My Health blog

Let me say at the outset - depresssion is nothing to be ashamed of or to feel guilty about. It afflicts millions of people. It can be a chemical imbalance or a mental disfunction. Most importantly, it can be treated successfully.

How can you know when someone is suffering from depression or a manic disorder? You may not realize that each and every kind of symptom of depression are actually not hidden or mysterious. They are plain to see if one knows what to look for. At the same time it is actually quite easy to overlook such symptoms and not be able to help yourself or others who are suffering from depression. One can be too close to the forest to see the trees, so to speak.

There are actually many symptoms of depression. Some are not seen or felt every single day which makes them more difficult to identify. Also, since symptoms of depression actually vary, the time of their "attacks" varies as well.

Here are 10 of the most common symptoms of depression:

1) Prolonged period of sadness or not feeling "up to it". This is always that feeling of "not in the mood". This person would rather mope around the house and feel sorry for themselves.

2) A feeling of hopelessness, perennial pessimisism, speaking of feeling sorry for one’s self. This is coupled with actually feeling like he/she has nothing to look forward to in his or her life. As for being the perennial pessimist, those who show this symptom of depression are usually very negative about things, again, the feeling of hopelessness comes in to mind.

3) Guilt-driven and loss of self-worth. Feeling overwhelming guilt over something can actually make you very sad and make you feel like you do not deserve to be happy. Thus, the loss of self-worth. If you feel you are not worthy of being happy or enjoying yourself, that’s a clear tell-tale symptom of depression. Add to this a feeling that things simply will not go your way reinforces a feeling of being a victim of circumstances.

4) Has lost taking pleasure in simple things in life, a spirit of adventure, or hobbies, anything one used to enjoy doing. This is especially true when you begin shunning activities that involve family or friends and become reclusive.

5) Fatigue, always feeling tired or run down physically or mentally. People suffering from depression, having lost whatever interest in life that they may have had before are actually depleted of physical energy. Moping around, not eating properly, not getting enough restful sleep, all lead a depressed person on a path to not just a mental illness but to physical illnedd as well.

6) Having trouble concentrating, having bad memory and is indecisive. A person who is suffering from depression easily gives away this tell-tale symptom of depression. Wherein one’s lack of interest in the outside world, or in just about anything for that matter, can lead to an inability to keep track of things, not be able to remember things that happened, or recent conversations. Lack of interest actually makes depressed people very inattentive and their living quarters quite disorganized and messy.

7) Sleep and eating disorders: Lacking enough sleep, sleeping too much, waking up at wee hours of the morning, appetite lossor eating too much. Watch for sudden weight loss or weight gain.

8) Being suicidal, talking about death, about wanting to die, are clear indications of depression.

9) Being restless and irritable, physical symptoms such as headaches, digestive disorders, and various body pains.

10) Finally, and perhaps the most common warning sign that takes in the 9 already mentioned is when those people closest to you continually ask - "Are you O.K.?". This means they see behavior that you are not seeing because you are too close to the forest to see the trees.

Call your physician and make an appointment soon!

Yours for success in life!

Jim DeSantis

Depression is a serious mental disorder not to be confused with “normal” bad or depressed mood experienced by everyone sometimes. If a depression sufferer does not realise that he is depressed his life may be virtual hell without any obvious exit scenario. Many such patients drag along for years without treatment that could easily alleviate their depression. Therefore, it is very important to know the symptoms of depression and to be able to read the signs of depression when they occur. An early realisation that one experiences the symptoms of depression can in the most extreme cases virtually save lives, and even in light cases of depression often guarantee proper treatment of the disorder and a reversion to a good and joyful life. So what are the signs of depression most commonly seen?

One of the common signs of depression is a general loss of energy leading to persistent lethargy and to a lack of interest in most daily activities or even ones that one previously liked, such as hobbies. This goes often also hand in hand with social withdrawal. Another symptom of depression, probably the one most often associated with this mental disorder, is a deep and prolonged sadness, commonly without any apparent cause, which may even lead to unexplainable crying spells. Feelings of worthlessness and guilt without a rational cause are also usual signs of depression. The depressed patient also suffers from a profound pessimism about his own future and the future of his social network and often even the world in general. This is often coupled with a total indifference towards almost anything and anyone. Indecisiveness and an inability to concentrate properly on tasks at hand are also symptoms of depression that occur regularly. The depressed patient may have problems to fall asleep and to keep sleeping without waking up in the middle of the night, leading to permanent sleepiness during the day. Interestingly there are also cases where the patient sleeps more than usual. Another, though relatively minor, symptom of depression is loss of appetite. Among the most serious signs of depression is obsessive thinking of disease and death, and even suicidal thoughts, which in the worst case may lead to suicide attempts. Anxiety is also often associated with depression as is a general irritability and agitation. Besides those more well-known signs and symptoms of depression organic diseases are often associated with depression. Patients suffering from unexplainable organ pains are sadly often treated purely for the organic disease, while the underlying cause may well be depression or another mental disorder.

