be in hot water with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) if they were investigated and caught because claims for body fat reduction from wraps cannot be supported with scientific evidence.
The FTC as well as numerous state attorney general's offices have already taken action against body wrap companies in the past for false advertising and unsupported claims. Some companies simply had to stop making false claims, others had to pay stiff fines as well. The problem, from a legal and ethical standpoint, is the claim being made. Remember, "inches" and "fat" are not the same thing.

Some types of wraps can definitely take off inches (for example, they might reduce the circumference measurement of your waist, hips, arms and legs), but it's not fat, its water weight and fluid, and the results are temporary.
Suppose this claim is made in an advertisement:
* Lose Up To 15 inches in 1 Hour! * This is legal advertising because the claim
"lose inches" might be supportable (if enough circumference measurements are taken with a tape measure at enough sites, that might add up to a total of 15 inches in circumference loss)
However I believe that these types of claims are misleading (and probably antentionally so), because "inches" is not the same as body fat but the product vendors know that you might easily confuse "inches" with "fat." Contrast that claim with this one: * Lose Body Fat without diet or exercise in 1 Hour!*
That claim is totally false and scientifically unsupportable.
Again, body wraps cannot burn fat or "shrink fat cells."
If fat loss could be achieved with body wraps, it would be very easy to test and prove.
Body composition (body fat) testing (rather than measurements of inches) could be perform edbefore and after the wrap, and the answer ("does it work") would become easily exposed.
Since it doesn't work, you won't find any wrap people accepting your challenge to allow you to do independent body composition testing, nor will you find a shred of scientific evidence showing reduction of bodyfat from wraps.
Unfortunately, bogus fat loss claims are still quite widespread, as a simple Internet search for "body wrap" will demonstrate. The most frequently used claims however, are for loss of "inches."

The inches lost simply come from loss of fluid. And guess what - those inches (and or water weight) will come right back in days if not hours, as soon as you completely re-hydrate yourself.
Other claims made for body wraps include detoxification, improved circulation and tighter, smoother and clearer skin. Most health and fitness researchers, as well as government agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will tell you that these claims are "debatable" and mostly anecdotal.
Some experts even warn that certain types of wraps can be dangerous, mainly due to the rapid and excessive fluid loss/dehydration.
If you want to get wrapped because you find it relaxing or you consider it a spa-like" treatment, that's one thing. Just remember, wraps have absolutely nothing to do with fat loss.
I'd suggest completely avoiding any companies that advertise fat loss when it's only water and inches you're losing, because a dishonest company is one you don't want to patronize at all.
One last thing - this is a timely subject because although "body wraps" have been around for ages and it's old news, I noticed that infomercials for "waist belts" or "sauna wraps" are back on TV in force and I see that they are replaying the ads over and over again, which means people are buying it.

Everything I just said about body wraps also applies to those rubber waist belts too.

On a web search I just did for those rubber belt waist wraps, I noticed some of the
websites are STILL making claims like "Melt fat" (totally bogus, unsupported and illegal claim). Other sites seem to be wary of the FTC paying them a visit, so they do a whole song and dance around the legal issues by saying stuff like, "sweat away inches," "therapeutic heat", "target your problem areas" and so on. Even if these claims are not illegal, the promotions are still deceptive...
The professional fitness model is pictured taking off the rubber belt, revealing ripped six pack abs below... as if those abs are a result of wearing the belt! Wishful thinking! These are professional models, folks. They got the abs the same way everyone else with abs got them - with a calorie deficit from a combination of strict diet and hard training!
Wraps and waist belt products might take off some inches or water weight, but they
can't take off a single ounce of fat. Buyer beware.

Programs like Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscleare focused on FAT LOSS, not water loss
or loss of inches. When body fat decreases, circumferences in inches will also
decrease, but "fat" lost and "inches" lost are not one in the same.
NEVER Give Up

Proud Father

2008-01-11T17:13:00.000-08:00

Little Johnny arrived home from school, he pops his bag on the kitchen counter and says, "Mum, I had sex with the teacher today."

Johnnys mum looked embarrased and replies, "Er, I think you'd better go and discuss this with your father. He's in the garage."

Johnnys father is beavering away on his Harley preparing it for the weekend, the garage door opens and there stands Johnny with an awkward look on his face.
"Erm dad, I had sex with the teacher today,"
Johnnys dad had a proud look on his face, " That's my boy; now you're man enough to ride with me on my bike."
"I can't dad," he replied, " My arse hurts."

A Cat Goes To Heaven

2008-01-11T17:06:00.001-08:00

A cat dies and goes to Heaven. God meets him at the gate and says, 'You've been a good cat all of these years. Anything you desire is yours, all you have to do is ask.'

The cats says, 'Well, I lived all my life with a poor family on a farm and had to sleep on hardwood floors.' God says, 'Say no more.' And instantly, a fluffy pillow appears. A few days later, 6 mice are killed in a tragic accident and they go to Heaven. God meets them at the gate with the same offer that He made the cat.

The mice said, 'All our lives we've had to run. We've been chased by cats, dogs and even women with brooms. If we could only have a pair of roller skates, we wouldn't have to run anymore.' God says, 'Say no more.' And instantly, each mouse is fitted with a beautiful pair of tiny roller skates.

About a week later, God decides to check and see how the cat is doing. The cat is sound asleep on his new pillow. God gently wakes him and asks,

'How are you doing? Are you happy here?'

The cat yawns and stretches and says, 'Oh, I've never been happier in my life. And those Meals on Wheels you've been sending over are the best

Protein Supplements vs Protein Foods?

2008-01-10T23:26:00.000-08:00

Protein Supplements Vs. Protein Foods?
By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS

Are protein supplements really better than protein foods? Before attempting to answer this question, I should first preface it by mentioning that I do not sell upplements, nor am I associated with any supplement company, so you're getting an honest and unbiased opinion. Don't get me wrong; I am not anti-supplement by any means. It would simply be more accurate to say that I am "pro-food." There are a lot of good supplements on the market, and I've used many of them, including a multi vitamin, creatine and essential fatty acid (EFA) supplements such as Flaxseed oil. Protein powders and meal replacements can also be indispensable if you don't have time to eat every three hours. However, protein supplements are not the master key to your success, real food is!
Did you ever notice how articles about protein in certain bodybuilding magazines are seldom objective? Instead, they all seem to be slanted towards hyping some "revolutionary" new product. Did you ever wonder why? In my opinion, most articles on protein supplements are nothing more than thinly disguised advertisements(some very thinly). Sometimes they give you a very persuasive-sounding argument, replete with dozens of references from scientific studies (mostly done on rodents, of course).
They even give you an 800 number at the end of the article to order. (How onvenient!)
When protein manufacturers throw around fancy words like cross flow microfiltration,
oligopeptides, ion-exchange, protein efficiency ratio, biological value, nitrogen retention and glycomacropeptides, it sure sounds convincing, especially when scores of scientific references are cited. But don't forget that the supplement industry is big business and most magazines are the supplement industry. Lyle McDonald, author of "The Ketogenic Diet," hit the nail on the head when he wrote "Unfortunately, the obsession that bodybuilders have with protein has made them susceptible to all kinds of marketing hype. Like most aspects of bodybuilding (and the supplement industry in general), the issue of protein is driven more by marketing hype than physiological reality and marketing types know how to push a bodybuilder's button when it comes to protein "
Many nutrition "experts", state that there are distinct advantages of protein supplements (powders and amino acid tablets) over whole foods. For example, they argue that whey, a by-product of the cheese-making process, is a higher quality
protein than most whole food sources. There are many different methods of determining protein quality, including biological value (BV), protein efficiency ratio (PER), Net Protein Utilization (NPU), chemical score, and protein digestibility corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS). If you have ever seen advertisements for protein powders and supplements, you have undoubtedly heard of one or more of these measures of protein quality.

BV is one of the most commonly used and is arguably, the best measure of a protein's quality. BV is based on how much of the protein consumed is actually absorbed and utilized by the body. The higher the amount of protein (nitrogen) that is actually retained, the greater the BV. If a protein has a BV of 100, it means that all of the protein absorbed has been utilized with none lost. Whole eggs score the highest of all foods with a BV of 100, while beans have a BV of only 49. Protein quality is certainly an important issue, but it is one that has been enormously overstated and even distorted for marketing purposes. Whey protein is truly an excellent protein
with a biological value at or near 100. Many advertisements list whey as having a BV
between 104 and 157, but if you look in any nutrition textbook it will tell you that it is impossible to have a BV over 100. In "Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism," BV is defined as "a measure of nitrogen retained for growth and/or maintenance that is expressed as a percentage of nitrogen absorbed."
When a protein supplement is listed as having a BV over 100, the company has ntentionally manipulated the number for marketing purposes or unintentionally confused BV with another method of rating protein quality. Certain whey proponents claim that whey is "superior to whole egg" so the percentage sign on BV had to be dropped and the scale extended beyond 100. It was noted by bodybuilding writer Jerry Branium in IRONMAN magazine that in a study where the BV of whey was reported to be 157, the author confused BV with chemical score. Chemical score is a comparison of the amino acid pattern in an ideal reference protein to a test protein and therefore the number can exceed 100. 157 was actually the chemical score and not the BV.

Most bodybuilders and strength athletes already consume more than enough protein (an understatement if there ever was one), so the importance of BV to these athletes who are already consuming copious amounts of protein has been overplayed. Even though whey has a higher BV than chicken breast, fish or milk protein, if the total quantity of protein you consume is sufficient, then it is not likely that substituting whey for food proteins will result in any additional muscle growth. comfort
Whether you choose a whole protein food or a protein supplement isn't as important as some would like you to believe. For the purposes of developing muscle, the only guidelines for protein that you must follow are: (1) consume a source of complete protein with every meal, (2) eat at frequent intervals approximately three hours apart (about six times per day) and (3) consume a minimum of .8 grams to 1 gram per pound of body weight. There are times when it would be beneficial to consume more than one gram per pound of body weight, but that will have to be the subject of another article.
Because whey protein does have a high BV, it probably offers the most benefits when you are dieting on very low calories. When your energy intake and correspondingly, your protein intake, are reduced, whey protein could help you get greater utilzation of the smaller amount of protein that you are taking in. In other words, choosing proteins of the highest quality is more of an issue when you are dieting than when you are focusing on mass gains when total calories and protein are being consumed in abundant amounts. Whey protein also provides a way to get high quality protein without the fat, which is also important when dieting.
It has been suggested that whey may have other advantages besides high protein quality, although they are frequently overstated. These benefits include enhanced immunity, increased antioxidant activity and quick absorption. Several studies
in "Clinical and Investigative Science" by Dr. Gerard Bounous of Montreal have shown that whey protein provides anti carcinogenic properties,protection from infections, and other enhanced immune responses. Whey protein was also been
shown to raise levels of Glutathione, an important antioxidant that can offer protection from free radical oxidative damage. While such findings are very promising, all these studies, which are frequently quoted in whey protein vertisements, were performed on mice, so it is unclear how well the results extrapolate to humans.
Another acknowledged benefit of whey protein is its fast absorption rate. Although there isn't any evidence that protein supplements digest more efficiently than whole foods (as is often claimed), they are definitely digested faster. This is most important after a training session when the rates of protein synthesis and glycogen re-synthesis are increased. This is the reason it is often recommended that a liquid meal containing protein and a high glycemic carbohydrate be consumed immediately post-workout and that whey is the ideal protein for this purpose. Even in considering
post-workout nutrition, there is still little proof that a liquid protein-carb complex will actually produce better muscular growth than whole foods, as long as complete whole food protein foods and complex carbohydrates are consumed immediately after the training session and every three waking hours for a period of 24 hours thereafter.
Speaking of protein absorption rates, the discussion of fast acting versus slow
acting proteins seems to be the latest hot topic these days in bodybuilding circles. The interest was sparked by studies in 1997 and 1998 that examined the differences between the absorption rates of whey versus casein. The researchers concluded that whey was a fast acting protein and was considered to be more "anabolic" while
casein was slower acting and was considered to be more "anti-catabolic. " It was further hypothesized that consuming a combination of these two types of proteins could lead to greater muscle growth. These findings have prompted the supplement companies to market an entirely new category of protein supplements; casein and whey mixes. The problem with drawing such conclusions so quickly is that these studies looked at the speed of whey and casein absorption in subjects who had fasted for 10
hours before being fed the protein. Any suppositions drawn from this information
are probably irrelevant if you are eating mixed whole food meals every three hours.
Obviously, more research is needed.
This recent fascination with various rates of protein absorption could be compared to
the interest in the glycemic index. The glycemic index is a scale that measures
the rate at which the body converts various carbohydrate foods into blood glucose.
The higher the glycemic index, the faster the food is converted to glucose and the
larger the insulin response. Therefore it is said that high glycemic foods should be
avoided in favor of low glycemic index foods. The error in relying solely on the glycemic index as your only criteria for choosing carbohydrates is that the index is based on consuming a carbohydrate food by itself in a fasted state.

