Bone Anchored Hearing Aid (Baha) – What You Need To Know

Bone Anchored Hearing Aid (Baha) – What You Need To Know
The bone anchored hearing aid (or Baha) is a surgically
implanted system for treating hearing loss. The system
uses direct bone conduction, where sound is conducted
through the bone rather than through the middle ear and has
been used successfully since 1977. FDA approval in the
United States came in 1996, allowing its use as treatment
for conductive and mixed hearing loss.

The Baha has three main parts. There is an implant, an
external abutment and a sound processor. These three parts
work together to enhance natural bone transmission and
provides a pathway for sound to enter the inner ear that
bypasses the external auditory canal and middle ear.

The implant consists of a tiny titanium piece, which is put
in place through a surgical procedure. It integrates with
the natural skull bone over time. The sound processor
transmits sound vibrations through the external abutment
that sends the vibrations through to the bone. The
vibration of the skull and inner ear stimulate the nerve
fibers in the inner ear, allowing hearing.

Who is a candidate for the Baha?
The Baha is a good solution for people who have suffered
hearing loss due to chronic ear infections or congenital
middle ear defects. The device bypasses the outer and
middle ear areas to get to the inner ear. As long as the
inner ear is intact and functions properly, the Baha can be
successfully used. Those who continue to suffer from ear
infections will find that the device does not aggravate the
situation as other types of hearing aid often do. People
who have congenital defects that prevented good hearing
will find excellent results when using the Baha.

The bone anchored hearing aid is also a good option for
those who have trouble adapting to the feel of a
traditional hearing aid. Not only does it alleviate
discomfort problems but it can also help relieve problems
related to feedback and amplification that are resolved
when using the Baha.

What about those with deafness in one ear?
One of the best things about the Baha is that it helps
those with a deaf ear. Prior to Baha, people with
unilateral deafness did not have many satisfactory options
for improved hearing. Recently, the Baha was cleared by
the FDA as a solution for unilateral deafness. The Baha
hearing aid is placed on the side of the deaf ear. It
transmits sounds from the deaf ear to the normal ear,
resulting in a sensation of hearing in the deaf ear.

What are the best features of the Baha?
No other type of hearing aid can adequately address the
specific needs of those with outer and middle ear problems
as well as deafness in one ear. The bone anchored hearing
aid is much more comfortable than most types of hearing
aid. Once it is properly implanted, the Baha is
unobtrusive and often undetectable. The Baha can’t
slip or loosen, as other normal hearing aids tend to do
from time to time. There is nothing to re-fit. Once
implanted it is ready.

----------------------------------------------------
Only one out of five people who could benefit from a
hearing aid actually wears one. There are many types of
hearing aids to suit almost every type and degree of
hearing loss, and budget. Check out our hearing aids
comparison at http://www.abouthearingaid.com/art-baha

The 7 Best Tips For Women On How To Lose Belly Fat

The 7 Best Tips For Women On How To Lose Belly Fat
How to lose belly fat is the most frequently asked question
by women, and of course they want the fastest and quickest
way to lose it. There are many articles and diets out
there that claim they can help you lose unwanted belly fat
but it can be very overwhelming. I have been in the
fitness industry for 10 years and have worked with real
women that have struggled with these issues. Let me say it
can get a bit complicated then just going on a diet. Women
do struggle more than men to lose this. You must be
patient in the process as it is not a linear process.

Here are the 7 best tips to beat belly fat:

1. Preparation is key. First off, I don't like the word
"diet" it sounds very negative, and is short-lived. Most
women that go on fad diets gain the weight back and then
some, which contributes more to losing belly fat. What you
first must understand is that if you want to really lose
the belly fat you must adapt a healthy life-style. You
also must mentally prepare yourself for this and feel you
are ready to change. It is a decision to be committed
rather than just interested. Committed means you do what
it takes, and interested is that you will only do just a
little and end up frustrated because you didn't get the
results you wanted.

2. Look at your nutrition. The main thing to be concerned
about is calories. Too little calories and the belly fat
will not come off and the same thing for too many. You
need to be in the right calorie deficit to lose belly fat.
You might be thinking of what type of plan you should be
on, but the real secret is how many calories you are taking
in for the day, but also make sure that protein is set up
to your daily requirement. This can vary anywhere from
1-1.5 grams per body weight or some like to go by their
lean muscle mass.

3. Fish oils (6 grams daily) this will help you lose fat.
You actually need the right amount and types of fat to lose
the belly fat. Most programs can show you how to take
weight off, but if your serious about losing the belly fat
you need to focus on fat loss not weight loss for permanent
results. As you progress your body will plateau and you
actually have to keep adjusting your metabolism. This is
done mainly through nutrition.

4. Eat to lose belly fat. Believe it or not sometimes you
have to go up in calories in order to lose more belly fat.
I know this may sound counterintuitive but it's true. Do
this very carefully, otherwise you can end up worse off
than before. I recommend hiring a highly skilled fitness
professional that knows how to do this. They must
understand nutrition beyond the scope of what most people
think.

5. Have the right training program. This will consist of
both weight training and cardio. I find many women doing
cardio the wrong way. Forget about long sessions on steady
state cardio, these can actually produce too much cortisol,
which leads to belly fat. Many women are exercising this
way to lose belly fat, when in fact they are being
counterproductive in their exercise. The right way to do
cardio to lose belly fat is interval and HIIT (high
intensity interval training). These are short bursts that
can be done outside or on a cardio machine. For example of
HIIT would be 20 seconds of a workload followed by 30
seconds recovery then repeat the cycle for 8-12 times then
perform a moderate cool down. Intervals will be longer in
both work and rest segments. When it comes to losing belly
fat, weight training is very important and you want to keep
a variety of reps schemes.