Concluding it must be pointed out that one does not necessarily need to experience all symptoms of depression to be regarded depressed. Also, the intensity of the symptoms of depression may vary over time and from patient to patient, also depending on the kind of depression she has. In any case, if you or anyone you know shows all or more of the signs of depression listed above it is definitely advised to take action sooner rather than later. To get a proper diagnosis of the condition the first way should lead to a medical practitioner who will also be able to verify the symptoms of depression and to advise on the best treatment for the specific depression case. Always keep in mind: Depression is a disease that affects millions of people worldwide, but there are many highly effective ways available to treat it once it is properly diagnosed.

Bodybuilding requires strength, a balanced diet, endurance, and proper training. A proper diet will ensure that the person doing bodybuilding will increase her muscle mass while keeping a general good health. The overall diet of a bodybuilder should be balanced and avoid fast food.

When undergoing a bodybuilding program, a person should eat generously and frequently quality food rich in protein. It is common for a serious bodybuilder to eat 5 to 7 meals or snacks per day. This amount of food provides their bodies with the proper nutrients and energy to perform during the day. The food intake should be taken every 2 or 3 hours. Professional bodybuilders have understood this fact and respect it to insure they feel good. Often people undergoing serious bodybuilding will ask for a professional trainer’s assistance. It then gets easier to balance everything required to have a healthy bodybuilding program. Eating frequently quality meals rich in protein will insure the bodybuilder a healthy transformation. It will also help keep their blood sugar levels at a normal level.

Bodybuilding involves regular and serious training as much as a specific diet. While involved in bodybuilding, a person will see her overall body fat decrease and being replaced by lean muscle. Effective bodybuilding will be achieved by a balanced combination of healthy eating, regular training and proper rest. . Bodybuilders participating in competitions have to be free of drug and illegal substance abuse. Rules and regulations and drug testing has been tightened recently as a result of past abuses. In many competitions, each bodybuilder must have 2 letters of reference stating they have not used any type of illicit drugs during the past 5 years. A bodybuilder caught testing positive for drug enhancement can face a two year ban from all competitions.

Successful bodybuilders are passionate about the sport. They eat, breath and sleep bodybuilding. They are committed to improving their general health and increase their muscular mass. Those who are the most successful at it don’t see it as work. They enjoy the workouts and the diets. They look forward to getting up and spending that time in the gym. Successful bodybuilders enjoy working out and challenging themselves physically and mentally. They often look for new ways to enhance their performance.

Any teenager interested in bodybuilding should consult a qualified physician before undertaking a program. They need the proper training and diet rich in protein and in accordance to their growing needs. Since their bodies are still growing it is important not to lift too heavy in order to avoid injuries. A person can seriously hurt herself by lifting weights that are too heavy or pushing herself too much. Often, the interest for bodybuilding in teenagers starts in school or a t home. When done properly, bodybuilding can prove to be a healthy habit and greatly increase the teenager’s self-confidence.

Your life is more than days and years. It is what you do with your time and how closely your choices match your values. It is how you maximize the possibilities that cross your path.

Life is full of surprises. Sometimes it can be confusing, messy, and discouraging. What seems to be a rock in your path may end up being a stepping stone to something important. You may look for shortcuts to tomorrow and not find any. Even so, it is still possible to find your way to a beautiful life.

"Beautiful" can mean different things to different people. Webster's dictionary defines it as "having beauty; very pleasing and satisfying to the senses, eye, ear, and mind." When it comes to applying "beautiful" to your life, begin by assuming that your basic needs for food, water, shelter, and physical and financial security are met.

Next, visualize what your beautiful life looks like. To do this, you need to know where you are going as well as where you have been. Make the picture of your beautiful life in color; it makes it more enticing. Make it large to make it more compelling.

Then, focus on your emotional and mental well-being. Get in touch with your purpose for being here. Your purpose grounds you and keeps you moving forward. If you feel lost, people who love you will find you.

In addition, to make a beautiful life which you deserve:

1. Love yourself. This means enjoying your own company and making peace with who you are at this moment in time.
2. Make time for yourself so that you can listen with your heart for your purpose in life.
3. Think positively and be happy. Remember, mistakes are opportunities to learn.
4. Put effort into things important to you; try. Be willing to stretch yourself and move outside your comfort zone once in a while.
5. Learn to be accepting and flexible when you cannot alter or avoid a situation to decrease your stress level. There is a saying, "When you don't have what you want, try wanting what you have."

If you want a challenge and to stretch yourself, add two more ideas to this list that you know would make your life beautiful. This will make the list more uniquely yours. Then, choose one of these ideas. Begin to focus on it until you feel it is a part of who you really are. Continuing to take one idea at a time from your list, you can move forward whenever you feel you are ready.

Having a beautiful life is not about having a perfect life or all the material things you want in your life. It is much deeper than that. It has to do with knowing what is important to you and being able to take action in a positive way. You have control over the choices you make. Your feelings about yourself and your life depend on your choices. Choose wisely.

What is hip abduction exercise?

