Get To Know Lycopene: The Little Known Anti-Oxidant

"Carotenoids" is the term which describes the large range
of more than 600 pigments which give many plants their
characteristic red, orange or yellow colouring. Amongst
those most commonly found in modern Western diets are
alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and
lycopene.

Most attention has been paid to alpha-carotene and
beta-carotene as these can be synthesised by the body to
form vitamin A, which is one of the body's most powerful
antioxidants, immune system boosters and infection
fighters. Neither lutein, zeaxanthin nor lycopene are
"pro-vitamin A" active substances in this sense, but this
should not be taken as detracting from their nutritional
value in any way.

Indeed, the evidence now indicates that these lesser known
carotenoids also function as valuable fat-soluble
anti-oxidants within the body. Lycopene, in particular, is
now even thought to be responsible for many of the
anti-oxidant functions previously credited to
beta-carotene. Research suggests that as a highly
fat-soluble anti-oxidant, lycopene is particularly
important in preventing free radical damage to the delicate
but vital fatty structures of the body's cells, such as the
membranes.

It also seems possible that lycopene may be at least as
important as beta-carotene in protecting against the
oxidation of Low Density Lipids (LDLs), the so-called "bad
cholesterol", which is now widely held to be a principal
cause of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries -
the precursor of serious cardio-vascular diseases such as
heart attack and stroke.

Like beta-carotene, lycopene has also generated much
excitement as a potential weapon against cancer, probably
because of its general anti-oxidant function, but also
because of its proven role in keeping open the pathways
between cells which are vital to allow the immune system to
kill off cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.

In 1995 the Journal of the National Cancer Institute
reported research suggesting a 45% reduction in rates of
prostate cancer for men consuming a lycopene rich diet – ie
one containing considerable quantities of processed
tomatoes. Other studies have since indicated a role for
lycopene in combatting lung, stomach, colon and breast
cancer; in protecting against cardiovascular disease, and
as an immune system booster.

Unfortunately the consumption of a diet rich in lycopene
presents practical problems which do not arise with the
better known carotenoids, alpha and beta-carotene, because
it is not nearly so widely available in common foodstuffs.
It is lycopene which gives tomatoes their characteristic
vivid red colour, and it is this fruit which is by far the
richest source. But it is the processing and/or cooking of
tomatoes which makes available far more lycopene than would
be provided by the raw fruit.

So a cup of regular tomato paste may contain more than
75,000 mcg of lycopene, tomato puree more than 50,000, a
regular can of tomato soup more than 25,000 and canned
tomato juice perhaps 20,000. A serving of raw tomatoes, by
contrast, will provide a mere 5,000. So rather than rely
on raw tomatoes, unless you can consume truly heroic
quantities, you'd do better to try a cup of canned mixed
vegetable juice at around 23,000 mcg or even a slice of
watermelon which may yield up to 13,000 mcg.

The above figures make it clear that processed tomatoes are
the best source of significant dietary lycopene, but the
problem with this from the point of view of the health
purist is that the processing of tomatoes into soup, paste
or puree commonly involves the addition of considerable
amounts of salt and sugar – just what your body doesn't
need if you're seeking extra protection for your heart and
circulatory system.

It also needs to be remembered when planning a lycopene
rich diet that, as with other carotenes, the optimum
absorption requires the presence of dietary fat. This is
not so easy to achieve with tomatoes unless you're thinking
about the rich kind of meat and tomato sauce commonly eaten
with pasta, or smothering a fatty meal with ketchup.
Nothing wrong with either option in moderation of course,
but they're hardly healthy ways to get the lycopene you
need every day.

So tomato juice in the purest form possible is probably the
best means of obtaining significant dietary lycopene. That
Bloody Mary with accompanying potato chips may be doing you
some good after all!

Supplements containing lycopene are also readily available
as an alternative, but opinions are divided as to their
effectiveness. Conventional medicine tends to accept the
value of a diet rich in carotenoids, but argues that the
positive effects may be due to factors associated with such
diets other than the carotenoids themselves. Alternative
practitioners, of course, admit to no such doubts and are
therefore convinced of the benefits of specific carotenoid
supplementation.

So as ever, the commonsense advice for maximum benefit
appears to be to combine supplementation with a normal
daily diet already well supplied with lycopene rich foods.