Doing heavy sets one week (6-8 reps), and the following
higher rep sets (10-15) is a good way to mix things up.
There are many ways you could put together a weight
training program, but I want to stress that you need to
have variety and don't think doing light weight and lots of
reps is going to get rid of the belly fat either. Just to
keep things simple, know that you need to vary your
program. Another key to getting rid of belly fat is
intensity, if you are working out and you are not sweating
an breathing hard then you need to push yourself harder.
Don’t waste time when you are working out, rather
keep your sessions intense and keep rest brief in between
sets (45 seconds- 2 minute rest). This will vary depending
on your program.

6. Track your progress. Take your body fat every 2
weeks, along with measurements, pictures, and try on a pair
of pants that are too small. Things can fluctuate so you
might have the measurements read the same but your pants
feel looser. I find that by doing all of these things
gives you a more accurate picture. Even the mirror can be
deceiving as you look at yourself everyday, water weight
can give you the wrong impression of progression. If you
are not changing after every 3 weeks, you need to change
your program. Women tend to stay on the same program for a
long time and wonder why things aren't working. Like I
said in the beginning, losing belly fat is not a linear
process. You're body will plateau, so you need to take the
necessary steps in tweaking your program if you want to
lose that belly fat.

7. Lastly, but most importantly is conditioning your mind
to stay motivated. For some reason this doesn't get
addressed the way it should. Everything you do is a mental
process and that goes with losing the unwanted belly fat
too.

----------------------------------------------------
Heather Picken, Female Fat Loss Expert, and Co-Founder Of
Fat Loss For Women online community. Learn the secrets to
losing unwanted belly fat and inches. Sign up for the
latest fat burning secrets and receive your FREE copy of
"Blast Cellulite Now"
http://www.fatlossforwomen.com

Lose Weight Fast For Your Wedding Day Dress

Lose Weight Fast For Your Wedding Day Dress
It's one of the biggest goals a bride will strive to attain
before the big day, getting in shape, And if you're like
most brides, you'd much rather the seams of your wedding
dress be taken in, rather than be let out. After all being
the center of attention means all eyes will be on the
bride, so looking your absolute best is a must? Whether
your goals are to lose weight, tone and strengthen your
muscles, or increase your stamina and energy, World Class
Nutrition.com is an invaluable resource for you to use in
getting in shape for your wedding.

There are many ways to achieve your wedding day weight with
diets, tonics, powders, and pills. World Class
Nutrition.com recommends a combination of diet, supplements
and exercise that promotes gradual weight loss in the best.
If you have ever tried watching your weight, you probably
know the basics: Cut out sweets, eat more fruits and
vegetables, choose lean meats and protein, avoid fried and
fatty foods, and be sure to drink at least 8 glasses of
water a day.

You might also know that exercise plays a key role in
weight loss, but did you know that if you don't exercise
when you diet, you might end up losing mostly lean muscle
tissue? When you diet without exercising, your body uses
lean muscle mass for energy. But if you add exercise to
your daily routine, your body will turn to those fat stores
for fuel. If you're really serious about getting in shape
for your wedding day, you need to strike a balance between
healthy eating and exercise.

The formula for weight loss is a simple one: Calories
burned must exceed calories consumed. So it makes sense
that the best way to begin your new lifestyle is by shaping
up your diet. To keep your energy level high enough to plan
your wedding, choose a safe, healthy eating plan that
targets a loss of 1 to 2 pounds a week, which, for most of
us, means consuming about 1200 calories a day. If you have
a significant amount of weight to lose before the wedding -
say 20 pounds - you'll need to start your diet between a
few months before the big day.

Before you even begin shaping up for your wedding day,
Bryan Ashbaugh, of Live Lean Today.com, says it's important
to figure out where you're starting from. Plan for success
by picking a start date. Give yourself a few days to
prepare yourself, your schedule, and your kitchen for your
lifestyle change. Go through your pantry and throw out, or
give away items that could undermine your weightloss
efforts, then stock your cabinets with healthy choices.

Keep a journal that includes what, how much, and at what
times you eat, as well as any accompanying emotions you
experience. Your journal entries can be as minimal as "5 pm
lunch, protein shake" or it can be more detailed. As you
continue to "journal" your eating habits, patterns will
begin to emerge. Understanding the "triggers" behind your
cravings and choices will help you better control them.
When you reach your start date, be sure to continue keeping
a record of what you eat and how much water you drink.

Aerobic exercise for brides looking to lose weight,
Ashbaugh suggests exercises that use large muscle groups in
a rhythmic or continuous manner. Cardio-driven big muscle
exercises include walking, running, hiking, swimming,
cycling, or cross country skiing and are among the best
exercises you can do to burn fat. Exercise at what you
gauge to be a moderate pace. Start exercising in 15-minute
increments, three times a week. As your endurance improves,
increase your exertion level and your length of exercise
time. Ashbaugh also says that exercise sessions are
beneficial even when they are cumulative. That means you'll
do yourself as much good working out 20 minutes in the
morning, at lunchtime and after work as you will by hitting
the gym for one long session.

Resistance Training - Whether you have a lot or a little
weight to lose, if you're like most people, you'll feel
better about your body when you tone up. For body
sculpting, Ashbaugh says there's nothing better than
resistance or weight training. While some women believe
that lifting weights will leave them looking like
linebackers, they needn't worry; women don't naturally
posses enough of the male hormone testosterone to build
large muscle mass.