In basic terms hip abduction means to take the leg away from the midline of the body, kick your leg straight out to the side, or to work the outer thigh. So, when you are doing hip abduction exercise it involves some form of moving the leg away from the body, usually with added resistance for strength.

The hip is a ball and socket joint, which means that you can move the leg in four directions; abduction (away from body), adduction (toward midline of body), flexion (bringing the leg up towards the torso), and extension (drawing the leg straight back behind the body).

Why is hip abduction exercise good for the hip joint and thighs?

Doing hip abduction exercise helps to strengthen and stretch the muscles that surround and protect the hip joint. As an added bonus, with the stretching and strengthening actions it pulls the muscles into longer and leaner lines.

These muscles include: gluteus medius and minimus, the piriformis (in the buttocks), the ilipsoas (in the groin), the tensor fasciae latae (upper lateral thigh), and the sartorius (runs from outside of lateral thigh into the medial side just below the kneecap).

Strengthening and stretching these muscles will help to stabilize the hip as well as to keep it flexible and working efficiently so we can move with ease. Most specifically, walk with ease and without pain.

What types of hip abduction exercise should I be doing?

There are many different ways to do hip abduction exercise. You can do it standing, lying on your side, or lying on your back. You can work most all of these hip abduction exercises using the resistance of water in a pool.

Some of my favorites are Pilates based exercises done on a mat or utilizing Pilates equipment if you have it available.

Side kicks:

All exercises done lying on your side with your shoulders and hips stacked on top of each other and legs angled slightly forward at the waist.

· Small Circles – With the top leg slightly forward of the bottom and at hip level circle the whole leg 6-8 times each direction. Keep the leg long and reaching through your heel. Think about reaching out of the hip to make it longer.

· Forward and Back Kicks – With the torso and bottom leg staying stationary as an anchor swing the top leg forward and back at hip level keeping the leg long and straight. Flex the foot as you swing to the front and point to the back. Keep the shoulders aligned as you swing the leg straight behind you.

· Open the Clam – Lying on your side with both knees bent out at a 90 degree angle, place your hand on the top hip and keep it aligned over the bottom hip. Squeeze your heels together and then draw your top knee away from the bottom knee. If you are aligned properly it should not open very far as with trying to open a very tight clam shell.

Leg Circles:

· Lying on your back with one leg extended along the mat anchored to the floor, the other leg extended up just under a 90 degree angle. Circle the extended leg 8 times each direction feeling the thigh bone heavy set in the hip socket.

Make the circles as large as you can control keeping your torso and leg on the floor very still. Shoulders and butt cheeks stay anchored into the floor as you circle.

Standing Hip Abduction Exercise:

· Standing with or without a weight around your ankles, kick one leg out to the side until you feel the outer thigh or hip stop you from going any farther without having to bend sideways. Make sure you stand with the spine extended as you kick to each side 10 times.

How do you lose 20 pounds quick? Good question. It all depends on where you start. It depends on where you’re coming from and what kind of sacrifices you’re willing to make.

You can lose 7 to 10 pounds in a week, very easily, if you just clean up your eating. I mean really clean it up! We’re talking about drinking clean fluids…that means water. No saturated fats. No processed sugars. Lots of veggies…oh, and a tad bit of exercise. Say walking for 20 minutes a day after your last meal.

That’s a simple, good start. Easy stuff, too.

To lose 20 pounds quick you will need to hold steady on the above plan just a little longer. The first 10 pounds will disappear in about a week or ten days. Much of that will be water. When that’s done, you move a step further.

Next phase: exact same stuff. We’re not talking about killing yourself, here, especially if you haven’t been active for some time. An injury? That would be foolish. What good will the weight loss do if you’ve hurt yourself in the process? I’m guessing it might be depressing.

For your purpose: to lose 20 pounds quick, you don’t even need to join a gym, or lift a single weight. It’s called cleaning up your habits, if only for an abbreviated period of time. To lose weight, a small altering of your mindset is really the only essential. Begin and just stay the course, which is not always easy.

You must follow through. Action is a verb. It is continuous. Small daily adjustments, like the few outlined above are all that’s necessary. We’re talking about how to lose 20 pounds quick, not 100 pounds. You are always moving. The world spins and we move along with it.

We change our circumstances over time, mostly without notice. To effectively lose 20 pounds quick, you need to begin to take notice, to become more self –aware. It starts with the foods you eat, the fluids you drink, and the small steps you decide to engage in.

But it won’t take long. You can truly lose 20 pounds quick if you’re willing to take the very first, magical step. Simply begin.

A raw plant base diet is one way to experience natural weight loss as well as improved health, increased energy and even more health benefits.

Many believe that a raw vegan diet is the natural diet for humans. It seems like people on raw food diets can eat almost as much as they want and still maintain a healthy weight.

The theory is that before the caveman discovered how to harness fire, they had to eat all of their food raw. Once they begin using fire they slowly incorporated cooked foods into their diet.

This appears to make sense. Raw foods contain all the natural enzymes that assist you to completely digest your food without putting excessive strain on your body. Cooked foods have most if not all of the enzymes destroyed. You have to try your best to cut back on processed food. Stay with the healthier fresh fruits and vegetables.