----------------------------------------------------
Steve Smith is a freelance copywriter specialising in
direct marketing and with a particular interest in health
products. Find out more at
http://www.sisyphuspublicationsonline.com/LiquidNutrition/In
formation.htm

Forms Of Depression

When talking about emotional status, the term depression
has taken on an almost generic meaning. Among the general
public, depression, it seems, can refer to sadness, grief,
disappointment, loss, and probably other unique states of
being as well. But the reality is depression is not some
hodgepodge of emotional outlooks: depression is a specific
mental health diagnosis that has a unique and specific
symptomology.

There are actually various types of depression, something
most people -- even those who have some understanding of
depression -- would probably be surprised at. The most
common depression type is dysthymia. Dysthymia is
characterized by long-term, chronic depressive symptoms,
though dysthymia symptoms never reach the point of becoming
disabling. And while it isn't disabling, dysthymia
absolutely does interfere with quality of life, and keeps
those suffering with it from achieving high levels of
happiness and satisfaction.

A second depression type is major depression. Unlike
dysthymia, major depression does reach disabling levels.
Where chronic depressive symptoms may go on for long
periods at unpleasant levels, symptoms in a major
depression are so significant that normal functioning
becomes seriously affected. Major depression typically
occurs episodically, not chronically, perhaps due to the
fact that major depression often demands treatment
intervention and can't be overlooked as dysthymia, for
example, can. A person may have only one episode of major
depression during his or her lifetime, but is more likely
to have several.

A third common depression type is bipolar disorder. Bipolar
disorder is characterized by periods of debilitating major
depression, but also by manic states. During a manic state,
a person with bipolar disorder may appear exceptionally
energetic, talkative, and possibly even euphoric.
Inappropriate behavior and poor judgment are common to the
bipolar disorder manic state. This swing, sometimes
occurring very rapidly, between debilitating depression and
mania is a classic indication of bipolar disorder.

Dysthymia, major depression, and bipolar disorder all call
for treatment intervention. The treatment approach to
dysthymia can involve psychological counseling, psychiatric
medication, or a combination of both. Treatment for an
episode of major depression almost always involves some
form of psychiatric medication, and this is especially true
if a major depression episode leads to hospitalization. The
baseline treatment for bipolar disorder is treatment with
medication, accompanied frequently, if not always, by
psychological counseling. Lithium has a common history in
the treatment of bipolar disorder. A case of bipolar
disorder that goes untreated will often lead to the
afflicted individual having more and more difficulty
functioning normally in society, with an eventual possible
outcome of considerable medical and / or legal difficulty.

----------------------------------------------------
Zinn Jeremiah is an online author. Read more of Zinn's work
at http://www.hubonline.biz/website-content.htm . Find help
for depression at
http://www.hubonline.biz/get-better-now.htm .

Why In Home Fitness Training?

With in home fitness training, you can certainly get in
shape, but it's the sanity that you're going to save along
the way that makes this the latest trend in fitness. Though
a traditional gym can certainly serve the person without
the room for fitness equipment in their home, staying at
home can offer other more important benefits. With in home
fitness training, you can save yourself from breaking a
sweat from anything but your workout.

One of the often cited advantages of in home fitness
training is that you don't have to drive anywhere in order
to workout. You can simply go to your workout space when
you are ready and workout. No gas is needed, no more
fighting rush hour traffic or waking up early in the
morning to beat traffic. In doing so, you are also saving
yourself time. You can make the most of your workout time
instead of spending more time getting to the actual gym to
complete your workout.

Once you go to a traditional gym, you will be working out
with hundreds of other people and staff members. This leads
to a number of issues. You have to wait in line if other
members of the gym are using the equipment you need and if
there is a long line, you're spending more time waiting
than actually working out. If the gym is smaller and
doesn't have a lot of equipment, you will need to get to
the gym as early as possible or at different times of the
day to avoid these problems. While many gyms are open at
all hours of the day, your workout should be something
that's convenient for YOUR schedule and not someone else's
schedule. And that's why in home fitness training can be so
great. You get to choose when you're going to workout –
every hour is available.