The truth is, resistance training is the perfect complement
to aerobic exercises like swimming and walking, and is
great for improving bone strength and sculpting the body.
Start your resistance training with relatively low weights
so that you feel muscle fatigue after one set of 12 to 15
exercise repetitions. Again, as you build endurance, add
more weight and increase the number of repetitions in your
set.

Flexibility - After every exercise session, McArdle says
it's important to stretch. Not only will stretching keep
you safe from serious muscular injury, increasing your
flexibility is essential to improving your overall fitness
level. Start by holding stretches for 15 seconds at a time,
working your way up to 60 seconds.

Spot Reduction - Many of us look at our bodies and see
trouble spots: If only that tummy were flatter, those
thighs leaner, these arms more toned. Although our body
shapes are determined primarily by heredity, Ashbaugh says
we can tip the hand of genetics a bit with localized
exercises that improve muscle tone. Still, he is quick to
caution that in order to really reduce anywhere, you must
slim down everywhere. So to trim your arms, abs, and buns,
you've got to start with a program that benefits your whole
body, not just the areas your wedding dress emphasizes. The
use of topical fat reducers is a solution that many women
have found effective.

Nutrition - Once you've begun your workout routine, you may
feel that such sweat and strain entitles you to fast food
meal with the works and a large order of fries. Don't be
fooled. Remember, the key to weight loss is to expend more
calories than you consume, so if you've upped exercise only
to up calorie intake, you won't get the results you're
looking for.

In fact, when you get regular exercise, you need to be even
more vigilant about what you eat. Your body, having become
a more efficient machine, relies on the vitamins and
minerals found in healthy food to fuel itself and develop
muscle and lean tissue. In addition to lean meats and
dairy, fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole grains, add a
multivitamin to your daily diet to make certain you get the
nutrients you need.

Fit for Life - Once you've begun your healthy diet and
exercise plan, there's one big challenge left: Sticking to
it. And not just until your wedding day. The key to
long-term weight loss is making healthy eating and fitness
part of your lifestyle forever. So, why not start your
marriage out right by dedicating yourself to a sensible
diet and active lifestyle? (If you can involve your spouse
in this effort, so much the better.) This doesn't mean that
you can't ever enjoy food or indulge yourself once in a
while. However, you'll want to avoid reverting to unhealthy
eating habits and regaining the weight you'll have worked
so hard to lose. If you find it hard to stay motivated on
your own - and most people do - consider seeking out a
weight loss organization for advice and support. If you
take "weight loss for life" seriously, you'll feel as good
about yourself on your 20th anniversary as you will on your
wedding day! Al Alexander and Bryan Ashbaugh have more than
45 years combined in the Diet & fitness industry.

----------------------------------------------------
Bridal Store Online is a leader in online wedding dresses
and bridal supplies. Find more information at
http://www.bridalonlinestore.com/ with the latest fashions
and specials.

Nap Today, Perform Better Tomorrow.

Nap Today, Perform Better Tomorrow.
A couple of new reports came out this week addressing sleep
in our culture. Everyone knows that they feel a little
cranky when they don’t get enough sleep. It’s
therefore no surprise that sleep affects your mood. What
may be surprising, though, is that scientists know very
little about why that’s true.

We understand quite a bit about why sleep disrupts your
immune function, your metabolism and your ability to learn
and remember things. I have discussed each of these in past
articles. But we don’t know much about how sleep
regulates mood. An interesting new study published in
Current Biology by Michael Walker, sheds some light on this
subject.

A loss of reason

A complex brain circuit that involves both higher thinking
centers and reactive centers controls your emotions.
It’s the higher thinking centers that separate us
from other animals. We have the ability (although we
don’t always use it) to evaluate our responses
thoughtfully, before just reacting impulsively.

In the new study, volunteers were either deprived of a good
night’s sleep or allowed to sleep normally.
Researchers then looked at both their higher thinking and
their reactive brain centers after presenting them with
some emotionally negative images to stir their reactions.

They found that specific reactive centers of the brain
acted the same whether or not the volunteers had slept well
the night before. But certain higher thinking centers
responsible for keeping those reaction centers under
control, were much less active in the sleep deprived group.

The interpretation of this is that our ‘gut
reactions’ are not really that affected by lack of
sleep (at least in this situation) but our ability to
reason and monitor those reactions is weakened, which can
have all kinds of downstream consequences.

Is a longer workday productive?

Why is this important? Other studies show that we are
getting far less sleep today than we did a century ago and
throughout history. The advent of artificial light has
extended the length of our daily
‘productivity’, but many argue that this is
actually counter-productive. By not getting optimal sleep,
we are decreasing our ability to function efficiently the
next day, and actually getting less done.

In fact, another study just released shows exactly that. In
this one, researchers, Patricia Murphy and Scott Campbell,
showed that napping is actually productive. First of all,
midday napping did not cause people to sleep less well at
night, as many believe. Second, midday napping improved
performance on math, decision-making and reaction-time
tests. This increased performance was true after the nap
and lasted all the way into the next day, following the nap.

Many of us are so busy that we steal hours from our sleep
to attempt to get more done. But science argues that we are
not getting more done this way. We are actually reducing
our ability to be creative, make decisions, work
efficiently and cooperate with other people. Perhaps a
little more time invested in our rest could dramatically
improve our career and personal relationships.

----------------------------------------------------
Master Brain Fitness techniques for you and your family.
Your Brain Fitness holds is the key to unlock your maximum
potential. Dr. Simon Evans and Dr. Paul Burghardt at
BrainFit For Life put together the right ingredients in
right amount to create the recipe for success. Visit
http://www.BrainFitForLife.com for FREE Brain Fitness
resources.