We are all aware of the hormones, preservatives and other unhealthy additives that are in our foods today. This is a significant reason to try to eat organic foods as well.

People on raw food diets seem to be healthier, happier and hardly catch a cold. You do have to make sure you have enough vit-b12 though. Have this checked and take a supplement if necessary.

One healthy food that may be particularly good in helping with weight loss is parsnips. They are high in fiber which makes you feel fuller. Parsnips can lower cholesterol and keep your blood sugar even.

If you definitely want to lose weight and keep it off, then you need to follow a healthy lifestyle. You must get enough exercise and eat healthier. Instead of taking the elevator, take the stairs. Only on those Geico comercials will you see a caveman taking an escalator instead of hoofing it.

Make sure you include healthy oils and fats that contains omega 3. Stay away from the unhealthy ones. Avocados also contain healthy oils.

Try your best to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Slowly start to cut out the cooked foods and meats. Continue on this path and you will start to feel great and wonder why you haven't started this long ago.

After the cavemen discovered fire they had to chase their dinner. They even had to run from their so-called dinners at times"dinner" would chase them. Before they ate meat they had to thoroughly search for other food. I suppose they exercised a bit more than we do today.

Walking, running, swimming and jogging are some of the ways to exercise more. Maybe those cavemen aren't receiving all the credit they deserve after all.

Here are 5 very good reasons to use herbs daily to heal and optimize your body.

1. Build Your Immune System. A healthy immune system goes a long ways toward keeping your body healthy. Herbal remedies help create and sustain a healthy immune system which helps your body fight off many common infections like the common cold, as well as cancer and other degenerative diseases. Some common herbs that help you build a stronger immune system are: * astragalus * ligustrum * reishi * nettle herb

2. Increased Energy. Unfortunately, today, we are bombarded with products and advertisers that lead us to believe that caffeine is what we all need to have more energy. But the fact of the matter is caffeine, in large amounts, consumed on a regular basis, does the exact opposite. It actually drains our natural energies, quickly, leaving us feeling poorly even disrupting our sleep. Herbal remedies offer a deeper, more natural, long-lasting energy. Here are some basic ways to increase your energy:

* Herbal energy boosters without caffeine. Natural energy herbs are effective in helping your body use more energy, more efficiently. A common and very effective energy-promoting herb is Ginseng.

* Kava, California poppy extract and chamomile tea are all muscle-relaxing herbs. Tension wastes energy and these herbs will help you release that tension and increase your energy.

* Deep breathing and stretching exercises including yoga are also great natural ways to release tension and help your body use energy more effectively and efficiently.

* Avoid sugars. In addition to depleting deep energy from your body, sugars offer absolutely no benefits to your health.

3. Better Digestion. The key to better overall health and wellness is digestion. Good digestion supports your immune system, increases your energy and even helps your body detoxify and strengthen.

4. Heart Disease and Cancer. The leading cause of death in men and women, heart disease can be counter-acted with cardiovascular-protective herbs as well as immune boosting herbal remedies. One out of 3 Americans develops some form of cancer in their lifetime. Again, herbs that improve the immune system can help avoid the formation of cancer cells and remove them from the body. Some of the same immune system building herbs listed above can be used as daily cancer protectants.

5. Responsible Health Care. Taking control of your own health and well being is perhaps, the most important reason why you should consider a daily routine of herbs and herbal remedies. Herbal remedies have been around for centuries and have been called the "people's medicine". They can be as simple as growing your own in pots or gardens. They can safely and effectively be used daily in a variety of different ways from teas and tinctures to cooking, bathing and even applying directly to the skin for direct absorption. Even though herbs from your garden are unregulated, they are still much safer, and often equally if not more effective, than most strictly regulated drugs marketed by doctors and sold by pharmaceutical companies.

Meaning of Ayurveda

Ayurveda is the most popular holistic forms of medicine that has originated in India, and is now rapidly spreading around the world. Ayurveda is a combination of two Sanskrit words, ayus meaning 'life' and veda meaning 'knowledge'. Hence, Ayurveda literally means 'the knowledge of life'.

Indians believe that Ayurveda originated as a form of medicine for the gods. Even in the Ramayana (which is believed to be several millennia old), we have a reference of how Hanuman brings the Sanjivani herb to revive Lakshmana, who is mortally wounded in the battlefield at Lanka. Dhanwantari, the physician of the gods, is believed to be the one who discovered Ayurveda. Ayurveda was brought from the realms of the gods to the human race by Charaka, who wrote the Ayurvedic treatise, Charaka Samhita, which is regarded venerably even today. Sushruta later wrote a compendium of his own, Sushruta Samhita, which has several amendments over the methods detailed in the Charaka Samhita.

Principles of Ayurveda

Ayurveda is a largely herbal science. It delves into the medicinal properties of herbs and studies their effects on the human system. There are more than four thousand herbs known to Ayurveda, out of which about one thousand are very commonly used in regular prescriptions. Throughout the ages, several combinations of the herbs have been made and perfected. The herbs are also matured in several ways like roasting them in ghee, fermenting them to make wines, preparing their concentrated powder extracts, etc. Preparations are known as bhasmas, lehyas, vatis, choornas, rasas, asavas, etc. depending on how they have been prepared.