A lot of people don't think about the idea that sharing
equipment and facilities with others can actually be
harmful for your health. When you sweat, you will be
leaving germs and dirt on the pieces of gym equipment. If
you don't clean it off, the next person that uses the
machine will touch that and possible get sick from the
exposure. Just being around a lot of people can also expose
you to a number of germs and illnesses. Another problem
with traditional gyms as opposed to in home fitness
training is that you might get on a machine that's not the
proper height for your body. While you can adjust the
machine for your size, most people do not and risk hurting
themselves as they exercise because of the maladjustment.

The fact is that in home fitness training just offers you
more time to exercise and more time to enjoy your routine.
No one wants to create a workout schedule that's a hassle.

----------------------------------------------------
Machelle Lee owns and operates The Invisible Gym in Santa
Cruz, CA. Her mission is to inspire people to become
physically active and enjoy the benefits of a balanced,
healthy lifestyle. For more information and questions you
can visit her website.

http://www.the-invisible-gym.com/

Overcome ADD/ADHD with Hypnosis

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or ADD with hyperactivity
(ADHD) is as common in today's schools as well, the common
cold. If you would like to explore alternatives to drug
therapy to help your child become more focused and calm and
do better in school, then hypnosis is a comforting and
natural choice.

Adults and children alike can suffer from the effects of
ADD and ADHD. Both are treated with similar medications
including Adderall, Stratera, or Ritalin. These
prescriptions tend to work only as long as they are in the
body, so most children have to take time out of their
school schedule to visit the nurse for a mid-day dose.
There can also be a drop off effect when the medication
leaves the body that manifests itself as an extreme change
in behavior based on the decreased ability to focus.
Hypnosis addresses the core causes of the inability to stay
on task by organizing thoughts and developing skills used
in concentration.

Hypnotherapy designed to alleviate ADD and ADHD starts as
other hypnosis sessions. First you are brought to a state
of total relaxation. From there you are able to shut out
all external stimuli and focus on the matter at hand. The
dialog used to battle ADD and ADHD works on developing
concentration by learning to focus on one specific thought
or task at a time.

If you or your child struggles each day to stay on task and
live a peacefully organized life, then hypnosis can help.
The cause may be a condition known to doctors and
psychiatrists as ADD/ADHD. Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
or ADD combined with Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are
conditions diagnosed in approximately 5-7 percent of
children. It is also becoming recognized as a disorder not
exclusive to children, but in many adults. The growing
pharmaceutical hold on those who suffer from these
conditions is not the only treatment.

Symptoms of ADD and ADHD are an inability to concentrate
and complete tasks. It is believed to be a chemical
imbalance that causes these disorders. A hyper or extremely
active child does not necessarily have a problem, nor does
a scatter-brained adult. Much of a person's diet and the
way they process information, can lead experts to the
diagnosis of ADD or ADHD. Since hypnosis naturally works to
organize and sort through thoughts and stored bits of
information in the brain, it is extremely effective in
helping those who have ADD.

Because hypnosis is able to help a person relax it can go
into the depths of the brain where information is stored.
Often the information stored there is vying for attention
and comes to the conscious mind in the form of scattered
and disconnected ideas. Likewise, throughout the day the
brain is receiving millions of pieces of information
simultaneously and unless it knows how to organize it
quickly, it can cause distractions. Hypnosis, simply put,
is the way to file all of these stimuli and keep order.

----------------------------------------------------
Steve G. Jones is a board certified Clinical
Hypnotherapist. He is a member of the National Guild of
Hypnotists, American Board of Hypnotherapy, president of
the American Alliance of Hypnotists, on the board of
directors of the Los Angeles chapter of the American Lung
Association, and director of the California state
registered Steve G. Jones School of Hypnotherapy.
http://www.betterlivingwithhypnosis.com

The Risks Of Being Overweight

There's now a general understanding, and certainly a better
understanding than there has ever been, that losing excess
body weight is medically beneficial. What may not be
understood is specifically how losing weight can improve
one's health outlook. The truth of the matter is carrying
excess weight can affect healthy, optimal bodily function
in any number of different ways.

Excess weight can lead to type 2 diabetes. Type 2 Diabetes
is also referred to as adult-onset diabetes and is a
condition characterized by high blood sugar levels. High
blood sugar levels are associated with heart disease,
kidney disease, stroke, and blindness, not to mention
circulatory problems that in severe cases can lead to the
need for extremity amputation.