Wisdom of the Ancients: 5000 Year-Old Medical Secret Unearthed!

Wisdom of the Ancients: 5000 Year-Old Medical Secret Unearthed!
When you get sick, you go to see your doctor. And the
doctor will, of course, prescribe medications. You take
these medications and hopefully, you get well. This is how
the health profession goes on a daily basis – a cycle
of diagnosis and prescription. If anyone were to give you
herbs instead of medications, you would probably say that
that person was a quack. But now, studies are being
conducted to see if there really are any merits to what is
called natural medicine.

Natural medicine is the use of natural methods, such as
herbal medicines, and traditional practices to heal
ailments. Every culture has some form of natural medicine.
In many ancient cultures, village medicine men served as
the doctors of the community, passing on medical knowledge
to their apprentices that followed them.

Many categories of the healing methods fall under natural
medicine. Among these are traditional medicine,
complementary medicine, and alternative medicine. Usually,
natural medicine refers to medical practices that were in
place before the advent of modern medicine. This includes
herbal medicine, orphytotherapy, which is prevalent in
Chinese, Ayurvedic(or Indian), and Greek medicine.

Upon the advent of modern medicine, many professionals
discarded the use of herbs in favor of man-made medicine.
The fact that these treatments are based on the healing
properties of some herbs was forgotten. For example, opium,
digitalis, quinine, and aspirin all have their roots in
traditional medicine.

Natural medicine can be considered as a lost art. This does
not mean that it has lost efficacy over time. In some
cases, natural therapy is actually better than modern
medicine. This leads some doctors to seriously consider and
study the possible uses of natural medicine. Before we
continue, it is important to stress that not all the
natural remedies are legitimate. It would be best to only
try those remedies which have been thoroughly studied and
are relatively risk free.

Take herbal medicine for example. There are many
well-documented and studied herbal remedies available.
However, only those that deal with minor ailments such as
cough, colds, fever, skin rashes, and their like, are
likely to be recommended by health professionals. These
remedies are sometimes superior to synthetic medicine. This
is because herbal medicines are less likely to cause
negative side effects.

Currently there are numerous organizations that study the
effects and advocacy of natural medicine – among
which is herbal medicine. Some governments and health
agencies openly advocate the use of natural methods since
they are inexpensive and relatively risk-free. As they
continue to compile these studies, more herbs and
treatments are added to the list of accepted medicines.
However, many herbs and treatments have been proven to be
bogus medicines. This represents a challenge for both the
user and the agencies because they have to ascertain that
the treatments they either use or advocate are legitimate.

There exist today many alternative medical treatments that
fall under the heading of natural medicine. However, not
all of them have been proven to be effective. You could
mention homeopathy, aromatherapy, acupuncture, and other
alternative medical treatments. It would pay to consult the
experts as to the legitimacy of these treatments.

Natural medicine should also be thought of as an
accompanying medicine. Right now, the current collective
medical thought suggests that natural medicine be used only
to supplement accepted modern medical practices. In the
case of some minor ailments your doctor will actually
advise you to take natural therapies instead.

The practice of modern medicine revolves around diagnosing
an illness and prescribing treatments for such. Natural
medicine is helpful because it suggests that treatment can
be given any time, not just when your sick. Natural
medicine strives to make each patient practice good health
habits. These habits include good diet, healthy living, and
the regular natural treatment. It is this same line of
thought that leads our parents to tell us to eat our
vegetables. Yes, it is the foundation of a healthy
lifestyle and will do no harm to our well-being. And this
is also the foundation of natural medicine – be it
massage, herbal medicine, aromatherapy or others.

It is funny but true that science, in its quest for
excellence, is studying the knowledge of ages past. This,
surprisingly, leads us back to the remedies nature, it's
self, offers. The possibilities of finding remedies to
everyday illnesses in natural medicine are encouraging. So
staying tuned to these studies about natural remedies is
worthwhile; until we can verify that these therapies are
truly helpful to our health and our society.

----------------------------------------------------
The author is a graduate of Mississippi State University
and maintains a health blog at
http://theluckyberry.blogspot.com

The Focusing Illusion

The Focusing Illusion
A win on the lottery is not the key to enduring happiness,
according to researchers in the UK and US who study what
makes people happy. Apparently, after the initial euphoria
wears off, people return to the same level of happiness
they had before the lottery win. There's much speculation
among the researchers as to why.

Have you ever heard the term "focusing illusion"? It
basically boils down to the idea that when people think
about or fantasize about a major life change, we tend to
exaggerate the effect the change will have on our
happiness. We imagine it will be either far better or far
worse than what actually happens after the dust settles
from the change. Has this happened to you?

Have you ever worked toward buying something, say a nice
car? First you say to yourself, "boy, I would love to have
that car". After a while, you make a decision to save to
buy the car. Your thoughts change to "when I have my new
car...things will be great!" You save and the day comes to
buy the car. It's a wonderful day, you are elated to be
behind the wheel of this amazing vehicle and you just know
that everyone is envious of you and your flash car. Days
and weeks go by. Life continues as usual. It begins to dawn
on you that, although you are very happy with the car
itself, you are no more happy with life than before you had
it. See how this works?

What about bigger life changes like a new job, new spouse,
location change, new baby, etc...?

For those of you who have teens in your home: How often
have you heard this? "When I go to university and leave
home, things are gonna be much better for me" or similar
comments. Well, we parents who went through it already know
that while the freedom of growing up is really fun and
exciting, there is responsibility associated with it. The
initial euphoria of leaving home and being on your own
wears off and becomes "normal" or even difficult.