When carbohydrates are consumed in mixed meals that contain protein and a little fat,
the glycemic index loses some of its significance because the protein and fat slow the absorption of the carbohydrate. That's why the glycemic index is really much ado about nothing and the same could probably be said for the casein and whey argument. It's just the latest in a long string of new angles that supplement companiesuse to promote their protein: free-form vs peptides, concentrate vs isolate, ion exchange
vs microfiltration, soy vs whey, casein and whey mix vs pure whey and so on. Every year, you can count on some new twist on the protein story to appear. Certainly there are going to be advances in nutrition science, but all too often these "new iscoveries" amount to nothingmore than marketing hype.

What about amino acid pills? Amino acids pills are simply predigested protein. Proponents of amino acid supplementation claim that because the amino's are predigested, the body will absorb them better, leading to greater improvements in strength and muscle mass. It sounds logical, but this is a gross underestimation of the body's capacities and actually the reverse is true: The human digestive system was designed to efficiently process whole foods; it was not designed to digest pills and powders all day long. Amino's are absorbed more rapidly in the intestine when they are in the more complex di and tri-peptide molecules.

Your body gets better use of the aminos as protein foods are broken down and the amino's are absorbed at just the right rate for your body's needs. In "Exercise Physiology; Energy Nutrition and Human Performance," authors Katch and McArdle state that "Amino acid supplementation in any form has not been shown by adequate experimental design and methodology to increase muscle mass or significantly improve muscular strength, ower, or endurance."
Furthermore, consuming predigested protein when you are seeking fat loss is not necessarily advantageous because it shortchanges you of the thermic effects of real food. Whole foods have a major advantage over protein supplements; they stimulate the metabolism more. This is known as the "thermic effect of food." Protein has the highest thermic effect of any food. Including a whole protein food with every meal can speed up your metabolic rate as much as 30% because of the energy necessary to digest, process, and absorb it. This means that out of 100 calories of a protein food such as chicken breast, the net amount of calories left over after processing it is 70. In this respect, the fact that protein foods digest slower than amino acid tablets is actually an advantage.
A final argument against amino acid supplements is the cost. Amino's are simply not cost effective. If you don't believe it, pick up a bottle and do the math yourself. One popular brand of "free form and peptide bonded amino acids" contains 150 1000mg. tablets per bottle and costs $19.95. 1000 mg. of amino acids equals 1 gram of protein, so the entire bottle contains 150 grams of protein. $19.95 divided by 150 grams is 13.3 cents per gram. Let's compare that to chicken breast. I can buy chicken breast from my local supermarket for $2.99 a pound. According to Corinne Netzer's "Complete Book of Food Counts," there are 8.8 grams of protein in each ounce
of chicken, so one pound of chicken (16 oz) has about 140 grams of protein. $2.99 ivided by 140 grams equals 2.1 cents per gram. The amino acids cost more than six times what the chicken breast does! I don't know about you, but I'll stick with the chicken breast.
The biggest advantage of protein supplements is not that they can build more muscle than chicken or egg whites or any other whole food protein, the biggest advantage is convenience. It is easier to drink a protein shake than it is to buy, prepare, cook and eat poultry, fish or egg whites. Consuming small, frequent meals is the optimal
way to eat, regardless of whether your goal is fat loss or muscle gain. To keep your body constantly in positive nitrogen balance, you must consume a complete protein every three hours. For many people, eating this often is nearly impossible. That's when a high quality protein supplement is the most helpful.
Aside from convenience, the truth about protein supplements is that they offer few advantages over protein foods. There is no scientific evidence that you can't meet all of your protein needs for muscle growth through food. As long as you eat every three hours and you eat a complete protein such as eggs, lean meat or lowfat dairy
products with every meal, it is not necessary to consume any protein supplements to get outstanding results. Whey protein does have some interesting and useful properties and supplementing with a couple scoops each day is not a bad idea, especially if you are on a low calorie diet for fat loss or when you're using a post workout shake instead of a meal. Aside from that, focus on real food and don't believe the hype.
References
1) Groff, James, et al, Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism, West Publishing company, 1995.
2) Fruhbeck, Gema. Slow and fast dietary proteins. Nature, 391: 843-844
3) Boirie, Y. et al. Slow and fast dietary proteins differently modulate postprandial
protein accretion. Proc National Acad Sci, 94: 14930-14935, 1997
4) Lemon, Peter, Protein and Exercise: update, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Vol 19, No. 5, S179 - S190, 1987
5) Carraro, F., et at, Effect of exercise and recovery on muscle protein synthesis in human subjects. Amer Journal of physiology, 259: E470, 1990
6) Lemon, Peter, Is increased dietary protein necessary or beneficial for individuals with a physically active lifestyle? Nutrition reviews,54:S 169-175, 1996
7)Bounous, G., et al, The immunoenhancing property of dietary whey protein concentrate. Clinical and Investigational Medicine, 11: 271-278. 1988.
8) Sadler, R., The benefits of dietary whey protein concentrate on the immune response and health.S Afr. J Dairy Sci, 24: No 24, 1992
9) Bounous, G., Dietary whey protein inhibits the development of imethylhydrazine-induced malignancy. Clinical and Investigational Medicine, 12: 213-217, 1988
10) Bounous, G., et al, The biological activityof undenatured dietary whey protein; role of glutathione. Clinical and Investigational Medicine,14: 4, 296-309, 1991
11) Netzer, Corinne. The Complete Book of Food Counts. Dell Publishing, 1997
12) Katch, Katch & McArdle, Exercise Physiology; Energy, Nutrition and Human Performance, Wiliams and Wilkins, 1996.

Winter skincare

2008-01-10T19:31:00.000-08:00

We all know we should protect our skin from the sun in summer, but cold spells, driving rain and harsh winds can also wreak havoc. To look after your skin in winter start by protecting it from the inside. Stay hydrated by drinking the recommended eight glasses (2 litres) of water throughout the day, and limit caffeine and alcohol intake as these dehydrate you.

Essential fatty acids will nourish your skin, so eat at least two portions of oily fish a week. Vitamin E, found in nuts and cereals, will help keep your skin supple.

No matter how cold it is in the morning, resist the urge to soak for too long in a steaming hot shower. Hot water will dry out your skin. Instead use tepid water and keep your rinse time to a minimum. When washing your face, opt for cream cleansers containing oils and emollients, rather than alcohol-based cleansers, which can impair the skin’s protective barrier function, drying it further.

Your skin is drier in winter than at any other time of year, and this can lead to the build-up of dead cells on the surface that deaden the complexion. Before moisturising (which replaces the moisture stripped away by windy weather) make sure to exfoliate. This will remove the cells and allow your moisturiser - which should be free of perfume – to reach deeper layers of your skin. Be gentle as exfoliating vigorously removes natural moisture.
A quick way to obtain a healthy glow is to have some physical exercise, or a gentle facial massage. This can dilate the blood vessels and increase the circulation, bringing oxygen and nutrition to the skin and removing waste.
1 Dry skin In winter the combination of cold weather and hot, centrally heated rooms can cause the outer layer of the skin (stratum corneum) to dry out and become cracked

2 How to exfoliate Rinse your face with tepid water. Rub in the exfoliator using gentle circular motions. Avoid scrubbing under the eyes as the skin there is thin and easily damaged by abrasive cleansers. Rinse again. Don’t exfoliate more than once a week

Why we are shy

2008-01-10T19:24:00.000-08:00

Shy people have inherited an exaggerated fear response to social situations, but it can be cured with the right sort of parenting. Anjana Ahuja reports

If your child confidently breezes into a roomful of strangers without a second thought, there’s a good chance he or she is an Israeli. If they are gripped by paralysing fear at the thought of attending a party they are likely to be from Japan or Taiwan.

Israeli children are said to be the most confident in the world, while Japanese and Taiwanese youngsters are the shyest. Their British and American counterparts lie somewhere in the middle. The popular explanation is that Western societies are more individualistic than Eastern societies, and thus encourage more self-expression.

Shyness is thought to affect up to 50 per cent of adults to some degree, and is defined by the Encyclopedia of Mental Health as “discomfort and/or inhibition in interpersonal situations . . . It is a form of excessive self-focus.” Being introverted is not the same as being shy. Introverts are not scared by the prospect of socialising, but prefer being on their own.

A sizeable body of research on shyness suggests that positive (or punitive) parenting and the prevailing culture are two factors that determine whether a child will become a wallflower. But there is a vital third factor: biology. The issue is a hot topic among experts, and some say that there are indications that shyness, along with other personality characteristics, is partly inherited.

The brains of shy people behave differently in social situations compared with the brains of confident people; when placed in unfamiliar situations, “shy brains” show more electrical activity on the right side of the frontal lobe. It has been interpreted as an exaggerated fear response, and is often accompanied by the physiological hallmarks of terror, such as a racing pulse and muscle tension. Your brain, like the rest of your body, is built according to the instructions encoded in your DNA, which means that shyness very probably has a genetic component.

But shyness is not a clear-cut case of genetic determinism. Numerous studies show that tending budding wallflowers in the right way can lead them to turn towards the sun and blossom. Inhibited youngsters are much less likely to turn into anxious adults if they are brought up by confident parents than by anxious ones.

The latest research, published in a study from the Child Development Laboratory at the University of Maryland, indicated that confident parenting could triumph over a genetic predisposition to shyness.

Professor Nathan Fox, the laboratory’s director, found that kids who are consistently shy while growing up are more likely to possess a version of a particular gene associated with stress sensitivity and to have been raised by stressed-out parents. The gene involved governs the production of serotonin, a brain chemical connected to mood, appetite and aggression. The study was published in Current Directions in Psychological Science.

Fox explains: “If you have certain versions of this serotonin gene but your mother is not stressed, you will be no more shy than your peers as a school-age child. But we found that when stress enters the picture, the gene starts to show a strong relationship to the child’s behaviour. If you are raised in a stressful environment, and you inherit a particular form of the gene, there is a higher likelihood that you will be fearful, anxious or depressed.” It is as if a child’s genetic tendency towards shyness can be either stifled or nurtured, depending on the behaviour of the parent.

However, genetics may play a very limited role in people who experience a sudden outbreak of shyness in later life. Bullying, the presence of domineering siblings, overprotective parents, divorce or failed romances can all lead to shyness.

Dr Bernardo Carducci, director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University, maintains that it is a nonsense to suggest that some people are born shy. He explains: “Shyness is characterised by three major features: excessive self-consciousness, excessive negative self-evaluation and excessive negative self-preoccupation. All three characteristic features of shyness involve a sense of self. And the sense of self does not develop until approximately 18 months of age. Since individuals are not born with a sense of self, they cannot be born shy.”Carducci accepts, though, that around one child in five is born with an “inhibited temperament”. These babies are more likely to kick their limbs and cry loudly when exposed to a sudden noise, such as a car backfiring. There is growing evidence that these youngsters are oversensitive to sensory stimuli, such as loud noises. Interestingly, such babies are more likely than uninhibited babies to have close relatives who were shy as children.