Though Ayurveda mainly deals with herbs; that is not all there is to it. Ayurveda also deals in several minerals, which it calls as dhaatus. Some dhaatu preparations are very important to the human wellbeing, for example, the Shilajit.

However, the most important aspect of Ayurveda is neither the herbs nor the minerals that it uses. The secret of the success of Ayurveda over the centuries is the regimen that it coerces its patients to do. There are several therapies that Ayurveda has devised. The most famous of these is the Panchakarma therapy. This is an elaborate five-part process which can treat almost any ailment that afflicts humans. The Panchakarma therapy is a way of purification of the body. Then there are several other therapies like Shirodhara, Basti, etc. which helps keep the body in a state of normalcy.

Ayurveda often goes hand in hand with another popular Indian technique, the yoga. Ayurvedic physicians often prescribe asanas of yoga to supplement their herbal remedies. Ayurveda also believes in several massage therapies using different kinds of oils. Aromatherapy, though a different science in itself, can be considered to be a subset of the Ayurvedic techniques. Ayurveda believes that massage can canalize the toxins to their proper destinations in the body from where they can be eliminated. In this manner, the body remains free from residual toxic substances.
Ayurveda also believes in the importance of diet. When a treatment is going on, the Ayurvedic physician will stress on the importance of the diet the person consumes. Each component is selected with care, because with any disease, there are a large number of dietary indications and contra-indications.

The Popularity of Ayurveda

Today, Ayurveda is so deeply ensconced in the minds of the Indian population that they would use its remedies without actually knowing they are making use of some Ayurvedic technique. Almost every Indian household has one tulsi plant in their courtyard. Tulsi is nothing but the holy basil tree. This plant is worshipped by the Hindus, without knowing that the high respect for the tulsi actually originates from the various medicinal properties the herb has. Tulsi is one of the five essential plants every Indian garden is supposed to have. The other four plants are neem, amalaki, bilva and palash. Today, all these five herbs have become popular all around the world for their amazing curative properties.

Herbs like brahmi, ginkgo, gotu kola, ashwagandha, yohimbe, yashtimadhu, arjuna, etc. have now gained worldwide renown. The western scientists are spending a great deal of time and research in investigating the properties of these herbs. With every test they conduct, their belief in the powers of Ayurveda is only strengthening.

Garlic, onion and ginger are today used all over the world for several medicinal reasons. It is confirmed that garlic can prove extremely beneficial in reducing cholesterol and increasing longevity. However, it was Ayurveda that was the first to bring the curative properties of these herbs in the limelight. There are several other such herbs which were given their importance by Ayurveda first. Some of them are fenugreek, licorice, betel nut, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin seeds, dandelion, lemon grass, rauwolfia, zizzyphus, etc.

The initial reticence in using a quaint Indian method of medicine is now slowly dwindling away. Several Americans and Europeans are opting to use Ayurveda instead of other invasive therapeutic methods. Ayurvedic medicines are being very widely used in the west for memory enhancement tonics, treatment of male and female sterility, breast enhancement, penis enlargement and weight loss. People who are using them vouch for their benefits.

Acne is a major skin disease which afflicts both teenagers and adults although it's usually more common in teenagers. The culprit is our hormones and acne is triggered by the action of hormones on the oil glands of the skin. These oil glands are commonly known as the sebaceous glands. When these glands are disturbed, the skin gets a greasy look and when this occurs, our skin is more proned to acne. It can also get itchy increasing the chances of getting acne more. The skin pores will become blocked and clogged by the oil or sebum and this condition is highly susceptible for acne as the pores can open as hard plugs. The end result is acne.

Teenagers usually get acne because of hormonal changes in their bodies during puberty while for adults it still has to do with hormones but not like for teenagers. Stress, poor nutrition and lack of exercise can result in acne for adults. Teenagers are not immuned from these too. These 3 factors notably stress can affect the hormones and result in an overproduction of hormones which can lead to acne. Hormone imbalance and acne are closely related. Hormonal changes can be something out of control but nevertheless, if stress is dealt with effectively, proper and healthy nutrition are considered, regular exercise is done and proper skin care is administered, the effect of acne can be lessened and can be cured with time. Same for adults.

Here are some tips to reduce hormone imbalance and acne.

Diet Tips - Avoid too spicy foods and foods which are high in saturated fats. Eat at least 2 fish dishes per week and use healthy cooking techniques eg boiling. Don't forget oily fishes like salmon, herring, sardine and trout which contain omega-3 essential fatty acids. Lack of these nutrients can lead to eczema, an inflammatory condition of the skin causing redness, itchiness and which can trigger lesions outbreak and other skin problems. Don't eat too many chocolates. Drink alcohol moderately. Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Try drinking fresh fruit juice and raw vegetables juice to regulate bowel functioning and remove toxins from the body. Drink lots of fresh clean water daily about 8 glasses and more.