Divorce is another example. If you have been through one
(unfortunately, many of us have), you might remember
reaching the decision in your mind that you had had
"enough". Even if you were not the one who wanted the
divorce - you probably got there anyway. With that
decision, your mind turns toward the future: how much
better your life will be without the other person, how you
will be free to find someone better for you, how you will
be free of conflict and fighting and, of course, if you are
divorcing because you feel you are in love with someone
else, how much better your life will be with your new love.
And so it goes...

What was the long term reality? My guess? After a few years
in your new life, you were the same person as before your
problems began. Am I right? Yes, you were unhappy with the
SITUATION of your old life; but if you were generally happy
within yourself, you remained so. If you were not, once the
focusing illusion is gone, you were the same - unhappy.

There is a dark side to the focusing illusion. Do you know
someone whose parent, spouse or boss is overly critical?
Don't you feel sad or worried for the person? What would
you say to them if they asked? Run away - this relationship
is not good for you. Yet, this person probably keeps a hold
of the focusing illusion "if only I could do this or have
this, I would feel loved by my parent, spouse or be
rewarded by my boss." This dynamic occurs in many abusive
relationships: verbal, emotional and physical. Not healthy.
Yet many people propagate this, because of the optimism the
focusing illusion provides.

While the focusing illusion can help us work toward a goal,
wisdom helps distinguish the reality from the fantasy. Life
experiences teach us that external forces (people,
situations and material things) cannot "make" us happy or
unhappy. Blaming others for our unhappiness or depending on
others to provide happiness only serves to alienate
everyone close to us. In fact, by believing this we are
giving away our personal power of self determination and
our choice to be happy.

The moral of this story?

The focusing illusion serves to motivate people in many
ways. It contributes to our ability to dream and remain
optimistic in the face of adversity. Dreams drive us
forward and give us the power to make our lives magnificent.

To put it in another way: it's not the dreams or desires
themselves that make us happy. It's the accomplishments and
connections that come with pursuing them with honesty and
integrity that is the true root of our happiness.

It's the process of getting there....

Sources:
Staying happier for longer. By Professor Martin Seligman.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/happiness_formula/4903
464.stm
Study Shows "Grass is Greener" View Usually False
http://www.mercola.com/1998/archive/grass_is_greener.htm

----------------------------------------------------
About the Author:
Ainsley Laing, MSc. has been a Fitness Trainer for 25 years
and writes exclusively Body for Mind eZine. She holds
certifications in Group Exercise, Sports Nutrition and
Personal Fitness Training. She is also a professional
engineer and mom. To see more articles by Ainsley visit
http://www.bodyformind.com or the blog at
http://www.bodyformind.blogspot.com

Health Food Store Dangers

Health Food Store Dangers
Are all of your health food store purchases healthy for you?

Buyer be smart.

Do you buy your dry cereal at the health food store
thinking it's healthy for you because it's made with
"organic sugar" or sweetened with fruit juice?

Whoops, think again. Any sweets whether organic or
concentrated fruit juice, affect your metabolism the same
as plain old table sugar. They still spike your blood
sugar, causing havoc in your glands that control blood
sugar, the pancreas, adrenals and liver.

If you're sensitized (allergic or addicted) to table sugar
you may tolerate concentrated fruit juice better than table
sugar (sucrose).

But "organic sugar" is still sugar (maybe minus a few
trace chemicals).

And sugar (concentrated sweets) cause a multitude of
problems in your body.

Sugar ages you faster than you should, causing more
wrinkles.

Sugar makes it harder for your immune system to fight off
infections.

Sugar can interfere with digestion.

Sugar cause degeneration in your body.

But sugar (sweets) sell products.

So food manufacturers entice you to think your doing
something healthy for your body by using "organic sugar".
That's because they sell more food products and justify
significant price increases for their products simply by
printing the word "organic" on the label. But as you can
see "organic" is not always a synonym for "healthy."

Sugar is the first problem and over-processing is the
second problem. Over-processed flour or grain becomes dead
food that stresses your body.

Corn certainly becomes dead food when it's processed into
cornflakes.

First it's heated ( cooked) for almost 2 1/2 hours. Then
it's pressed by rollers to form the flakes, shaken and
moved along on the conveyor belt. A syrup spray, heated to
425 degrees Fahrenheit, coats it. Lastly synthetic vitamins
are sprayed on it and it moves into the package.

Yes, it's dead food, thoroughly thrashed, bashed,
overcooked, devoid of all enzymes and diminished in vitamin
and other nutrient content. Synthetic vitamins aren't so
great either.

So avoid all those highly processed, nutritionally
deficient "organic" foods like organic potato chips, corn
chips, donuts, waffles, sugar-added cereals, pizza, and
frozen dinners.

Shop from the same aisles in the health food store as you
would in the regular grocery store. Simply choose your food
from the produce and meat section and carefully find the
other whole food such as whole grain products and nuts.

Choose health promoting whole food to nourish your precious
body. After all, where will you live when your body wears
out?

----------------------------------------------------
Dr. Bessie Jo Tillman, MD, fondly known as Dr. Jo, offers
practical information and advice for regaining or
maintaining optimal health. She has coached thousands of
people to higher levels of health in her 36 years as an MD,
including 25 years in integrative and natural medicine.
Visit Dr. Tillman's informative web site at :
http://www.dr-jo-md.com/sugar.html

Lower Stress While Driving

Lower Stress While Driving
Have you ever noticed how stressed you get behind the wheel
of a car. We get upset when the person in front of us is
driving to slow, traffic is backed up, a car cuts us off,
or wishing the kids in the back would settle down. As we
know stress causes many of the health problems we face
today. Just think how a reduction in your stress while
driving will make you healthier, especially when you think
how many times we drive everyday.

bmwIf you live in an area similar to my parents in South
Dakota you may be thinking to yourself what stress while
driving. This article is for the rest of the world that
has to deal with traffic, road construction, and more
learner permit drivers than we know what to do with. The
average person spends 1.5 hours a day behind the wheel of a
car. Since we are not going to being spending this time
exercising we can learn to lower our stress and improve our
health while we drive.