These babies, it is observed, tend to grow into toddlers who crouch fearfully behind their mothers’ legs at the sight of a stranger, and thereafter into children who are often happier alone than with playmates. They tend to play near their parents or carers. At some point during their development they will be labelled “shy”, or – if the shyness interferes with the child’s ability to function – be termed as suffering from a social anxiety disorder or social phobia. These tags often stick for life and can give rise to a (needless) vicious circle: people become conscious of their labels and tend to behave in ways that fulfil them. They believe themselves incapable of dealing with social situations so they shun them, thus denying themselves the opportunity of becoming more socially accomplished. Many parenting experts, therefore, urge parents not to label their kids.

How widespread is shyness? One set of statistics comes from research conducted by Carducci and two other leading American psychologists, Dr Philip Zimbardo and Dr Lynne Henderson (the two run the Shyness Institute, a nonprofit research organisation in California). The number of Americans classifying themselves as chronically shy rose from about 40 per cent in the 1970s to about 50 per cent by 2000. Another 40 per cent said that they had been shy once but were no longer; 15 per cent suffered from situational shyness (shy only in certain settings, such as on dates). Only 5 per cent reported never having experienced shyness.

Zimbardo is no stranger to controversy: he is the creator of the notorious Stanford Prison Experiment, which had to be stopped when students began behaving sadistically. He has suggested that shyness ought to be considered a public health issue: shy men are more likely to use prostitutes. He also once claimed that eight killers out of a group of ten that he had studied were shy men who snapped under stress.

So, about the party tonight: fancy going? If you are suffering with shyness go to: social-anxiety.org.uk

FearFighter is a computer programme that can be prescribed by a GP and offers a course of cognitive behaviour therapy.

Now for something completely diffident

When I told colleagues recently that I used to be crippled by shyness, and that I still suffered from bouts of it, they laughed out loud. And yet my mother will never forget the day that my teacher greeted her with glee. “Something amazing happened today,” she announced. “Sacha spoke.” I was six years old.

I think that, probably, rather than conquer my shyness, I have learnt to cover it up. Genes may play a part, but in my case, shyness was predominantly borne from a frustration that no one understood me. When very young, I developed my own language, and when people not only failed to get my drift, but laughed at it, I shut up, quick.

At school, I sought silent friends and perfected the art of inconspicuousness in dinner queues, in silent prayer that no one would talk to me. And if they had to, please not in front of others. This was, and remained, by far the most agonising element to my shyness: the immediate and stomach-churning terror of attracting attention from more than one person. Which presented a problem, of course, because silence in itself can be a crowd teaser. So I developed my own strategies for coping – when possible, strive for one-on-one encounters, and ask lots of questions early on in a conversation. This way, you are perceived to engage but, so long as the questions are neutral, you can successfully and seamlessly disappear in a crowd.

There are often neglected upsides to shyness. You develop a keen sense of observation and, perversely, I’ve often found it easier than my more gregarious peers to make friends with cantankerous characters.

Leaving home, living abroad, and working in competitive environments were other factors that helped me overcome my shyness, but I still occasionally find myself entering a room full of people, rehearsing questions in my mind, and praying that I won’t be forced to ask them. Sacha Bonsor

My flustered Jekyll and Hyde moments

Shyness was a Jekyll and Hyde affair for me. One moment I would be clear, lucid and confident – the next a mumbling, bumbling, terrorised lost soul. Friends and strangers would be fine, but I had a real problem engaging with older people whom I knew well. This meant teachers and lecturers when I was a student – bosses and colleagues as a working adult.

In the presence of such people, I always worried about coming across as stupid. When I opened my mouth, a jumbled mess would tumble out. I had this remarkable habit of starting a sentence with a perfectly decent opening clause – and then I would lose complete control. I’d meander with clause after sub-clause making little sense and even less of a point. As the listener’s eyes started to glaze over, I’d get even more worried and waffle on even more, desperate to win back favour and attention.

Completely lost, I’d resort to my Basil Fawlty-inspired escape plan. I’d conclude the sentence by mumbling something so quietly that the recipient would not hear properly. Sometimes, it would be nonsense. More often than not, I would get away with it – the listener too bored to care.

My response was to avoid contact. Some people took this as arrogance rather than shyness. My professional career forced me into these difficult situations and I had no choice but to engage. This is where things had to change. Some basic reading suggested various approaches – from holding your breath (for two to three seconds) to make you pause, collect thoughts and start again, to putting oneself in as many scary situations as possible.

I used bits of all of these methods to deal with acute shyness and I still use them. So, if you see me not breathing and looking a little blue in the face, I’m not passing out – I’m just collecting my thoughts. Parminder Bahra
Ten strategies for overcoming shyness
1 Practise breathing exercises and reducing muscle tension (such as repeatedly clenching and releasing your fist).
2 Don’t use drink or drugs to loosen you up. The effects soon wear off.
3 Practise small talk with people whom you meet briefly in non-threatening situations, for example, while out shopping.
4 To carry on a conversation, you must have something to say. Read widely and listen to news programmes. Try to ask open-ended questions, such as “What do you think of X?”
5 Rehearse topics that might come up. Practise at home in front of the mirror.
6 Kind acts, eg, offering to get a party guest a drink, invite reciprocation, maximising the chances of successful socialising.
7 Accept that the world isn’t looking at you: other people tend to focus on themselves.
8 If someone ends the conversation, don’t assume that they find you boring.
9 Don’t take rejection personally. You don’t have to get on with absolutely everyone.
10 Find your comfort zone: you may feel happier in an art class than in a nightclub.
Source: Shyness Research Institute

What type are you?

Being aware of the types of shyness, says Dr Bernardo Carducci, means a person can learn how to deal with his or her particular brand of diffidence.
Publicly shy: Someone distressed by how they behave in social situations, and worried about saying the wrong thing or behaving awkwardly, or about freezing completely and saying nothing.
Privately shy: Someone in whom social awkwardness is not outwardly apparent but who feels the tension ratcheting up: suffer physiological symptoms such as increased heart rate and muscle tension.
Socially anxious shy: Someone who turns social fears inwards and obsesses internally about things – for example, what they are wearing. There may also be accompanying feelings of worthlessness.

Advice for parents
If your children are showing signs of shyness, try setting up social situations: perhaps a mum-and-toddler group if they are young, or outings to the park and new groups and activities if they are older.
Try to display calm, confident social skills: your child needs to see you walk up to mothers you don’t know and start chatting to them in a relaxed way.
Show your child how to interact with other children, encourage him/her to play with them. As this happens, move away to allow space from you while they play.
Try to fight your own anxiety: it’s understandable but it will feed children’s.
Dr Tanya Byron

Store detective: Healthy fast food

2008-01-10T19:21:00.000-08:00

Each week our ace nutritionist tracks down a good three-course supermarket meal and gives a breakdown of its content
Waitrose Only 537 calories per meal
Starter: Grilled grapefruit
Main: Nut roast with red pepper sauce
Pudding: Hot berries with Greek yoghurt
Grilled sweet ruby grapefruit
A great start to a light post-Christmas supper, grapefruit is good for the supernutrient naringenin, which seems to help to lower bad LDL cholesterol and gives double our daily vitamin C. Simply cut a ruby red grapefruit in half around the middle, sprinkle with a teaspoon of sugar, grill for three minutes and serve.
Calories 69; fat 0.2g (of which saturated fat 0g); salt 0g; added sugar 6g

Nut roast in a creamy red pepper sauce, with broccoli and sweet potato
Go to the freezer cabinet and buy a 280g packet of Waitrose nut roast with a creamy pepper sauce. The pack has two roasts; serve one per person. Also buy some British broccoli and an average-sized sweet potato. Heat the roast for 30 minutes in the oven. Meanwhile, scrub potato, chop and boil for 20 minutes. Steam two heads (90g) of broccoli for about 5 minutes. Crush sweet potato and season. This meal is rich in fibre, low in salt and is bursting with vitamins C and E.
Calories 320; fat 10.7g (of which saturates 2.7g); salt 0.6g; added sugar 0g

Hot berries, honey and Greek yoghurt
Buy a frozen 380g carton of Waitrose summer berries and seek out a Total 0 per cent fat 150g pot of Greek yoghurt. Defrost berries and heat whole carton in a pan. Put in bowl and add a heaped tablespoon each of yoghurt and honey. The mix of blackberries, blackcurrants, raspberries and redcurrants give a fantastic boost from supernutrients called anthocyanidins and flavanoids, believed to protect against heart disease.
Calories 148; fat 0.8g (of which saturated fat 0g); salt 0g; added sugar 13g Type rest of the post here

Top 10 Traveling Fitness Tips Part 2

2008-01-08T00:33:00.000-08:00

Continued from part 1
6. Cook portable foods and bring meal replacements or healthy snacks for drives, flights and day trips
I love to drive, so for my trip last month I packed everything up in my car and hit the road. Naturally, I cooked for the road trip and my food came with me! I've learned how
to make a variety of portable foods including several different types of oatmeal pancakes, tuna burgers and healthy sandwiches. Some of these "portable foods" can be even eaten with your hands while you are in a car, on a plane or sitting in a seminar room.
On my recent trip, I knew I had a long drive, so I calculated the number of hours on the road and the number of meals I would need and simply brought them all with me.
For two of my on-the-road meals I had oatmeal-egg white-apple-cinnamon pancakes and one of my "meals" was simply a high protein meal replacement shake and fresh fruit. It's not difficult at all when you plan and pack food in advance.

7. Choose your gym or check your hotel fitness facilities in advance Many people work out right in their hotel rooms with a body weight exercise program or even portable equipment. Since I'm a bodybuilder, I refuse to go without a fully equipped gym. Unfortunately, on-site Hotel gyms are notorious for sounding great in the dvertisements and then when you arrive, you find that the "gym" is a room about the size of a walk in closet, with a few pieces of (mostly broken) archaic equipment
from the 1970's. There are a few exceptions, but having learned my lesson a couple times, I now use the Internet to locate a gym prior to my trip. Call in advance and ask if there are daily or weekly rates.

You can also ask if your hotel has an affiliation with a local health club. During my last trip, the hotel was affiliated with a Bally Total Fitness Center that was just a 10 minute drive away and use of the Bally's was included with the price of my room. It turned out to be an excellent club, so I was a happy camper.

If you are already a member of a gym in your local area, check to see if your gym has an affiliation with other clubs around the country or if they belong to an organization such as IHRSA (international Health, Racque & Sportsclub Association). Some clubs are part of a network which allows you to train at other clubs when youre traveling - all you have to do is show your membership card and you will get access to train at other clubs that are part of the network. IHRSA has more than 6,500 clubs in 67 countries in its network.

8. Pack your workout gear and plenty of workout clothes
When you pack hastily at the last minute, things can easily be forgotten and left
behind, so be sure to pack plenty of workout clothes with you and bring any other gym gear you might need (belt, lifting straps, etc). For extended trips, inquire with your hotel to see if they have laundry facilities. (The hotel where I recently stayed had an onsite laundry room, which came in handy with my 2.5 week stay).

9. Change up your workouts as you change up your gym
Some people get accustomed to their hometown gym and they're upset or disappointed when they don't have access to the same equipment when they travel. They feel that it cramps their style or hinders their results. However, this can really be a blessing in disguise. Your body adapts to any workout, often in just a matter of weeks. We tend to be victims of our own habit patterns in life and that includes our workouts. You might want to take advantage of it when you have new and different equipment at your disposal.

After "scoping out" the gym's facilities, design an entirely new workout program for
a change. Do something 100% different. Sometimes a simple change of exercises is
enough to stimulate new progress. The club I trained at during my last trip had a full line of "Strive" machines which are not available at my hometown gym. These machines allow you to choose three different resistance curves on each exercise. Very cool. Since I had access to this equipment, I did a totally new routine and used more machines than usual. Although most fitness experts these days generally advise you to use more free weights than machines (and I agree for the most part), using these machines was a great change up and I could feel and see the difference.

10. Walk, bike or make physical recreation part of your travel plans
Personally, as I am already in very good shape, I usually don't count casual walking
as part of my "formal" workout (cardio) program, although it certainly might count
for other people. However, it never hurts to get some extra activity and all physical
activity burns calories and provides some health benefits. I've found that more often
than not, when I am on the road, whether for business or pleasure, there are plenty of opportunities to get some physical recreation and see the sights by foot.