Being overweight can lead to heart disease. Heart disease
is when the heart and blood flow aren't properly
functioning. Heart disease may result in heart arrhythmia,
angina (chest pain), congestive heart failure, or sudden
heart failure.

Persons who are overweight are more likely to have high
blood pressure and high LDL cholesterol levels (LDL
cholesterol is known as the "bad" cholesterol; HDL
cholesterol is known as the "good" cholesterol). High blood
pressure and high LDL cholesterol levels are each linked to
heart disease and stroke. High blood pressure is
additionally linked to vision problems and possibly
blindness, and kidney failure. High blood pressure is, with
reason, referred to as a killer.

Overweight people are more likely to get certain types of
cancers. Cancer of the colon, cancer of the esophagus, and
cancer of the kidney(s) are more likely in people who are
overweight. Overweight women are more likely to develop
uterine cancer and breast cancer after menopause. There's
also evidence that overweight people who do develop cancer
have a higher death rate than people with cancer who aren't
overweight.

People who are overweight are more likely to develop sleep
apnea than people who aren't overweight. Sleep apnea is a
condition where people stop breathing at various points
during their normal sleep routine. Sleep apnea can lead to
excess fatigue, poor concentration, and even heart failure.
Sleep apnea has also been linked to sudden death during
sleep.

These are but a few health risks associated with an
overweight physique. Yes, there are more. Being overweight
is almost an invitation to some form of poor health. Then
there's the issue of the financial cost should one become
ill from having excess body weight. Hospitalization costs
in the United States can turn overwhelming in almost no
time at all. You can also lose health care access entirely
in the United States if you're no longer able to work. From
this perspective, losing weight makes sense for health and
for financial reasons.

----------------------------------------------------
Zinn Jeremiah is a freelance author. Read more of Zinn's
work at http://www.hubonline.biz/website-content.htm . Get
help with weight loss at
http://www.hubonline.biz/lose-now.htm .

Using Hypnosis To Obtain A Healthy Lifestyle

Hypnosis is a powerful tool that can be used to release
one's full potential, especially when it comes to enriching
ones life in a number of different areas, such as
successful weight loss, increased motivation, confidence
and memory ending addictions such as smoking, drinking,
gambling or drugs, and has been shown to be very effective
in forming better relationships.

If you have been on diet after diet and lost weight, only
to put it on again, then you are well aware that it takes
more than will power to successfully maintain weight loss.
Even though you know how and what to eat and the importance
of exercise, it can be difficult to lose weight. That is
because losing and maintaining a healthy weight are much
less about will power and much more about metabolism and
psyche.

So often when people try to lose weight, they verbalize a
strong desire. Yet blame for failures is put on a lack of
will power. Hypnosis targets an area of the mind that is
often pushed to the background. By bringing about an
awareness of what lies there, hypnosis can allow you to
have the part of your mind that truly wants to lose weight
and take center stage over the part of the mind that tells
you eating that chocolate cake is what you want right now.

Part of what you have the ability to control with your mind
is metabolism. Metabolism refers to how quickly your body
uses its fuel sources (food) and how much will be stored.
By increasing metabolism you can speed up weight loss and
maintain it. Hypnosis has the ability to let you change
your metabolism.

Hypnosis is often misunderstood. Many people believe it can
force you to act and react in whatever way the
hypnotherapist instructs. Hypnosis cannot make a person
into someone different and cannot control a person's mind.
Hypnosis can only draw upon what is within the person.

If hypnosis cannot change who you are, then you may wonder
how it can improve one's motivation. It is simple.
Motivation is merely a stimulation response. Many things
can motivate a person. For example, hunger motivates us to
go and get something to eat. Or, on an emotional
stimulation response may be that the promise of payment
motivates us to go to work each day.

Sometimes people know what they want, but can't seem to get
motivated to go after it. It may be that the objective is
not a priority, like a paycheck coming in to support a
family or the need for food. This may be true even though
the end goal is something that can improve their life or
even bring short term happiness. That is where hypnosis
comes into play.

Because hypnosis draws upon the information already stored
in the recesses of the mind it can reorganize and in a way
reprioritize goals and objectives. Hypnosis is a self
improvement method of bringing to the forefront of the mind
the information that will serve as a driving force to
action.