The first secret to lower your stress while driving is to
identify what cause you stress while behind the wheel.
Most people have some daily event that causes their stress
levels to rise. For some it is when they are stuck in
traffic, getting cut off, changing lanes, or bad weather.
These stresses are usually caused by fear that you may not
be aware of. For instance when you hit gridlock in traffic
is it really the traffic that upsets you or the fact that
you are going to be late. You may find though you get
upset at the traffic that it is really an underlining issue
that causes your stress. The more you understand what
causes you stress behind the wheel the better you can make
a better choice to distress while driving.

I used to train a psychiatrist who talked about that one of
the most common syptoms she would treat was road anxiety.
She helped these people by having them eat a candy bar on
their way home from work when they were the most stressed.
What she didn’t know was that the reason people are
so irritable on the way home from work comes a lack of
proper eating habits. You body wants 5 small meals a day
when it doesn’t get it your body finds unhealthy ways
to get energy. In the case of our rush hour drivers,
because they typically eat 3 meals or less, they have low
blood sugar while driving home which causes them to be
quickly go to anxiety and rage. You will find as your
blood sugar is stable from eating throughout the day, your
stress levels reduce substantially.

Tips for Better Stress Free Driving

1. Start your trip earlier: It will always take longer than
you think to get some where, especially if you live in a
big city. Most people’s stress rises because they
didn’t give themselves enough time reach their
destination if things don’t go perfectly. If you
start early than you won’t be as bothered when
traffic situations happen.

2. Relax while driving: Use the time while driving to
unwind and reflect about your day. If you have a lengthy
commute home spend the time being alone with yourself
instead of racing to get home as fast as you can to only
have plenty of stuff do once you get their. You have an
opportunity to take a few minutes out of the rat race while
you drive home.

3. Be courteous: We all hate it when someone cuts us off
though I can’t throw the first stone from never
cutting people off myself. A person once told me that how
would you feel if that person was rushing a dying person to
the hospital and that if they make it on time the person
would survive. Every time I see a person driving
dangerously I wish them well and hope that their need to
drive fast has benefit for them. This works the same
during accidents which if you live in Phoenix is an
everyday occurrence. What calms me down is I truly hope
the people are ok. Though I don’t like traffic
slowing down, I don’t people hurt either. I find I
lose my anger when I think of the poor people who are
having it worse than my delay home.

----------------------------------------------------
About The Author: Charles Carter, BS in Exercise Science is
President of LIVE, llc of http://www.liveleantoday.com -
visit the website for more information on weight loss, core
fitness programs, optimal diets, and online personal
trainer and dietician services. For more information on
products go to http://shop.liveleantoday.com .

Why Healthy People Need a Vitamin Supplement

Why Healthy People Need a Vitamin Supplement
If you have enjoyed general good health, many people assume
that they do not require or see a need to take a daily
vitamin supplement. Why would one consider taking a
supplement, especially a very nutrient dense supplement
(like one derived from aloe vera and sea vegetables). To
answer this type of question we need to examine our lives
over the long term. Many of the most serious types of
illness, the ones that are debilitating such as cancer,
diabetes, and heart disease, do not occur overnight. They
are the result of long processes that occur over years.
What is frightening is that we don’t recognize the
symptoms until the disease has progressed far enough that
we are too late for complete recovery.

Being healthy today is no guarantee to being healthy
tomorrow. As we age, our body processes change and our
risk to debilitating disease increases. It may be because
of the growing trend in alternative medicine that the
medical community and associated experts are beginning to
agree that disease prevention is the key to maintaining
optimal health. That bears repeating – disease
prevention is the key to maintaining optimal health.

So how do we begin to prevent diseases from occurring in
our bodies? Most of us can agree that living someplace
where there are toxins in the ground we walk on, in the air
we breathe, in the water we drink or in the foods we eat
are not good for us. Prolonged contact with toxins causes
our bodies to deteriorate and eventually become prone to
sickness and disease. So what do we do, we don’t
play at the trash dump, we require local factories to
minimize air pollution, we drink bottled water, and we try
to eat healthy every day.

But what happens if we find that the trash dump is
contaminating the ground water, or the local factory is
polluting the air? We usually take immediate steps to
change the situation. But what about the foods we eat
every day?

In 1985, more than 20 years ago, an Earth Summit held in
Brazil by developed countries throughout the world
(including the US) determined that the soils we grow our
food in were significantly depleted in nutrients. And this
same summit identified the US as having as much as 85% of
its farming soils depleted of key nutrients. We have seen
the results. The Food and Drug Administration has
continually raised the amount of servings of many foods, in
part, to keep pace with soil depletion. To put it in
grocery terms, a serving of 5 pieces of broccoli 50 years
ago now requires nearly 10 for the same nutritional
content. Two bananas now require almost 4. The list goes
on for nearly everything grown in our soils.

So what do we do? We supplement. We supplement with
something that includes Vitamins A, C, D, and the B-complex
vitamins, minerals such as calcium, cobalt, copper,
magnesium, and selenium, and the amino acids, fatty acids
and enzymes. How do we get all of this –
surprisingly they are all included in a supplement
comprised of aloe vera and sea vegetables!