On a trip last year, I spent an entire afternoon hiking in the hills of a beautiful national park. On another trip, I rented a bike and rode for miles along a beachside bike path. On my recent trip, I spent an entire day walking through museums and then sightseeing. I walked for hours. I also couldn't help but notice other people (mostly conspicuously unfit people), tooling around outside on those stand-up scooters. Funny
thing too, because right next door to the motorized scooter rental was a bike rental.
Which would you choose - foot, bike, or "lazy-person's chariot?"

About the Author:
Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder and author of the #1 best selling e-book,
"Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle," which teaches you how to burn fat without drugs or supplements using the little-known secrets of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and turbo-charge your metabolism by visiting: www.burnthefat.com.

Hope liked this article. Tomorrow's article is called:
Cortisol, Stress and Body Fat: Straight Answers to
the Top 20 Questions About Stress Hormone
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Top 10 Traveling Fitness Tips part 1

2008-01-07T17:15:00.000-08:00

I recently read two articles about travelfitness. One said that while you're traveling,you should keep up with 50% of your normal training and the other said you should keep up with only one-third. Both were written by well known fitness professionals and both said that you should NOT expect to keep up your regular exercise program while you are traveling. That struck me as kind of "lame"
and I said to myself, "Why the heck not? Why do people have such low standards and
demand so little of themselves? Why do they let themselves off the hook and scale back?"

Sometimes, of course, traveling is purely for a vacation - including a vacation from
training. Occasional time off from intensetraining is beneficial and necessary to
let your body recover and rejuvenate completely from chronic training stress,
just as time off from the office is needed to disengage your mind for a while.
It's also true that it really doesn't take much to maintain fitness once it is
developed, and an abbreviated, but still effective, workout routine could certainly
be used, if you choose, when you're on the road. However, you still have healthy eating to think about and just because you're traveling doesn't mean you can't follow
your regular exercise regimen. Why settle? If you want to continue to improve your
physique while on the road, you can! Here are 10 ways that I did it on my last
extended business trip that you may find helpful as well. It begins with a simple
decision.
1. Decide to improve while you're traveling and to come home in better shape than when you left Nearly every time I travel (the exception being if it's a complete rest and relaxation vacation), I set a goal to come home in better shape than when I left.
The only reason most people usually come home with lower fitness and a few extra
pounds than when they left is because they didn't make a decision to do otherwise.
In fact, many people hold a belief that it's "impossible" to stay on their eating
and exercise program while they are traveling! Why not get in better shape no matter where you are? The truth is, all it takes is a decision and some planning. I find it a fun and exhilarating challenge to improve myself no matter where I am in the world.

2. Write out your workout schedule in advance There's nothing like writing your goals down on paper to keep your mind focused and keep yourself motivated. In addition to writing out goals regularly, preferably
every day, you should also commit your training schedule to paper and especially
when you are traveling. Write down the days, the time of the day and the exact workout you plan to do and you will be amazed at how easy you will find it is to get to the gym and have great workouts.

3. Get a hotel with a kitchen The single most important part of my travel rrangements was to book a hotel with a kitchen. For me, not having a kitchen is not an option. If you don't have kitchen, you will be much more likely to skip meals, it's very difficult to eat 5 or 6 times a day (as required by any good fat burning or muscle
building nutrition program), and you may end up at the mercy of restaurant, hotel or
convenience store food. For my most recent trip, I stayed at Homestead Studio Suites, one of several national hotel chains in the USA which includes a full kitchen including a refrigerator, microwave, stove - the whole works. Exteneded Stay America and Marriot Residence Inn offer similar accomodations On previous trips, if there wasn't such a hotel with a kitchen in the vicinity, I searched the internet for spartments for short term rental. You may be surprised at the type of lodging you can find and often you will be pleased with price as compared to hotels. I once booked a luxury condo for 7 days and it ended up costing less than the hotel I was first ponsidering, and the hotel didn't even have a kitchen. Nothing beats a full kitchen, but you may also find that many hotels will provide you with a microwave and
mini-refrigerator if you ask for them.

4. Go food shopping immediately after checking in The FIRST thing I did after hecking in was to make a beeline straight to the local grocery store. I took a shopping list with me because on past trips I found that I nearly always seemed to forget one or two small items if I didn't have the written grocery list. Once you have a fully stocked refrigerator and kitchen, your meal planning and preparation is NO DIFFERENT than it is when you are home.

5. check the local restaurant locations and menus and commit in advance to making healthy choices when dining out Since I had a kitchen at my disposal, the majority of my meals were just business as usual. I cooked them right in my hotel room and brought them along with me wherever I went. However, when traveling, it's likely that you will probably be having quite a few restaurant meals.

I make it a habit to scope out the local restaurants in advance and even check their
websites. Most have their menus online these days. I make a decision in advance whether it will be a regular meal or a "cheat meal." If it's a cheat meal, I enjoy whatever I want, but I always keep portion sizes in mind. For example, last time, I split a slice of cheesecake with a friend. Was I guilty? Heck no, it was my
planned cheat day, I only ate half a slice and it was the first cheesecake I had in 12 months! If you walk into a restaurant without having made a decision in advance whether you are staying on your regular meals or having a cheat meal, you are much more likely to have a "diet accident" and make a poor choice on impulse, especially if you're influenced by non-healthy-eating companions (don't under estimate the negative peer pressure factor). All it takes is one unplanned cheat meal and that can often lead to guilt. Then "all or none thinking" tends to set in and you may tell yourself, "Well, I blew it," so the next meal and then the rest of the week tends to completely fall apart as well.
Continued in Part 2
Part 2 of this article comes tomorrow!

Kondom Untuk Wanita/Cewek/Perempuan dan Cara Memakai/Menggunakan Condom Khusus Kaum Hawa - Informasi Ilmu Seksologi Indonesia

2008-01-06T22:02:00.001-08:00

A. Pengertian, Arti Definisi dan Informasi Seputar Kondom Wanita

Kondom wanita adalah kondom yang dirancang khusus untuk digunakan oleh perempuan yang berbentuk tabung silinder yang dimasukkan ke dalam alat kelamin atau kemaluan cewek. Kondom khusus kaum perempuan tersebut memiliki dua ujung di mana ujung yang satu yang dimasukkan ke arah rahim tertutup dengan busa untuk menyerap sperma dan ujung yang lain ke arah luar terbuka.

Bahan kondom terbuat dari polyurethane atau latex dengan dua buah cincin pada masing-masing ujungnya yang berfungsi sebagai rangka. Agar tidak terasa sakit sebaiknya si cewek saja yang memakaikan kondom untuk dirinya sendiri, sedangkan yang pria melihat saja. Kondom wanita memiliki desain yang pas untuk bentuk organ vital perempuan yang konon lebih enak dipakai daripada kondom laki-laki. Kondom ini memiliki panjang 17an cm dan diameter 6 hingga 7 cm.

Harga kondom perempuan ini memang jauh lebih mahal dibanding kondom lelaki yang bisa berkali-kali lipat. Walaupun demikian kondom ini tidak bisa menjamin aman digunakan dan anti robek 100% karena bisa saja sobek jika salah dalam penggunaan, kesalahan produksi pabrik, kadaluarsa, dan lain sebagainya. Semakin banyak pilihan maka semakin sulit pula untuk mengatakan tidak pada kondom. Kondom kini tidak hanya digunakan untuk pasangan pranikah saja, namun juga oleh pasangan yang resmi menikah untuk mencari alternatif dan sensasi yang berbeda.
Condom cewek ini bisa digunakan untuk berbagai situasi dan kondisi dalam berhubungan seks / badan / intim / suami isteri baik dalam keadaan menstruasi atau datang bulan dan menyusui atau baru melahirkan. Namun jangan sekali-kali digunakan pada wanita yang masih perawan atau gadis karena akan sangat menyakitkan karena akan merusak selaput dara kegadisan si wanita tersebut.
B. Cara Pakai / Memakai / Menggunakan Kondom Wanita
Sebaiknya anda melihat gambar visualnya agar dapat lebih memahami cara kerjanya. Gunakan mesin pencari gambar google untuk melihatnya secara gratis.
1. Ujung yang tertutup di bentuk lonjong pipih atau bisa juga angka delapan dengan salah satu jari-jari tangan.
2. Tangan yang lain membuka bibir vagina dan yang memegang ujung kondom yang tertutup memasukkan ke dalam lubang kemaluan.
3. Setelah cincin masuk ke dalam vagina, tangan yang satu memasukkan jari ke dalam kondom untuk mendorong agar kondom bisa masuk seluruhnya. Usahakan cincin yang di dalam menghadap langsung ke arah mulut rahim.
4 Rapihkan cincin bagian luar yang terbuka di bibir vagina. Kondom siap dipakai untuk berhubungan badan suami istri. Selamat menikmati.
5, Untuk melepasnya tinggal dicabut pelan-pelan dan lapisan bagian cincin yang luar dipencet agar air mani tidak berantakan kemana-mana.

Tips & Cara Memberi Kepuasan Seks / Memuaskan Pasangan Bercinta dalam Kegiatan Berhubungan Seksual Anda - Ilmu Seksology Dasar

2008-01-06T22:01:00.000-08:00

Secara teknis diperlukan kerja sama dan pengertian kedua belah pihak baik pria / laki-laki maupun perempuan / wanita dalam berhubungan intim agar kedua belah pihak sama-sama mendapatkan kepuasan seks yang maksimal. Keegoisan salah satu pihak dapat merugikan pihak lainnya, sehingga tidak menutup kemungkinana dapat menyebabka masalah / problem suami istri kedepannya.

Berhubungan seks tidak harus lama. Jika sang wanita sudah mendapatkan orgasme, maka itu pertanda bagi sang lelaki untuk menyelesaikan permainan baik cepat meupun lambat. Hubungan seks tidak harus diakhiri pula dengan semburan sperma / orgasme pria. Jika si pria sudah puas maka permainan dapat diakhiri.

Di bawah ini adalah point-point penting yang harus diperhatikan dalam melakukan hubungan badan / intim pria wanita :

1. Lakukan persiapan yang tepat dengan berbagai peralatan dan perlengkapan yang diperlukan secukupnya. Jangan lupa dengan minuman dan alat pembersih yang cukup agar tidak jauh dan lama mengambilnya jika sewaktu-waktu diperlukan. Pilih tempat yang nyaman, bersih, tidak bau, tidak kotor dan enak suasananya. Jangan melakukan ngeseks di kuburan, rumah kosong, parkiran, kebon, semak-semak dan lain sebagainya karena bisa saja terjadi hal-hal yang sangat tidak anda inginkan untuk terjadi.

2. Lakukan pemanasan sebelum berhubungan seks. Baik pria dan wanita sama-sama harus berada dalam keadaan terangsang untuk dapat memulai penetrasi batang kemaluan pria ke lubang perempuan. Pastikan si isteri telah basah sehingga tidak akan terasa sakit saat dilakukan serangan. Gunakan jari-jemari, lidah, rambut, kaki, dan sebagainya untuk mendukung upaya anda untuk merangsang si dia.

3. Jangan langsung tancap gas untuk mengejar orgasme. Lakukan dengan perlahan dan santai. Nikmati saat-saat penetrasi dilaksanakan, karena bisa jadi anda tidak dapat merasakan nikmat yang sama di lain waktu. Lakukan berbagai posisi dan cara untuk memuaskan pasangan. Pada awal permainan adalah pilihan yang baik untuk memberikan wanita posisi di atas agar cepat medapatkan orgasme.

4. Hindari pembicaraan serius saat hubungan seks yang dapat menurunkan nafsu birahi lawan main anda. Katakan kata-kata kotor, manja dan nakal yang dapat meningkatkan rangsangan ke lawan sepermainan anda. Matikan hp / ponsel jika perlu agar kegiatan pribadi anda tidak diganggu gugat oleh pihak lain.