Stress Tips - Cope with stress effectively because stress is a major cause for hormone imbalance. When you're stressed out, your system produces more hormones and the oily skin look is inevitable, thus irritating the skin and making it more proned to acne. Engage yourself in relaxation exercises eg yoga, taichi. Do sports like swimming, running, cycling. Sweating is good to reduce stress and expel toxins from the body. Also your body will release endorphins which are natural substances in our bodies to supress pain and makes us feel good. Don't forget to shower a few minutes after exercising and cooling down to clear your body from the sweat and toxins which can cause acne outbreak. Take a warm bubble bath and relax and forget about your problems for a moment. Make a blank in your thoughts. Take time to do what you have to everyday without always hurrying and stressing yourself. This is possible if you wake up a few minutes earlier say in the morning before going to work. Inhale and exhale deeply because deep breathing techniques provide more oxygen to the brain making you less stressed. Get adequate sunlight as it can revive your mood and reduce stress.

Skin Care Tips - It's important that you take care of your skin and keep it clean from dirt and oil which can trigger acne. Cleaning your skin regularly with mild soap which contains acne healing ingredients like aloe vera or green tea can be helpful plus aloe vera and green tea acne cream application to your affected anatomic areas will also alleviate and refreshes your skin. Using herbs like calendula and herbal teas like dried green tea leaves boiled down and taking the extract have proven to dry and cure acne.

Yoga meditation guidance was described thousands of years ago by ancient and mystical sages. Since civilized societies began to emerge, meditation has evolved into a structured practice. Although there is not a lot of recorded information dealing with the history of meditation, its roots can be traced back to ancient times.

Some meditation experts suggest thinking of your mind as a glass of muddy water and meditation helps bring clarity. Many forms of meditation result in the clearing of one's mind. Meditation promotes a sense of calm and heightened awareness. And that's the real benefit of meditation: teaching your mind to accept whatever thoughts, feelings and sensations come along, without judging them or yourself.

Scientific studies show that the regular practice of meditation can be a powerful healing tool. Meditation helps reduce stress and anxiety, lower blood pressure, and improve concentration, clarity and creativity. Additionally, many studies have shown meditation can significantly lower stress, chronic pain and anxiety.

From the dawn of time, meditation has been a vital part of self transformation and holistic health. Many physicians consider meditation a key element of an integrated health program.

While scientists are studying whether meditation may afford meaningful health benefits, they are also looking at how it may do so. Researchers say that meditation works at least in part by lowering your body's responsiveness to the stress hormone norepinephrine. But meditation interrupts that flood of stress chemicals, so you don't feel on guard or tense. As your entire being becomes absorbed in meditation, every stress and strain of daily life will fall from your shoulders. Through meditation, one can cultivate a wonderful inner quiet that will melt away stress and nervousness.

In general, meditation produces a reduction in multiple biological systems, resulting in a state of relaxation. Studies of brain physiology during meditation have most frequently employed the electroencephalograph (EEG) for the measurement of brain wave electrical activity. During meditation, the brain's activity, as mapped by an EEG, alters significantly. These results reveal that meditation can have a deep and very profound influence on the heart and its activity.

The most well-known brain waves evident during many kinds of meditation are called alpha waves. The scans provide remarkable clues about what goes on in the brain during meditation. Although study results vary, there were similar findings: meditation lowers bodily metabolism, slows brain waves, and induces relaxation. Those most deeply involved in the meditation showed the greatest changes in brain structure.

This is accomplished as Meditation brings the brainwave pattern into an alpha state, which is a level of consciousness that promotes the healing state.

The researchers observed that the variability of beat-to-beat heart rate was directly affected by meditation. These results reveal that meditation can have a deep and very profound influence on the heart and its activity. If meditation is practiced regularly, these beneficial changes become relatively permanent.

One of many benefits of meditation is that it opens your mind to new ideas. What is more important is the acquisition of the purity and concentration of mind in moments of meditation. Purity of the mind achieved during meditation is essential to gain access to Higher Self.

Yoga meditation guidance was described thousands of years ago by ancient and mystical sages. Since civilized societies began to emerge, meditation has evolved into a structured practice. Although there is not a lot of recorded information dealing with the history of meditation, its roots can be traced back to ancient times.

Some meditation experts suggest thinking of your mind as a glass of muddy water and meditation helps bring clarity. Many forms of meditation result in the clearing of one's mind. Meditation promotes a sense of calm and heightened awareness. And that's the real benefit of meditation: teaching your mind to accept whatever thoughts, feelings and sensations come along, without judging them or yourself.

Scientific studies show that the regular practice of meditation can be a powerful healing tool. Meditation helps reduce stress and anxiety, lower blood pressure, and improve concentration, clarity and creativity. Additionally, many studies have shown meditation can significantly lower stress, chronic pain and anxiety.

From the dawn of time, meditation has been a vital part of self transformation and holistic health. Many physicians consider meditation a key element of an integrated health program.