----------------------------------------------------
Ronald Godlewski has successfully founded and run several
businesses and is currently working with Life Force
International growing one of the fastest growing
Independent Memberships. To join Ron's team or for more
information on Liquid Nutritional Supplements and to
receive a FREE Quart of Body Balance visit
http://www.PillFreeSupplements.com or call toll free
1-888-LFI-CUST (1-888-534-2878).

Do you find drinking water in the winter difficult?

Do you find drinking water in the winter difficult?
Come the winter months do you find yourself suffering from
dry and itchy skin, chapped lips, dry coughs, nosebleeds,
acne, or even headaches? If you do it may be because
you’re dehydrated.

You need to DRINK more WATER!

Many of us find drinking water in the winter much more
difficult than in the summer months; however water in the
winter is just as important. In the winter we experience
much drier conditions due to a drop in humidity outdoors
combined with the use of heating systems indoors.

The cold weather doesn’t make drinking water as easy
as when it’s a nice hot summer’s day; however,
one SOLUTION to increasing your water intake in the winter
is by drinking herbal teas. Not only do herbal teas count
towards your water intake they have many additional health
benefits. Avoid adding sugar to your herbal tea, the
reason being that your body uses water from your tissues to
dilute the sugar in order for it to be absorbed into your
blood stream, therefore further dehydrating you.

Here are 5 must drink teas for the winter!

Dandelion Tea: This is a great tea for cleansing the blood
and liver. It helps to alleviate constipation and bloating.
Women may find that it helps to alleviate the symptoms of
premenstrual syndrome, it is also known to be good for
sufferers of gout.

Fennel Tea: Great for bloating and eliminating gas, this
tea is also known to be very good for IBS sufferers.

Peppermint Tea: This is an excellent tea for calming the
digestive tract, as well as easing nausea and headaches.
As an added bonus it can help with bad breath.

Lemon Tea: Lemons are known to cleans and stimulate the
liver and kidneys as well as easing heartburn and bloating.

Ginger Tea: A brilliant tea first thing in the morning as
the slight bite of ginger will help to wake you up and keep
you alert. Also known to help with upset stomach, nausea,
soothe menstrual pains, ward off colds, and help to reduce
soar throats.

All of these ‘must have’ teas can either be
purchased as already made tea bags or you can make them
yourself by adding the natural ingredients to boiling water.

The next time you experience dry and itchy skin, chapped
lips, dry coughs, nosebleeds, acne, or even headaches,
before reaching for the usual medications, reach for a few
glasses of water or warm herbal tea. You’ll save
money and feel great.

----------------------------------------------------
Rosa Coelho is a Performance Coach and Personal Trainer at
Dax Moy Personal Training Studios in London. Rosa
specialises in applying a holistic approach to health and
fitness through The POWER Principles. For more information
about Rosa visit http://www.rocofit.com

Misleading Mass Building methods of Body Building

Misleading Mass Building methods of Body Building
When I was young, I took many things at face value. I just
didn’t think there was a whole lot of written
material meant to entertain me at best or mislead me at
worst. I eagerly perused bodybuilding periodicals from
cover to cover in search of what would satiate my desire to
obtain a muscular physique. I spent thousands of dollars on
supplements that were probably all worthy of the fate that
befell a bottle of colostrum I purchased in 1990. I chucked
that half-used product in to a ravine near where I lived.

So naïve was I in my quest for muscle building success
that I easily adopted counterproductive training methods
along with the worthless supplements. One of these, a
protocol claiming to add an inch of arm size in 24 hours,
sent my arm training progress backward for no less than two
entire months. It called for any muscle building enthusiast
who could devote one long day to the gym to perform biceps
and triceps workouts every hour for an eight-hour period.
This left my arms so over-trained that they performed about
as well as wet noodles for seemingly endless subsequent
workouts.

Seventeen years later, I’m seeing much of the same
hogwash I fell for in my youth as it’s reformulated
for new audiences. The reason I know this is that I
subscribe to a couple of popular bodybuilding newsletters.
I make it my business to keep up with what’s out
there and, putting it mildly; some of it’s looking
less than scrupulous. Without mentioning any names or
products, here’s a synopsis of some of the possibly
dubious presuppositions I’m expected to believe in
order to shell out the bucks for today’s
‘hot’ bodybuilding products:

• “Secret” protein formulas from the past
can speed up muscle growth.

• Increasing a muscle’s “pump” will
cause an anabolic effect.

• Eating liver tablets will increase muscle mass.

• “Bulking up” (i.e. gaining fat with
muscle) is necessary for muscle gains.

The first on this list would be funny if it weren’t
so friggin’ maddening. I’m asked to believe
that a mid-twentieth century nutritional guru possessed a
since-lost secret formula that accelerates muscle growth.
But what should I expect in an era of ‘The Da Vinci
Code’ and ‘The Secret’? Many seem wont to
believe something vitally important was lost and buried in
the historical shuffle.

In the marketing for this secret formula, it’s
implied that the guru’s mid-century
protégé went from bodybuilding obscurity to
stardom by using a protein formula of precise amino acid
ratio balance. Funny thing; when I look up more objective
online information about the relationship between this
bodybuilder and his mentor, I find the bodybuilder
attributes his success to an effective training protocol
instead of an esoteric protein formulation.

This is not surprising to me. As I’ve shared with so
many people who’ve noticed my unimpeded muscle
building gains: Until you get your tissue
breakdown/recovery ratio mastered, everything else is just
money-wasting BS. Once you do get it mastered, you might
not notice much difference (convenience notwithstanding)
between the effects of an exotic protein powder and those
of an over-stuffed turkey sandwich.