5. Setelah sang pria ejakulasi menyemburkan sperma hangat, jangan langsung beranjak pergi meninggalkan pasangan anda. Biarkan libido hawa nafsu yang masih tersisa hilang dulu. Berikan usapan-usapan mesra, kata-kata nakal berterima-kasih, pelukan dan ciuman hangat, dan lain sebagainya sebagai rasa sayang anda pada pasangan anda. Jika sempat mandilah bersama-sama untuk meningkatkan kualitas hubungan anda dengan suami atau istri anda. Lakukan hubugan seks kembali jika sama-sama terangsang kembali.

Tips Tambahan :
Lakukan hubungan suami isteri dengan aman di rumah jangan sampai dilihat anak-anak atau anggota keluarga lainnya. Pastikan pintu terkunci, tidak ada lubang mengintip, tidak ada kamera tersembunyi, dan lain sebagainya.

Tips Cara Menggunakan / Memakai Kondom Karet Pengaman Yang Baik dan Benar untuk Berhubungan Seks / Bercinta Aman Suami Isteri

2008-01-06T22:00:00.000-08:00

Untuk mencegah wanita menjadi hamil salah satu cara pencegahan yang paling mudah dan cepat adalah dengan memakai pengaman kondom. Pada umumnya kondom terbuat dari bahan dasar karet yang didesain khusus elastis dan tidak dapat ditembus cairan. Pengetahuan yang cukup mengenai kondom mutlak diperlukan agar hal-hal yang mungkin tidak diinginkan dapat dikurangi resikonya.

Perkembangan teknologi yang semakin canggih telah menciptakan produk-produk kondom jenis baru yang dapat meningktkan kepuasan seksual hubungan badan / intim suami istri. Kondom yang ada sekarang ini sangat bervariasi baik dalam segi bentuk maupun rasa. Dalam hal bentuk, kondok bisa berupa kondom biasa, bergerigi, bersungut, berambut, baggy, ekstension, dan sebagainya. Sedangkan dalam hal rasa, kondom dapat memiliki rasa buah-buahan, mint, dan lain-lain. Semua ini tida lain untuk memberikan variasi alternatif bagi pasangan pasutri agar tidak bosan dengan hubungan yang ada saat ini.

Berikut ini adalah tips dan cara memakai kondom yang baik dan benar :

1. Membuka bungkus kondom jangan di tengah karena dapat ikut merobek karet kondom yang ada di dalamnya. Sobek pada bagian pinggir saja dengan penuh kehati-hatian. Bila sobek, buang dan beli lagi yang baru.

2. Pakai kondom saat burung yang laki-laki sedang kondisi tegang maksimal. Sebaiknya memasang kondom dibantu yang perempuan agar kondisi rangsangan dapat terus berlanjut.

3. Berikan ruang yang cukup pada ujung penis pria tanpa udara. Jangan dipakaikan semua agar ada ruang untuk udara yang mungkin timbul serta cairan pria yang mungkin dapat keluar secara tiba-tiba. Pakaikan seperti memakai kaos kaki yang ujungnya disisakan.

4. Memakaikan kondom dengan cara menggulung lipatannya, bukan dengan cara dipanjangkan dulu baru dipakaikan.

5. Jangan dioleskan atau dikenakan pada cairan berminyak karena dapat merusak bahan karet sehingga kondom dapat jebol sewaktu-waktu tanpa diduga.

6. Jika kondom robek segera hentikan permainan binal tersebut dan ganti dengan yang baru dan bersih.

7. Buang kondom bekas yang sudah anda pakai ke tempat sampat yang jauh dari jangkauan anak-anak agar kuman dan bibit penyakit menular seksual yang mungkin saja ada tidak menulari anggota keluarga anda. Ikat kondom agar sperma tidak tumpah kemana-mana.

8. Bali kondom jangan yang bajakan atau tiruan, karena bisa saja kualitasnya tidak baik yang nantinya hanya akan merugikan anda dan pasangan anda.

Informasi Tambahan :

Dengan menggunakan condom anda tidak dijamin 100% terhindar dari pembuahan / menghamili si wanita dan 100% terhindar dari pms / penyakit menular seksual, namun dapat anda kurangi resikonya dengan mengikuti cara yang benar dalam hal penggunaan kondom.

Tips & Cara Mencegah / Mengatasi Ejakulasi Dini / Ejakulasi Prematur Pada Pria - Problem Seks / Sex / Seksologi

2008-01-06T21:59:00.001-08:00

Dari Arti, definisi dan pengertian ejakulasi dini atau yang disebut juga dengan ejakulasi prematur adalah suatu masalah suami istri di mana dalam berhubungan seks laki-laki keluar atau orgasme lebih dahulu daripada wanita. Hal ini dapat menimbulkan masalah karena yang perempuan tidak mendapatkan puncak kenikmatan. Waktu tidak menjadi masalah walaupun isteri anda keluar dalam tempo 10 detik dan anda pada 15 detik. Intinya adalah konsep lady first harus diutamakan.

Terkadang masalah ini tidak dipahami dan disadari oleh para lelaki, sehingga dapat berujung pada masalah rumah tangga di luar urusan ranjang. Dalam berhubungan suami istri kedua belah pihak harus sama-sama mendapatkan kepuasan. Pendidikan seks dasar haruslah diketahui dan dimengerti oleh kedua pihak, jangan sampai ada yang mau menang sendiri tanpa memikirkan pasangannya.

Langkah mengatasi dan mencegah jakulasi dini / ejakulasi prematur :

1. Arah pikiran dan konsentrasi
Arahkan pikiran anda pada sesuatu yang tidak ada sangkut pautnya dengan sex saat berhubungan badan. Bisa juga sambil memikirkan yang anda tidak sukai. Hal ini akan mengurangi rangsangan yang diterima oleh suami.

2. Mengurangi sensitifitas pada penis
Gunakan kondom, cream atau alat bantu seks lainnya yang dapat mengurangi rangsangan yang diterima oleh pihak pria. Kondom yang digunakan sebaiknya yang ukuran tebal agar dapat mengurangi rangsangan yang bakal diterima nanti.

3. Teknik cabut
Ketika si laki-laki akan orgasme buru-buru dicabut tepat pada waktunya, jangan sampai sperma keluar semua. Tehnik ini diperlukan peran serta isteri agar dapat berhasil.

4. Posisi yang tepat
Carilah posisi-posisi hubungan intim yang biasanya dapat anda nikmati dalam waktu yang lama. Pakailah posisi tersebut di awal permainan agar anda dapat tahan lama dan pasangan anda bisa orgasme atau keluar lebih dahulu.

Perhatian :
- Hubungi dokter jika cara ini tidak mempan dan jangan memakai obat sembarangan karena bisa fatal akibatnya.
- Jangan berhubungan seks bebas tanpa ikatan perkawinan. Dampaknya dapat berakibat fatal pula. Penyakit menular seksual / PMS selalu beredar di mana-mana tanpa anda sadari. Gunakan teknik yang aman untuk mendapatkan kepuasan batin.
- Pastikan pasangan anda bebas pms sebelum dan sesudah menikah secara berkala.

Pengertian, Definisi dan Cara Penularan / Penyebaran Virus HIV AIDS - Info / Informasi Penyakit Menular Seksual / PMS

2008-01-06T21:35:00.000-08:00

A. Virus HIV

HIV adalah singkatan dari Human Immunodeficiency Virus yang dapat menyebabkan AIDS dengan cara menyerang sel darah putih yang bernama sel CD4 sehingga dapat merusak sistem kekebalan tubuh manusia yang pada akhirnya tidak dapat bertahan dari gangguan penyakit walaupun yang sangat ringan sekalipun.

Virus HIV menyerang sel CD4 dan merubahnya menjadi tempat berkembang biak Virus HIV baru kemudian merusaknya sehingga tidak dapat digunakan lagi. Sel darah putih sangat diperlukan untuk sistem kekebalan tubuh. Tanpa kekebalan tubuh maka ketika diserang penyakit maka tubuh kita tidak memiliki pelindung. Dampaknya adalah kita dapat meninggal dunia terkena pilek biasa.

B. Penyakit AIDS

AIDS adalah singkatan dari Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome yang merupakan dampak atau efek dari perkembang biakan virus hiv dalam tubuh makhluk hidup. Virus HIV membutuhkan waktu untuk menyebabkan sindrom AIDS yang mematikan dan sangat berbahaya. Penyakit AIDS disebabkan oleh melemah atau menghilangnya sistem kekebalan tubuh yang tadinya dimiliki karena sel CD4 pada sel darah putih yang banyak dirusak oleh Virus HIV.

Ketika kita terkena Virus HIV kita tidak langsung terkena AIDS. Untuk menjadi AIDS dibutuhkan waktu yang lama, yaitu beberapa tahun untuk dapat menjadi AIDS yang mematikan. Seseorang dapat menjadi HIV positif. Saat ini tidak ada obat, serum maupun vaksin yang dapat menyembuhkan manusia dari Virus HIV penyebab penyakit AIDS.

C. Metode / Teknik Penularan dan Penyebaran Virus HIV AIDS
- Darah
Contoh : Tranfusi darah, terkena darah hiv+ pada kulit yang terluka, terkena darah menstruasi pada kulit yang terluka, jarum suntik, dsb
- Cairan Semen, Air Mani, Sperma dan Peju Pria
Contoh : Laki-laki berhubungan badan tanpa kondom atau pengaman lainnya, oral seks, dsb.
- Cairan Vagina pada Perempuan
Contoh : Wanita berhubungan badan tanpa pengaman, pinjam-meminjam alat bantu seks, oral seks, dll.
- Air Susu Ibu / ASI
Contoh : Bayi minum asi dari wanita hiv+, Laki-laki meminum susu asi pasangannya, dan lain sebagainya.

Cairan Tubuh yang tidak mengandung Virus HIV pada penderita HIV+ :
- Air liur / air ludah / saliva
- Feses / kotoran / tokai / bab / tinja
- Air mata
- Air keringat
- Air seni / air kencing / air pipis / urin / urine

Tambahan :
Jangan mengucilkan dan menjauhi penderita HIV karena mereka membutuhkan bantuan dan dukungan agar bisa melanjutkan hidup tanpa banyak beban dan berpulang ke rahmatullah dengan ikhlas.

kesehatan masyarakat

How to use Super sizing, Dietary displacement

2008-01-04T23:13:00.000-08:00

How To Turn Super Sizing, Dietary Displacement and Portion Distortion To Your Advantage! By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS

Ever since the independent film, Super Size Me was released, research on the relationship between increasing obesity and increasing portion sizes has skyrocketed and the results have been virtually unanimous.
There have been numerous well-designed studiespublished just in the last several years which confirmed exactly what we suspected (and much of
what the movie suggested):

* Portion sizes have increased in restaurants and fast food venues on a major scale

How to repair a damaged metabolism

2008-01-04T23:11:00.000-08:00

How To Repair A Damaged Metabolism
By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS

If you've caused metabolic damage as a result of following starvation diets or losing weight too rapidly in the past, it can be extremely difficult to achieve any further fat loss at all. The good news is, metabolic damage can be repaired. All it
takes is the right combination of metabolism stimulating exercise and metabolism stimulating nutrition (NOT just a diet), all done consistently over time.

The big irony is that most of the diet programs that claim to help you get rid of excess weight, only end up making it harder for you in the long run because they use harsh metabolism-decreasing diets and not enough exercise (almost never any
weight training).

It may take a little longer if you have really messed things up with severe starvation dieting in the past, especially if you've lost a lot of lean body mass, but it is never hopeless. Anyone can increase their metabolism.

Most people get an almost immediate boost in metabolic rate when they start the Burn The Fat program. However, the results are not going to be "overnight." Give it a little time...

Within 3 weeks your metabolism will already be more efficient. Within 6-8 weeks, it's burning hot. Give me 12 weeks of consistent diligent effort, sticking with all the metabolism boosting strategies I teach, and your metabolism really will become
like a turbo charged engine, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that.

What's most important for upping your metabolism is CONSISTENCY in applying the Burn The Fat nutrition and training principles every single day.