Hypnosis used to improve one's memory is an extremely
effective therapy that includes learned behaviors and
reorganizing the material stored in the brain so the
garbage doesn't get in the way of important facts. To
understand how hypnosis can improve memory, it helps to
understand how the brain receives and stores information,
then recalls that information on demand.

The brain receives literally millions of signals a day,
most of them simultaneously. There are sights, sounds,
smells, and feelings that are absorbed, but few of them are
consciously registered. All of the senses in fact come into
play as the brain is receiving bits of information. Much of
this information is not considered useful at the moment, if
ever, and is quickly and automatically pushed to the
background.

Hypnosis works to improve memory by doing a housekeeping
task of sorting and categorizing information. It does this
through first relaxing the body and mind. Then like a
virtual organizer data is sorted into different regions of
the brain. When the clutter is removed and the dust wiped
away, then the important thoughts we wish to remember can
be recalled quickly.

In order to hypnotize one's self or others a complete state
of relaxation must occur. This is referred to as the alpha
state of consciousness. When you are fully awake, aware and
focused on your surroundings you are in a beta state of
consciousness. The alpha state, which is the beginning to
hypnosis, is similar to being completely relaxed and
comfortable such as when drifting off to sleep. However,
this is also the state you are in when you are fully
engrossed in a book, computer game or even while driving a
familiar route. Contrary to what many people believe, those
under hypnosis are still aware of their surroundings.
People who have claimed that they have never been able to
become hypnotized may not realize that you don't have to be
mesmerized in order to have been effectively hypnotized.

----------------------------------------------------
Steve G. Jones is a board certified Clinical
Hypnotherapist. He is a member of the National Guild of
Hypnotists, American Board of Hypnotherapy, president of
the American Alliance of Hypnotists, on the board of
directors of the Los Angeles chapter of the American Lung
Association, and director of the California state
registered Steve G. Jones School of Hypnotherapy.
http://www.betterlivingwithhypnosis.com

Advice about Body Toning Exercises for Women

The trick with many body toning exercises for women is that
you have to know how to perform them in order to get the
most benefit. But while the instructions can be lengthy and
your personal trainer may walk you through them time and
time again, you still might be doing the body toning
movements incorrectly – wasting your time in the process.
Instead of just going through the motions, here are some
great ideas for learning how to perform your fitness
program right each and every time.

Before you even begin the workout that you have planned,
you should look at the body toning exercises for women that
are included. If they're on a tape, try to watch the tape
all the way through once and even again to see what is
happening. You should also read any instructions thoroughly
when you are reading about a program from a website or a
book. Take the time to study any pictures that you might
find and try to imitate the model as though you were a
mirror image of them. You might also want to enlist a
friend to see how they might interpret an exercise.
Sometimes having another perspective will help you figure
it out for yourself.

When you're doing the workout, it's a good idea to perform
any body toning exercises for women as slowly as you can at
first. If you're in a body toning class for women, this
might mean that you will lag behind the other participants,
but this is okay. It will give you a chance to look at
everyone else's form – especially the instructor and those
that have bodies that you'd like to have. Take your time
for the first few workouts and only do half of the
repetitions if you can. As you build up your confidence,
you can add more and move more quickly. Until then, it's
best to figure things out before teaching your body the
wrong movements.

Other things to keep in mind with body toning exercises for
women is that you need to protect your joints. Try to avoid
bending are angles that can harm your body. For example,
when you're doing a lunge, you don't want your front knee
to extend past the toe of the same leg. When you cross your
toe line, you will be at a higher risk of hurting your
knees. This rule also applies for squat exercises too.
Listen carefully to the instructor to hear about any other
adjustments that might help you prevent injury.

When you're first starting a body toning exercises for
women program, you need to be aware that you might not know
everything right from the start. So, instead of learning
the ineffective ways of doing the routine, why not take
your time to learn what really works?

----------------------------------------------------
Machelle Lee owns and operates, The Invisible Gym in Santa
Cruz, CA. Her mission is to inspire people to become
physically active and enjoy the benefits of a balanced,
healthy lifestyle. For more information and questions you
can visit her website.

http://www.the-invisible-gym.com/