And now even more marketing buzz is being built around
nitric oxide products for their ability to create a
‘pump’ in the muscles. Interestingly, I
actually like these products for the value I can extract
from them. If you’re doing a photo op, this increased
pump can have your musculature appearing just a bit more
swollen. Anyone who sees my latest pictures posted on my
blog can witness the decent vascularity that’s
partially attributable to my trial of this product.

This doesn’t mean, however, that getting a pump will
equate to better bodybuilding gains. Believing so kind of
reminds me of the economic fallacy referred to as the
fallacy of composition. It’s the mistaken belief that
what’s true for the part is always true for the
whole. If you consider ‘the part’ as being your
workouts during which your arms feel bigger than before you
began the training, it doesn’t stand to reason that
your arms are necessarily recuperating faster between
workouts (the whole). Remember, full and
strength-compensatory recuperation between workouts is what
results in muscle growth.

Moving on to the third item on the list: Yes –
I’ve even received newsletter advice to buy liver
tablets. Damn… I never thought this one would work
its way back to the bodybuilding shelves. The belief that
special benefits can be derived from eating specific animal
organs is a throwback to nomadic tribes believing they
gained courage from eating the hearts of lions. Does
desiccated liver contain protein? Sure – but so does
a dozen egg whites. Bottom line: protein synthesis for
muscle recuperation will take its sweet time even if you
have excess protein in your body – regardless of the
source of that protein.

This leads us to the final bullet point mentioned; the
bulking up myth. Many of us thought this died in the 90s,
but it seems to be making a current comeback via the
Internet. Personally, I’m frustrated to see so many
underweight individuals being mislead toward excessive
calorie intake when they haven’t even conquered the
challenge of ‘how to gain muscle’. If you
don’t first get an effective muscle
breakdown/recuperation ratio in order, excess calories will
only bog down your system. Not only can this cause fat
gain, it can slow down muscle growth. Think about it: Your
body needs energy for all its functions – including
building muscle and digesting/processing food. You
definitely don’t want the latter to start competing
for energy with the former. That’s a prescription for
becoming fat, lethargic, and un-muscular.

If you want to build a nice physique, beware of what
misleads so many into the frustration of plateaus and
unfulfilled desires. Look first at your workout strategy
and make sure your tactics are sound. This can prevent you
a lot of natural bodybuilding heartache; the kind of
frustration that leads to chucking a thirty-dollar bottle
of supplements from your backyard into a distant ravine.

----------------------------------------------------
Scott Abbett is the author of HardBody Success: 28
Principles to Create Your Ultimate Body and Shape Your Mind
for Incredible Success. He is a certified fitness trainer
and a Master Practitioner and Trainer of NLP. To see his
personal transformation visit http://www.hardbodysuccess.com

Looking for Good Nutrition Advice?

Looking for Good Nutrition Advice?
There is certainly a huge amount of information in
circulation these days; on the web, in magazines, on the
television. Trying to separate out fact from fiction can be
quite the daunting task. Let me just give you a few
pointers to help you at least figure out who can
legitimately call themselves an expert on nutrition
information, which may help you decide which articles you
can trust.

First of all, you should know that ANYONE could call
himself or herself a nutritionist. There are no laws or
guidelines determining who can give out nutrition advice. I
will never forget when I was visiting my parents one
weekend while going to graduate school. While in the gym
at our local Jewish Community Center, one of their friends
asked me what I was studying at college. "Nutrition
science" I replied. And I'll never forget what this woman
said: "oh, my daughter has read so many books on nutrition
that I'm sure she can call herself a nutritionist just like
you." I was astounded! I'm sure my parents would have
appreciated knowing all the money they spent on my
education could have easily been spent on a few diet
books…with the same results.

I don't think so.

However, I did finish my degree and I have learned a few
things about finding good nutrition information, which I
want to share with you. First and foremost, I recommend
you look for people who have the initials RD after their
name. RD stands for Registered Dietitian. Registered
dietitians have at least a bachelor's degree in nutrition.
Most have Master's Degrees and PhDs in nutrition science or
a related science area. In addition to these degrees, RD's
also have passed a standardized national exam and must
continue to keep up their expertise by taking education
courses every year.

You will also get truthful nutrition information from
individuals who have received their Master's Degrees and/or
PhDs in Nutrition Science, even if they don't have the RD
after their name. These are people who spent several years
studying the science of Nutrition, and have not simply read
a few books. They understand research methods and how to
analyze claims made in the media, as well as in the
research.

With a Master's Degree in Nutrition Science, I am also an
RD, but I like to call myself a nutritionist. I like to
think of myself as being concerned with total nutrition,
not just diets, which may be how some people interpret the
RD. Most people with degrees in Nutrition Science do know
about treating the whole person, not just individual
conditions require specialized diets. There is a
misconception that dietitians try to overwhelm people with
information they don't want or need. That is simply not
true. Most of us are skilled in the sciences, and are
trained to be nutrition counselors as well. We realize
nutrition is not a "one size fits all" and work to
individualize programs to meet your specific needs. We will
also work to answer all the questions you have about
nutrition that don't necessarily relate to your own
personal needs.

You will always see my credentials along with the word
"Nutritionist" next to my name, because while I may have
read many diet books, with my background, I possess the
scientific knowledge to tell fact from fiction.

----------------------------------------------------
For free tips to becoming At Peace With Food, articles, and
links to nutritional resource websites, visit
=>http://www.AtPeaceWithFood.com/freetips.html