That includes:

* Meal frequency: eat 5-6 small meals per day
* Meal timing: eat approximately every 3 hours, with a substantial breakfast and a substantial post workout meal.
* Sufficient Caloric Intake: maintain a small calorie deficit and avoid starvation-level diets (suggested safe levels for fat loss: 2100-2500 calories per day for men, 1400-1800 calories per day for women; adjust as needed)
* Food choices: Select natural, unprocessed foods with high thermic effect (lean proteins like chicken, turkey, egg whites and fish are highly thermic, as are all green vegetables, salad vegetables and other fibrous carbs)
* Cardio training: Push up the intensity a bit if you really want to get a metabolic boost. Walking and low intensity cardio is fine, but higher intensity is more metabolism-stimulating
* Weight training: The basic exercises that include the largest muscle groups or even call into play the entire body as a unit (squats, front squats, split squats, deadlifts, stiff legged deadlifts, overhead presses, all kinds of rows and core-activation exercises) will have a much greater metabolism stimulating effect than isolation exercises(concentration curls, calf raises, etc)

The weight training is extremely important in cases of "metabolic damage" because this is the stimulus to keep the muscle you have and begin rebuilding new muscle tissue, which is the engine that drives your metabolism.

The men don't usually have a problem with the weight training, but I still hear women say they don't want to lift weights as part of their fat loss programs. Well, people who wont lift weights can expect a very, very long metabolism "repair process" if they achieve it at all.
Consistency is the key.
Nothing will undermine the "re-building" of your metabolism like inconsistency. If you stop and start, or skip meals and workouts often,you will not even get off the ground.
After your metabolism is back up where it should be, it takes continued "stoking" of the metabolic furnace to keep it there. Once you get your metabolic engine running, you've got to keep feeding it fuel or the fire will die down.

Picture an old fashioned wood burning stove...Imagine you're in a cabin up in the mountains in the winter. It's cold in there and you want to keep the cabin warm. Can you achieve this by feeding the fire once or twice per day? Nope. Not enough fuel
to burn, so not much heat is generated.

What if you just toss an entire pile of wood in the stove all at once? Will that work? Nope. Lots of fuel, but can't all be used at once... it just smothers the
fire and the excess just sits there.
How about if you throw some tissue paper or crumpled newspaper in the stove, will that work? Nope - too quickly burning.
You have to keep putting small amounts of wood (the right type of fuel) on the fire at regular intervals or the fire burns out.
It's also difficult to get the fire lit again. In the case of metabolism, it's like going through that initial few weeks of overcoming inertia all over again.
Your goal is to get your metabolism burning hot and keep it burning and this cannot be achieved by missing meals, missing workouts or with sporadic, infrequent training.
I have only seen a handful of cases where allthese things were done properly and there was still a longer "repair" process.
For example, one case was former ballet dancer. At 5' 5", she was previously 110 lbs and had increased to about 145 or so. She didn't want to reach her previous 110, but find a happy medium of about 125 lbs.
I figured with 20 lbs to cut, this would be a simple and predictable process, but she had a challenging time (and I didn't know why at first).
I later found out that she had been anorexic and bulimic for many years. This had caused a lot of damage, and although she did reach her goal, it took about twice as long as we had anticipated.
The good news is, even in this extreme case, the same nutrition and training principles worked! It just took a little longer. And by the way her program included some serious training with free weights and she ate a lot more (clean)food than she had ever eaten before. No "starvation!"
That's the power of burning the fat and feeding the muscles... Trying to starve the fat with crash diets is what causes the metabolic damage in the first place!
If you're interested in the healthy, sensible way to take off the fat, while keeping all your muscle and actually increasing your metabolism in the process, then my Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle program can teach you how. No gimmicks or false promises. Just the truth - you have to work at it and you have to be patient.
About the Author:
Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder and author of the #1 best selling e-book, "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle," which teaches you how to burn fat without drugs or supplements using the little-known secrets of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and turbo-charge your metabolism.

Hope you liked the article, tomorrow's article is called:

Induction Destruction: the Perils of Diving into Strict Diets
Head First

Should be a good read.

What A "Muscle Head" Says About Organic Food

2008-01-04T23:10:00.000-08:00

By Tom Venuto, Natural Bodybuilder

Last week I was talking about nutrition with one of my workout buddies and when I
mentioned grass fed beef and "organic food" he asked, "Do you mean like what you get at Whole Foods Market?"

I said, "Yes, exactly... that's a natural food and organic supermarket." He said,
"Yeah well, that place costs so much, I call it Whole Paycheck!"

I was rolling on the floor laughing, but the truth is, organic food really is expensive and so is grass fed beef and free range chicken, so it's a valid question to ask, "Is it worth it?"

After researching the subject and doing some personal experiments with my own diet, let me offer you my take on it from a bodybuilder's viewpoint. This is a perspective on organics you may not have heard before. First, look at it this way - if you put the cheapest fuel in your luxury car, how well is it going to run and how many miles are you going to get out of it?

While I'm on car analogies, health and fitness author and educator Paul Chek once wrote about how ridiculous it is to watch how many $75,000 + cars pull up to the Mcdonald's or Burger King drive through window to buy $1.99 hamburgers.

I would say that's a serious case of screwed up priorities, wouldn't you? The driver has no problem shelling out the $1,100 monthly car payment, but it's too much to ask him to put premium fuel into his own "bodily vehicle."

How can you put ANY price tag on your body and your health? You can buy another car,
but you've only got one body. Now, as for the grass fed beef and organic foods question....

For best results in body composition improvement, which I define as burning fat and or building muscle, (and I'll even go as far as to say for optimal health as well), I am a believer in including animal proteins, including lean meats.

I have no wish to take up the vegetarian debate in this article. I respect egetarians and acknowledge that a healthy and lean body can be developed with a vegetarian diet if it is done properly, although it may be more challenging for
strict vegans to gain muscle for various reasons.

However, in recommending animal protein as part of a healthy fat loss and muscle building nutrition program, I do agree that we all need to give some serious thought to what is in our meat (and in the rest of our food).

Some people say that meat is part of our "evolutionary" diet and it's the way we were
intended to eat and I wouldn't argue with that. But is the meat we're eating in today's modern society the same as what was hunted and eaten many thousands of years ago by our cave-man ancestors, or has some "toxic stuff" found its way into our beef, poultry and fish that wasn't there before?

I also think we should consider what is *missing* from our commercially grown food,
that is supposed to be in there, that probably used to be there in the past, but may not be today.

A lot of people are not paying any attention to this... even people who should know better. I admit it - I was oblivious to this for a long time myself. Here's why:

I am not your typical "health and wellness" or "weight loss" expert. I am also kompetitive bodybuilder. We bodybuilders are well known for eating very clean diets with lots of lean protein and natural carbs, as well as for looking like "the picture of health" with our ripped abs and impressive muscularity.
We eat our oatmeal and egg whites for breakfast, and proudly walk around with our chicken breast, rice and broccoli or our flank steak, yams and asparagus, and boast about how perfect and clean our meals are and how our diets are already
"clean" and could not be improved.

But how many bodybuilders or fitness enthusiasts are there - even serious, dedicated and educated ones - who don't give a single thought to the poisonous chemicals that might be lurking in our supposedly "clean" food?

The Food and Drug Administration lists more than 3,000 chemicals that can be added to our food supply. One billion pounds of pesticides and farming chemicals are used on our crops every year.

Depending on what source you quote, the average American consumes as much as 150 pounds of chemicals and food additives per year.
Does ANYBODY out there think that this is good for you?

Didn't think so.

If you had a way to avoid all these chemicals and toxins, would you at least explore it, even if it cost a little more?
Although this topic is controversial andhotly debated, organic food is gaining in
popularity and seems to fit this bill.
Food grown on certified organic farms does not contain:
Pesticides
Herbicides
Fungicides
Hormones
Antibiotics
Chemical fertilizers

It is also not:
Irradiated
Genetically modified
Beyond the "certified organic" label, grass
fed beef and free range chicken (and eggs),
have other advantages.
Not only can there be tons of antibiotics,
hormones, and other chemicals in our meat,
but also commercially raised beef is fed grain
or corn and yet that is not what the animals
were meant to eat.

The result - aside from sick, drugged animals - is a higher overall fat, higher naturated fat and a screwed up ratio of omega three to omega six fats, which is a very big problem today - even when you think you're eating "clean." Most people accept the idea that "you are what you eat," but they forget that the animals we eat are what they ate!
Last but not least, proponents of organic food suggest that the vitamin, mineral and
phytonutrient content of commercially grown foods can be anywhere from a little bit low to virtually absent.

So... if organic and or grass fed beef and free range chicken can help us avoid some of these problems and dangers, then I'm all for it and the extra investment.

I started eating grass fed beef almost exclusively (except for my occasional restaurant steak), quite a few years ago, and I even mentioned it in my book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle.

I can't say I eat entirely organic. I eat a lot of it, but not 100%. If I'm eating an apple or some blueberries, and it doesn't happen to be organic, I don't freak
out over it. When you really study deeply into the subject of food processing, industrial pollution and commercial farming, it can almost scare you half to death, but I don't recommend getting "alarmist" about it.

Sometimes it's the people who live in fear of a disease who are most likely to get it. I for one, am not going to live in a plastic bubble to isolate myself from a "toxic world"...oh, wait... make that a ceramic bubble, plastics are really bad for you.

All joking aside, the fear of toxins can be taken to the point where the fear itself is unhealthy, but the more I study this subject - from a variety of sources and perspectives - the more the organic argument does make sense to me.

I've built my career in fitness based on being a natural bodybuilder, which means
no steroids or performance enhancing drugs, so why would I expose myself to other
chemicals if I can avoid them? Honestly, I can't say I noticed any dramatic change in my physique or in the way I feel - at least not yet. I have always eaten clean and I was a successful bodybuilder for many years before I started eating more organic
food and grass fed beef.

However, I feel confident about my decision to spend the extra money on grass fed beef, free range chicken (and eggs), and an increasing amount of organic food, knowing that I am avoiding toxins and getting more of the nutritional value I need to support my training and my health long term.

I'm certain this is the type of nutritional lifestyle change that can accrue benefits over time, even if you don't see an immediate "transformation."

One thing I would suggest before you run out for organic fruits and vegetables or grass fed beef and so on, is to consider what kind of shape your diet and your lifestyle are in right now. If your diet is currently such a total mess that you're drinking a lot of alcohol, smoking, abusing coffee and stimulants, not even eating ANY fruits and vegetables to begin with...

And if your idea of lean protein is the processed lunch meat you get in your foot
long sub at the local deli, then I think it might be a little moot to worry about whether your fruits and veggies are 100% certified organic or whether your beef is grass fed.Just start cleaning up your diet and establishing new healthy habits, one step at a time. Focus on nutrition and lifestyle improvement,not perfection.

There are some very strong opinions on this subject. I am aware of that, and I'm not going to stand up on a pulpit and preach either way. What I have done here is simply share what I have found from my own research and what I decided to do in my own personal health and bodybuilding regimen.

My advice to everyone else is to become educated about what is really in your food,
including how it is raised or grown, and to continuously seek ways to improve your
nutrition above the level it's at now. For more information about the "natural bodybuilder's method" for losing fat, building muscle and achieving peak health.
About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder and author of the #1 best selling e-book, "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle," which teaches you how to burn fat without drugs or supplements using the little-known secrets of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models.
Hope you enjoyed the article, tomorrow's article is:

Nutrition or training - which is more important?

The Law Of Attraction And Weight Loss

2008-01-01T18:03:00.000-08:00

The Law Of Attraction And Weight Loss:
Can You Think Yourself Thin?
By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
www.burnthefat.com

--------------------------------------------------
Metaphysics & Brain science merge and prove
that positive thinking and goal setting literally
create your body and your entire life experience
---------------------------------------------------

On recently broadcast special edition of CNN's Larry King Live, Mr. King interviewed a panel of "mind experts" about how the thoughts you think literally turn into the events you experience, the material things you possess... AND even the health of your body.

For years, "positive thinking" and goal-setting were often criticized as "pollyanna" and "the law of attraction" was relegated into the category of "new age" fluff.
On the recent Larry King show, panel experts Bob Proctor, John Assaraf and others who were featured in the movie 'The Secret' explained that recent breakthroughs in peuroscience along with understanding mental laws, reveal why goal setting, the "law of attraction" and "positive thinking" all work, regardless of whether you look at them from a metaphysical or a scientific perspective.