While scientists are studying whether meditation may afford meaningful health benefits, they are also looking at how it may do so. Researchers say that meditation works at least in part by lowering your body's responsiveness to the stress hormone norepinephrine. But meditation interrupts that flood of stress chemicals, so you don't feel on guard or tense. As your entire being becomes absorbed in meditation, every stress and strain of daily life will fall from your shoulders. Through meditation, one can cultivate a wonderful inner quiet that will melt away stress and nervousness.

In general, meditation produces a reduction in multiple biological systems, resulting in a state of relaxation. Studies of brain physiology during meditation have most frequently employed the electroencephalograph (EEG) for the measurement of brain wave electrical activity. During meditation, the brain's activity, as mapped by an EEG, alters significantly. These results reveal that meditation can have a deep and very profound influence on the heart and its activity.

The most well-known brain waves evident during many kinds of meditation are called alpha waves. The scans provide remarkable clues about what goes on in the brain during meditation. Although study results vary, there were similar findings: meditation lowers bodily metabolism, slows brain waves, and induces relaxation. Those most deeply involved in the meditation showed the greatest changes in brain structure.

This is accomplished as Meditation brings the brainwave pattern into an alpha state, which is a level of consciousness that promotes the healing state.

The researchers observed that the variability of beat-to-beat heart rate was directly affected by meditation. These results reveal that meditation can have a deep and very profound influence on the heart and its activity. If meditation is practiced regularly, these beneficial changes become relatively permanent.

One of many benefits of meditation is that it opens your mind to new ideas. What is more important is the acquisition of the purity and concentration of mind in moments of meditation. Purity of the mind achieved during meditation is essential to gain access to Higher Self.

Flexibility is not the most important part of a workout for most people. Cardio and weights are the first two things that come to your mind when thinking of fitness but flexibility should also be in there. Flexibility is more than being able to touch your foot to the back of your head. It decreases the likely hood of injuries and makes your workouts more effective.

There are many different types of stretches you can do. Static, dynamic and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) are the three major types. According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), static stretching is the only type that is recommended for most people.

Static stretching can be accomplished by slowly stretching a muscle through the entire range of motion until you feel tightness. If it doesn't feel comfortable you are going to far.

You have to approach working out to get your muscles stronger, and working out to get more flexible as two separate and different things. The main difference is how long the effects of your routine will stay with you. If you stop doing bicep curls, it'll take some time for you to lose a significant amount of strength. If you stop stretching, the effects will go away a lot faster. This is why the number of days in a good flexibility program are at least 2-3 times per week but should really be 5-7 times per week.

Before beginning to stretch, you should do a small warm up that will increase the temperature in your muscles. This will make it easier to stretch without any discomfort or pain. You should hold each stretch for 15-30 seconds and do two-four repetitions per stretch.

Most people don't stretch. They justify it by thinking it won't make their arms bigger and won't give them the edge in a race. Flexibility gives you a wider range of motion which is beneficial in everything from picking up heavy tools in your garage to winning a race.

Swara Yoga is an ancient science of nasal breathing that correlates the breath with sun, moon and five elements. The practice of Shiva Swarodaya allows us to synchronize our breath with the universal rhythm. This alignment removes undue efforts, stress and strain from our daily activities. Swara Yoga practice helps us to change unwanted physical, mental or emotional states at will, create favourable conditions for one’s life by changing the internal environment thus improving one’s attitude towards life through increased awareness.

Before we get focused on Health, Wealth & Happiness, let us have some basic understanding of three Swaras or Nadies through Swara Yoga.

If you observe your breath, you will notice that at a given time, any one nostril is more dominant and the other one relatively congested. This keeps changing every one to two hours and during the transition period, both nostrils may be equally dominant for few seconds.

The right nostril dominance is associated with pingala nadi or surya nadi. The pingala, which is the masculine or solar principle, is associated with the left hemisphere of the brain that controls the right side of the body. The left nostril dominance is associated with the Ida nadi or chandra nadi, the feminine or lunar principle, associated with the right hemisphere of the brain and controlling the left side of the body. Just by observing the direct effect of solar and lunar currents of breath on human behavior, swara yogis were able to ascertain the activities best suited during the left nostril dominance and activities best suited during the right nostril dominance.

The nose can be seen as the main switch of cerebral hemispheres. It can stimulate electromagnetic activity on one side of the body and it can switch the hemispheric activity on and off at will. The third nadi is “shushumna”, where the left and the right are perfectly balanced. It represents “Shiva” (pure consciousness) in the state of “so-hum”. Whenever the nostrils switch, both are open for seven to eight breaths. That is the time when the shushumna breath flows. No worldly activities are recommended in Shiva swara. One must meditate. Intuitive knowledge is received best during this state.

In the original manuscript of Shiva Swarodaya there are 395 sutras, many of them deal with Health, Wealth & Happiness.

Health: One can easily maintain good health with the knowledge of Swara Yoga. Here are few tips to help you.