Scientists have even identified specific parts of the brain, such as the reticular activating system (RAS), which works with the visual parts of our brain to call our conscious attention to things that are important to reaching our goals and to
filter out those things that are unimportant.
The RAS is activated by "programming" goals into our sub-conscious minds. Our sub concscious mind is the "power center" and THIS is the mechanism that explains why goal setting and positive thinking are now being accepted as scientific methods for change.
We are discovering that our brain is cybernetic in nature, which means that it is literally like a computer, waiting for a program to be installed.
Here's the kicker - the subconcsious is completely neutral and impartial - it will carry out any instructions you give it.
Unfortunately, many of us are still running negative programs we picked up from others as children when our non-conscious minds were totally open and impressionable, or which we developed over the years as a result of repetition of our own negative thinking.
As it turns out, our own thoughts, repeated daily, are one of the primary ways that our "mental computer" is programmed on a sub-conscious level, which is the level of beliefs, habits and automatic behavior.
To change your results, you must overwrite old negative programming and install positive new programming into your subconscious. This can be achived through such techniques as written goal setting, positive self-talk (affirmations), and mental imagery (visualization).
In the 1970's, the Soviets and East Germans were the first to formally use structured mental rehearsal, and at that time, they dominated in several olympic sports. This was reported in great detail in Charles Garfield's landmark book, "Peak Performance." Today, virtually all elite athletes use visualization extensively, as we now know that the brain cannot differentiate between real practice and practice that is vividly imagined.

If you are getting more of the same negative results in your life - such as the same health problems, or the same body fat continues to return even after you lose it, then you have probably been un-consciously running old negative programs and re-inforcing them with negative thought patterns.
You can begin the positive mental reprogramming process by writing down your goals, changing your internal dialogue and taking a few minutes to relax, quiet your mind and perform a session of visualization or mental rehearsal every day (seeing yourself in your "mind's eye" not as you currently are, but as you ideally would like to be).

These methods, repeated often enough, will begin to program the non- conscious portion of the mind, which is the same part of the mind that controls your heart beat, digestion and new cell production, all on "automatic pilot."

In the last decade, neuroscientists discovered that you have the capacity to create an almost infinite number of new neural connections in your brain when you run new thought patterns. The Old neural pathways are like grooves in a record,
and if you are struggling with your health related behaviors or behaviors in any other area of your life, you have been playing the "old records" over
and over again.

If you were to carve a new groove into that record, it would never play the same way again. the old pattern would weaken and the new one would take over. Brand new, positive thoughts, feelings and images begin to create new neural patterns.
Psychologists estimate that it takes 21 to 30 days to establish a new pattern in your brain. During this time, the focus on sticking with your practice and repeating your new thought patterns is critical. Is this easy? For most people, no it's not. In fact, controlling your thinking and keeping it constructive may be one of the most difficult challenges you have ever faced. Fortunately, writing goals and reading affirmations can help get you started.

You can take some of the pressure off yourself by simply accepting that negative thoughts and self criticisms will pop up from time to time. Just observe them, without mulling over them or adding to them, and change the polarity of the thought by quickly repeating one of your positive affirmations or by changing your mental pictures.
So is there something to this whole "positive thinking" thing? The philosophers and theologians have been saying yes for the entire span of recorded history: "As you think, so shall you be." Variations on this proverb can be found in every spiritual and philosophical tradition.

But... if you are the left-brained, "prove-it-to-me" type, you dont have to go on faith anymore. Scientists are beginning to prove more and more convincingly that thoughts are powerful things. Even Larry King seemed impressed with what his panel of "mind mentors" had to say.

So how soon are you going to begin your mental training right alongside your physical training? When are you going to learn how to harness this power locked up inside your mind?
Guess what? You're already using this force every day because you cannot turn it off. Whatever you are thinking and picturing in your mind repeatedly on a daily basis is already on it's way to you, so it's simply a matter of HOW you are using it, not
IF you are using it. What do you say to yourself every day? Do you say, "I am becoming leaner, healthier and more muscular every day?"... or do you say "I am a fat person - Ive tried everything, nothing ever works?" The fact is - you can think yourself thin and healthy or you can think yourself obese and ill. Maybe not
in the literal sense...but most certainly as the critical part in the chain of causation...

You see, there's a lot of talk these days in the personal improvement world about law of attraction, manifesting, intention, visualization, affirmations and of course, positive thinking. Without understanding that there is an orderly, scientific basis underneath all of these things, many people will simply remain skeptics, while on
the opposite extreme, others may get the idea that you can sit around meditating and visualizing, then expect a mystical "law of attraction" to kick in and then "poof!" a great body materializes out of thin air... along with the perfect relationship,
a nice bank account and fantastic career success.

What really happens is "Positive thinking" and related methods quite literally e-program your brain, which in turn creates new behaviors that move you physically toward whatever you have been thinking about and focusing on. So success is achieved through positive thinking + positive doing.... attraction + action. There are two sides to the coin. Without paying attention to both, you may continue to struggle... often against nothing but yourself. If you want to transform your body or any other aspect of your life, then you have to change on the inside (the mind) first and then everything else will follow.
This process of *scientific* goal setting and mental reconditioning through motionally charged mental imagery (visualization) and internal mental dialogue
(affirmations) is the very first thing I have always taught my clients and the first thing I wrote about in my book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle You can learn all of these techniques in detail in chapter 1. Learn more about the psychology of body transormation inside the Burn The Fat ebook:
by visiting: www.burnthefat.com.

BUAH NANAS (PINEAPPLE)

2007-12-30T20:35:00.001-08:00

- nanas mengandung vitamin B dan C.
- nanas dapat mencegah terkena serangan jantung dan stroke / struk.
- nenas dapat mengobati beragam penyakit dan gangguan kesehatan lain seperti :
a. menyembuhkan luka.
b. menyembuhkan infeksi pada saluran pencernaan.

BUAH BELIMBING (STAR FRUIT)

2007-12-30T20:34:00.004-08:00

- belimbing mengandung vitamin C dan provitamin A.
- belimbing dapat membantu memperlancar pencernaan makanan.
- belimbing mempunyai kegunaan / fungsi kesehatan lain seperti :
a. menurunkan tekanan darah.
b. menurunkan kadar / tingkat kolesterol dalam tubuh.

BUAH WORTEL (CARROT)

2007-12-30T20:34:00.003-08:00

- wortel kaya akan vitamin A.
- wortel baik untuk menjaga kesehatan mata.
- wortel mempunyai kegunaan / fungsi kesehatan lain seperti :
a. meningkatkan kekebalan dan ketahanan tubuh jasmani.
b. menjaga hati tetap sehat

BUAH MELON (HONEYDEW)

2007-12-30T20:34:00.001-08:00

- melon mengandung vitamin C dan provitamin A.
- melon mengandung zat anti kanker dan anti oksidan.
- melon mempunyai kegunaan / fungsi kesehatan lain seperti :
a. mencegah darah menggumpal.
b. membersihkan kulit.
c. menlancarkan saluran pencernaan.
d. menurunkan kadar kolestrerol.

BUAH SEMANGKA (WATERMELON)

2007-12-30T20:33:00.003-08:00

semangka mengandung vitamin C dan provitamin A.
- semangka dapat menjadi antialergi.
- semangka mempunyai kegunaan / fungsi kesehatan lain seperti :
seperti :
a. menurunkan kadar kolesterol.
b. mencegah dan menahan serangan jantung.

BUAH JAMBU BIJI MERAH / JAMBU MERAH (GUAVA)

2007-12-30T20:33:00.001-08:00

- jambu merah mengandung vitamin C yang sangat banyak.
- jambu merah mengandung zat antioxidan dan antikanker.
- jambu merah mempunyai kegunaan / fungsi kesehatan lain seperti :
a. menurunkan kadar kolesterol darah
b. mengobati infeksi.
c. menjaga mengobati sariawan.
d. memperlancar peredaran darah.
e. melancarkan saluran pencernaan.
f. mencegah konstipasi.

BUAH PEAR / PIR (PEAR)

2007-12-30T20:32:00.003-08:00

- pear mengandung vitamin C dan provitamin A.
- pear mengandung anti oksidan yang baik untuk menjaga kesehatan.
- pear dapat mencegah beragam penyakit dan gangguan kesehatan lain seperti :
a. menurunkan demam / panas tubuh.
b. mengencerkan dan menhilangkan dahak pada batuk berdahak.

BUAH JERUK (ORANGE)

2007-12-30T20:32:00.001-08:00

- jeruk mengandung vitamin A, B1, B2 dan C.
- jeruk mengandung antikanker bagi tubuh.
- jeruk dapat mencegah dan mengobati beragam penyakit dan gangguan kesehatan lain seperti :
a. mengobati sariawan.
b. menurunkan resiko terkena kardiovaskuler, kanker, dan katarak.

Manfaat buah Apel

2007-12-30T20:31:00.002-08:00

apel mengandung vitamin A, B dan C.
- aple dapat membantu menurunkan kadar kolesterol dalam darah.
- apel mempunyai kegunaan / fungsi kesehatan lain seperti :
a. menjadi zat anti kanker.
b. mengurangi nafsu makan yang terlalu besar.

BUAH STRAWBERRY (STRAWBERRY)

2007-12-30T20:31:00.001-08:00

- stoberi mengandung provitamin A, vitamin B1, B dan C.
- stobery mengandung antioksidan untuk melawan zat radikal bebas.
- strawbery memiliki kegunaan / fungsi kesehatan lain seperti :
a. mengobati gangguan kesehatan pada kandung kemih.
b. menjadi anti virus
c. menjadi anti kanker

BUAH MANGGA (MANGO)

2007-12-30T20:30:00.002-08:00

- mangga mengandung vitamin A, E dan C.
- mangga dapat bertindak sebagai disinfektan.
- mangga dapat membersihkan darah.
- mangga dapat menanggulangi atau mengobati beragam penyakit dan gangguan kesehatan lain seperti :
a. bau badan / bb / bau tubuh yang tidak enak.
b. menurunkan panas tubuh saat demam.

BUAH PISANG (BANANA)

2007-12-30T20:30:00.001-08:00

- pisang mengandung vitamin A, B1, B2 dan C.
- pisang dapat membantu mengurangi asam lambung.
- pisang bisa membantu menjaga keseimbangan air dalam tubuh.
- pisang dapat menanggulangi atau mengobati beragam penyakit dan gangguan kesehatan lain seperti :
a. gangguan pada lambung.
b. penyakit jantung dan stroke
c. stress
d. menurunkan kadar koleterol dalam darah.

Manfaat buah Pepaya

2007-12-30T20:29:00.000-08:00

BUAH PEPAYA (PAPAYA)
- pepaya mengandung vitamin C dan provitamin A.
- pepaya dapat membantu memecah serat makanan dalam sistem pencernaan.
- pepaya dapat mebuat lancar saluran pencernaan makanan.
- pepaya dapat menanggulangi atau mengobati beragam penyakit dan gangguan kesehatan lain seperti :
a. menyembuhkan luka.
b. menghilangkan infeksi.
c. menghilangkan alergi

Fungsi Tomat

2007-12-30T19:48:00.000-08:00

Nama Latin tomat Solanum lycopersicum

Mengandung senyawa karotenoid yang bernama likopen. sebutir tomat lbih krang mgndung 50%. Fungsi snyawa karotenoid memiliki daya antioksidan tinggi,untuk melawan radikal bebas yg akibat polusi dan radiasi sinar UV.
Pada tubuh manusia likopen terdapat pada jaringan sel Kulit, testis, kelenjar supratenat dan prostat.
Jika buah tomak dimasak, likopen akan lebih mudah keluar dari sel-sel buah dan lebih mudah larut, sehingga cara ini lebih disarankan jika ingin memanfaatkan kandungan likopen. Di samping itu, terdapat juga cara praktis yang biasa dilakukan untuk menikmati tomat matang, yakni pilih tomat yang segar, merah namun tidak bonyok (terlalu matang). Lalu potong-potong dan tempatkan di dalam sebuah gelas besar, taburi dengan gula pasir atau dituangi dengan madu secukupnya, lalu siram dengan air mendidih, ditutup dan dibiarkan sampai dingin. Untuk lebih menikmatinya, setelah dingin bisa ditambahkan potongan es. Rasanya benar-benar nikmat dan segar.
Di samping likopen, tomat pun kaya nutrisi penting lainnya. Satu gelas jus tomat bisa mengandung energi 20 kalori, protein 1 gram, lemak 0,3 gram, karbohidrat 4,2 gram, kalsium 8 mg, fosfor 29 mg, zat besi 0,59 mg, natrium 10 mg, kalium 254 mg, vitamin A 1,394 IU, biotin 2 mg, asam folat 11,5 mcg, vitamin C 21,6 mg, dan magnesium 14 mg.