Believe it or not, men do have the same skin issue as women. Women usually get the limelight on facial products and care but men tend to shy away from this matter. Men also do get wrinkles and pimples, dry skin and oily skin, cancer and many of them suffer with pimples all their life. Nowadays, men skin care is gaining more attention from various parties regarding men skin care, but how can men find the best solution for them.

Men and women have different skin but how can we differentiate between them? Men do not spend much money on cosmetics, facial wash but shave more than women. There are more products for women but there are some for men. However, the publicity of skin care products for men is insignificant compared to women's.

Here are some good tips that men can follow to ensure good and healthy face. Use facial cleanser once in the morning and once in the evening, try to avoid soap as it can make your skin dry. When shaving, try using mild shaving cream or gel, shave at least 1-3 times a week. Breakouts should be treated with antibacterial products, use sunscreen products with SPF 15 if you are going out on the sun and use moisturizer on dry skin area.

Since men usually shave more then women, but it is not often to encounter problems like ingrown hairs, razor burn or irritation from shaving. Shaving products should not sting actually. When we are shaving hairs off our face, sometimes we tend to shave off the skin without noticing. This is bad as our skin will be irritated.

If you do experience any rash, most likely it is due to the products that you have used before, during or after shaving. Most of the products contain ingredients that irritate the skin such as alcohol, menthol, camphor and peppermint. If one is still facing problems as such, it’s time to move on to a new and different shaving product. Shaving cream or gels that contains emollient ingredients is suitable because it keeps the skin smooth and mosturized. Furthermore, look for ingredients that have aloe, silicone or allantoin which is listed the first five ingredients in shaving products. Products which is ‘alcohol free’ is also important as it will not be irritate the skin while shaving.

Men's skin is sensitive thus men should be more careful while choosing products for their face and take good care. Hopefully in the future, there will be more skin care products for men with different type of skins.

Acne does not only occur by your eating habits and hormonal changes(in teenagers) but emotionally as well. If you're stressed out regularly, you have great chances in developing acne. When your body is under stress, your adrenal glands release the hormone cortisol into your blood flow. This isn't good.

As a result, your sebaceous glands are negatively affected and sebum is produced. Sebum is a sticky substance and this is how your skin will become oily. Your pores will be clogged by the sebum and acne will be formed on your skin. This is so true because I still remember during an exam in my tertiary education how I was really stressed out. My skin was starting to release sebum and become oily and I can feel that pimples are going to pop out soon because my skin was itchy as well.

Stress is part of our lives and we can't completely avoid it. What we have to do is to deal with it and combat it by improving our way of living like doing exercises, meditating, taking time to relax like having a warm bath, yoga, deep breathing techniques and listening to soothing music.

Also, if you can, go in nature say in the mountain, forest, near the sea or your own terrace where you can breathe fresh air. Early in the morning is best. It's also important to have a good night sleep everyday because people with lack of sleep tend to be nervous quite easily and stressed out fast.

In this hectic life, we tend to rush and hurry everyday to go to work, to school, college or university. What you need to do is always wake up a bit earlier so that you can take more time to do your morning activities. For instance, take your time to prepare a copious breakfast and have the required energy to deal with life demands. Don't get stressed out early in the morning.

So incorporate some anti-stress activities in your daily life and I am sure you will decrease the risk of triggering acne on your skin.

A new report in the Journal of Nutrition finds that a single high fat meal can increase your response to psychological stress. Meaning, stressing out a couple hours after you eat is worse if you just ate a high fat meal.

Researchers fed people either a high fat or a low fat meal with equal calories. Then they subjected them to a stressor a couple of hours later – like math problems, public speaking or sticking their hand in ice water. People that ate the high fat meal had higher blood pressure after the stress than those that at the low-fat meal.

Over-reacting to stress predicts future disease

Researchers call this increased ‘cardiovascular reactivity'. We have thought for some time that increased cardiovascular reactivity predicts later development of hypertension (chronic high blood pressure) and heart disease. This means that people who show increased blood pressure after stress are more likely to develop chronic problems later.

We have also known for some time that a high fat diet increases your odds of developing hypertension and heart disease.

What this new report shows is that even a single high fat meal might boost your odds against developing later disease. It also shows how can stress affect a person that is not eating well. This makes an important point about the interaction between nutrition and mental health. The better you eat, the less likely stress will do permanent damage.

Try a new salad and chill out

This doesn't mean that you are doomed because of that time you went through drive through and then got stuck in traffic – and went into a cheeseburger induced road rage. But it does place more immediate pressure on being careful about what you eat on a regular basis – especially if you know you may be facing a stressful meeting after lunch.

Every time we eat poorly, we are doing a little damage. Most of that damage is reversed by our ‘repair systems' – but a small amount of it is not reversed. Eventually, if we do enough damage it will turn into a measurable disease. This is why it is so important to get your kids off to a good start with their eating habits.

Continue to expose yourself and your kids to new, healthier foods until you find some that you really like. Developing a taste for variety is one of the best things you can do. It increase your odds of getting balanced nutrition and increases your new experiences, which in turn help build brain circuits that buffer you against stress. Variety, as the old adage says, is the spice of life.