Clean air is a basic precondition of our health.

2007-12-28T18:59:00.000-08:00

Clean air is a basic precondition of our health. However, most of the people in Europe and other regions of the world suffer from exposure to many air pollutants that set our health at risk.

For example, particulate matter in the air decreases life expectancy of every European by, on average, almost one year.

Pollutants such as ozone irritate people’s breathing, trigger asthma symptoms, cause lung and heart diseases and, in some extreme cases provoke premature death.

Children’s exposure to environmental tobacco smoke causes many severe respiratory health problems such as asthma and reduced lung functioning. Exposure to tobacco smoke is also harmful to adults: in Germany alone an estimated 3300 nonsmokers die prematurely every year due to this still most hazardous of indoor air pollutants.

The hazardous properties of many common pollutants are still under intensive research. Significant reductions in the concentrations of some air pollutants, as for example lead in the past decades, demonstrate meanwhile that improvements are possible and effective.

To facilitate the use of the accumulated evidence on health risks of air pollution in policy making and in public debate, the WHO/Europe air quality programme:

reviews scientific evidence on health effects of air pollution;
develops methods to quantify health risks from air pollution;
helps countries to build capacities in assessing health risks and to develop a sustainable air quality policy;
gives guidance in the European Region and on a global scale by publishing studies and recommendations such as the global WHO air quality guidelines

By www.euro.who.in

Healthy Cities and urban governance

2007-12-28T18:25:00.000-08:00

The WHO Healthy Cities programme engages local governments in health development through a process of political commitment, institutional change, capacity building, partnership-based planning and innovative projects. It promotes comprehensive and systematic policy and planning with a special emphasis on health inequalities and urban poverty, the needs of vulnerable groups, participatory governance and the social, economic and environmental determinants of health. It also strives to include health considerations in economic, regeneration and urban development efforts.

Over 1200 cities and towns from more than 30 countries in the WHO European Region are healthy cities. These are linked through national, regional, metropolitan and thematic Healthy Cities networks, as well as the WHO Healthy Cities network for more advanced cities.

The WHO Healthy Cities programme is now in its fourth phase (2003–2008). Cities currently involved in the Phase IV Network are working on three core themes: healthy ageing, healthy urban planning and health impact assessment. In addition, all participating cities focus on the topic of physical activity/active living.

Healthy Cities is a global movement. Healthy Cities networks are established in all six WHO regions.

Letters ” Vitamin C research is not bad science”

2007-12-28T01:08:00.000-08:00

Vitamin C research is not bad science
Ben Goldacre describes one of my papers of a research study evaluating the anti-HIV action of vitamin C, and labels it as “bad science” as it was a laboratory study and it had nothing to do with AZT (Bad science, January 6). That is an unfortunate categorisation.

Laboratory studies are necessary prior to treating HIV in humans as they provide a rationale for clinical evaluation. It seems that the author was looking for a study comparing vitamin C with AZT and found an incorrect reference that evaluated only vitamin C. I should like to point out that subsequent to that first report, we published two successive papers that compared the anti-HIV effects of vitamin C to AZT. Both studies showed that whereas vitamin C suppressed HIV activation in latently or chronically-infected cells, AZT had no significant anti-HIV effect.

Our results on AZT were consistent with an independent report from another laboratory that also showed AZT to be ineffective in suppressing HIV expression in chronically-infected cells.

Simply because vitamin C has not been tested in humans, does not make vitamin C research a bad science. In fact, the reasons one would perform a clinical study are apparent in the above laboratory studies which have provided a compelling rationale for such testing. However, since vitamin C is a simple, inexpensive nutrient and not a drug with profit-generating potential, there has been little interest in testing it clinically. This is unfortunate as it keeps a potential non-toxic treatment from being further evaluated against a deadly life-threatening disease.
Raxit Jariwalla
California Institute for Medical Research, San Jose

Testing the water

2007-12-28T01:07:00.000-08:00

Promoting the public misunderstanding of science this week we have Waitrose Food Illustrated, talking about Penta bottled water: “It’s ‘ultra-purified, restructured micro-water’ that offers ‘optimal cellular hydration’.” Sounds expensive. I wonder how it works. “By disrupting the naturally occurring molecule clusters in water with high-energy sound waves, they are able to pass more easily through the body’s cell membranes, quenching the thirst better.” Apparently it offers significant health benefits.

So I try to find out how and whether it works. Just watch as I waste a whole morning. First I go to Penta’s website. It’s dripping with scientific terminology and links to research, which end at best with a couple of very tenuous papers published in obscure Russian journals. Here’s a sample. “There are many types of bioactive molecular structures, including clustered water that scientists are continually researching, for instance at Cambridge.” Follow the link and you find a serious page about physics from a scientist and the disclaimer: “LINKS FROM ANY COMMERCIAL ORGANISATIONS TO THIS SITE ARE ENTIRELY UNAUTHORISED AND UNWELCOME. THE MAINTAINERS OF THIS SITE HAVE NO CONNECTIONS WITH ANY SUCH COMPANIES OR THEIR PRODUCTS.” I phone him. He roars with laughter, but isn’t in the mood to be quoted on something that has nothing to do with him. And rightly so. I get on to Penta. Got any peer-reviewed data, I ask? Apparently not yet. All the stuff on performance isn’t out yet, they’re keeping their heads down while they do the research. While they’ve been keeping their heads down, the Penta website quotes Metro as saying “hydrates at the intercellular level and has many recorded health benefits”, Men’s Health said it is “proven to hydrate more quickly” and the Daily Mirror said it will “increase the body’s cell survival by over 200%,” meaning I will die sometime after the year 2200. “The claims aren’t as far-fetched as they sound,” says the Evening Standard. I can’t wait to see the coverage they get when they go public with this.

But they do have a published paper, I’m told, on liposomes in vitro with aquaporins in an artificial membrane, “or something”, that shows the water is absorbed faster. They’ll email me the reference. Instead I get a call from the MD, who gets very upset that I am trying to catch her out on the science and asks that I don’t quote her. So I didn’t even get a confirmation that the paper exists. The morning is over, and confusion reigns supreme.

Mixing medicines

2007-12-28T00:57:00.000-08:00

Mixing medicines Ben Goldacre

Thursday November 11, 2004
The Guardian (www.badscience.net)

Â· Ah, Susan Clark of the Sunday Times (What’s the Alternative?), how I love her. This time she’s giving advice about which natural substances are safe to take with warfarin. First, she bemoans the dearth of research on the subject. Then she ignores the useful stuff in what we do know. “As a simple guideline, patients who are taking warfarin should avoid any natural remedies that have an action on the cardiovascular system.” I have no idea where that idea came from: but warfarin is famous for being interfered with by other drugs. St John’s Wort, for example, is a very popular drug - herb, collection of drugs in a plant, whatever - that reduces the plasma concentration of warfarin, along with phenytoin and rifampicin: that’s not because they’re active on the cardiovascular system, that’s probably because they interfere with liver enzymes, which means it makes them work harder. Those enzymes also break down warfarin, so if they’re working harder, they break down the warfarin more too, so there’s less of it around in your blood, and you’re more likely to have another nasty clot and die. Likewise, ginseng reduces the plasma levels of warfarin, so they shouldn’t be mixed either. And lots of others.

Â· So: stand by for the kind of nerdy, and usefully boring science story you’ll see in a paper when I am prime minister of the world government. In a recent study, 2,600 patients on warfarin were sent a questionnaire on what alternative therapies they took: 1,360 responded (believe me, that’s a high response rate) and a whole 19.2% of those responders were, it turned out, taking one or more complementary therapies. Ninety-two per cent of them hadn’t thought to mention this to their doctor. Only 28.3% of all respondents had even thought that herbal medicines could interfere with prescription drugs. Because hardly anybody’s telling them. And, the patients who were taking the complementary therapies - the ones you’d hope would be aware of the risks - were even less likely to think they might interfere with prescription drugs (at a statistical significance of P<0.001,>

Â· Now, doctors have a responsibility to ask about alternative therapies. Patients have a responsibility to themselves to volunteer the information. And the PR arm of the alternative therapy industry, the ones who write articles in national newspapers, have a responsibility to know their onions, and share their knowledge.

How do I choose a gym?

2007-12-28T00:47:00.000-08:00

To choose the right gym, you need to exercise your mind first. Visit the gym at peak time (6-8.30pm) and ask yourself:

Is it overcrowded?
Is there enough equipment? Does it look clean and well-maintained?
Are machines and free weights in separate areas? (It’s best to begin on machines because dropping a dumbell can be dangerous - especially if you drop it on that big bloke with the fifty inch chest.)
Are there enough instructors around? Are they qualified? Do they have NVQs in exercise and fitness, for example. Are instructors registered with any professional body. Check that professional body out - visit their website.
Is there somewhere to warm-up and warm-down? What are the changing rooms and showers like?
don't be over impressed by fancy video screens. Air-conditioning, lighting and drinking water facilities are more important. If you do want to watch telly while exercising, check out what's on. Some people prefer to listen to tapes or minidiscs or, on some machine, even read..
check if the programme of classes suits you.
check fees - these can be harder to work out than a phone-bill so you ask if there a joining charge, any additional costs for classes or other facilities and how you cancel or suspend membership.
try it out - before joining get a daily or weekly pass and see what the place is really like.

Good gyms will give new members a questionnaire to help assess their fitness. If you haven't exercised for a while, ask for a fuller assessment by an instructor. Before letting you on the equipment, the gym should explain how it all works and suggest the best programme for you to begin with. Or check-out our progammes here.

It costs about £100 to join a private gym plus £40-£90 a month depending on what times and facilities you opt for. But private doesn’t mean good. Many local authority gyms are excellent. The Pulse, run by the local council in Peckham, south London, was recently voted the best value in the country.

By www.malehealth.co.uk

Change Your Whole Attitude !

2007-12-27T23:40:00.001-08:00

Change Your Whole Attitude !
STOP !!! Stop making up excuses; Oh, I am too tired after I come back from my job and I have no strength to go to the gym and work out.

STOP !!! Stop saying; It's raining, it's snowing, it's too hot, it's too humid, it's too early or too late.
STOP !!! Stop crying; I don't want to miss my favorite shows: "Full House", "Saved By The Bell" or "Star Trek Voyager".
STOP !!! Don't even try to say that you want to stay at home and watch your favorite bands "N'Stink" and "Back Street Girls" performing on MTV channel.
STOP !!! Enough of this bullshit. Just shut the hell up and go lift some weights. No more whining, making up crappy excuses and bitching about your life. Just follow next simple routine to achieve some results:

SHUT UP, GET UP AND GO WORK OUT !
If you came to this site and actually are looking for some information about overall fitness and bodybuilding, it means that at some point you have decided to get off your butt and do something about all that extra fat and stress. Yes, yes and yes ! It is true. If you gained a few (ok, maybe way more than a few) extra pounds, if you feel depressed and stressed out, if your muscles can't handle as much physical activities as they used to, if your heart is giving up on you, if you are not satisfied with how your body looks and how you feel about yourself and about all kinds of things. There is only ONE word you need to know to change your life around. This word ( very very powerful word ) is EXERCISE.
DON'T QUIT !!!