Are You Fit For Sex!

Sex is good but better sex is better. Good sex is about technique, love and intimacy. Our brains are our biggest sex organs but our bodies carry out our sexual desires. A body that is fit for sex is better able to accomplish our sexual wishes.

Building up strength, flexibility and rhythm in your sexual centre means better sex at the same time as it improves your general health and wellbeing. Regardless of age or life stage with a few minutes easy practice a day you can dramatically improve your sex life. We will show you how on TV one Friday 18 September at 10.40. (We will post the link here on Saturday the 19th).

Being fit for better sex does require a healthy body and good amount of general fitness but it also requires some attention to the sex muscles and the other muscles that we use to achieve orgasm. Toning these muscles improves the length and strength of orgasms.

You can be in very good condition physically for many things, sport, dancing, skiing, tramping and so on but that doesn’t mean your body is fit for sex. We receive training for sport and recreation from an early age. Physical exercise is compulsory in schools and we get a lot a coaching for things like rugby and netball. Particular sports and recreational pursuits require us to concentrate on particular parts of our bodies and we get special exercises and training from more experienced players. But when it comes to sex silence reigns.

It is socially acceptable to talk about intimacy and love and sexual health, so why are the physical aspects of sexual encounters such a secret? Because it’s about parts of the body that we consider private, like the genitals, or dirty like the anus. Also because many adults don’t know very much about their sexual fitness anatomy and many adults are embarrassed to talk about what goes on ‘down there’.

‘Down there’, where the sexual organs sit is a very important part of the body. It’s the core or sexual centre of the body. It’s particularly important to pay attention to this part of the body after child birth and for women and men as we start to age. The rest of the organs that drive the body are located directly on top of our sexual organs and as we begin to age we notice changes with things like urination, menstruation, strength of erection and so on.

It is very important to build up strength, flexibility and rhythm in your sexual centre. Not only does it improve your capacity to achieve sexual pleasure it is also incredibly good for your overall health and wellbeing.

You can have a strong tummy and great abs but that still doesn’t mean you are fit for sex. Building up sexual strength requires dedicated practice just like any other kind of fitness. At antenatal classes women get told to strengthen their pelvic floor muscles and men are beginning to become aware that they need to keep an eye their prostates as they age. But I think the message doesn’t really get through and most of us will do a token number of meagre repetitions if we happen to think of it.

What is really required, for both women and men, if you want to improve urinary continence, have great sex, keep your prostate fit, healthy and disease free, gain control over ejaculation and generally improve your health and wellbeing is to put some effort and energy in like you would on the sports field.

It’s not about 10 or 20 or 30 measly squeezes. It’s about working out. First you have to locate your pelvic floor muscles around your perineum and vagina. They are the ones we use to begin and end urination so the best place to find them is on the toilet. Try stopping and starting urination until you get the hang of where they are and then once you have them it’s time to give them a work out. Try squeezing them fast and slow. Experts can differentiate up to 9 different levels of constriction from soft to weak. Most fit and healthy people should be able to feel at least two.

The muscles around the vagina, perineum and anus all need exercise. Ideally you should be able to differentiate between your pelvic floor muscles located toward the front of your body and the sphincter muscles around your anus. But if you can’t feel the difference yet it doesn’t matter because all the muscles in this part of the body are very close to one another and squeezing the perineum, anus and vagina (if you have one) all at the same time gives your whole sexual centre a really good work out.

Flexibility is also important. It is not about contortionism or tying yourself in knots Karma Sutra style. It’s about very subtle movements in the area around the hips and tail bone. Because we spend a lot of time sitting down on chairs our hips and tailbones tend to become fixed and immovable and this limits the flexibility. Flexibility is very important for good sex.

Think about sexy dances and they all involve a little hip movement. There is a big muscle in humans called the Psoas (pronounced “so-az”) muscle. In beef it’s the tenderloin and in humans it is also quite large around 12 inches. The psoas muscle starts around the bottom of the spine and winds down and right around inserting into the top of the leg. It’s the source of a lot of back pain and keeping it strong and flexible is really important for good sex. An easy way to begin get things moving again here is to put on some sexy music and have a little dance or to make a motion like you were hula hooping or hula dancing. You can also try moving your hips in a figure of 8. Make sure that your tail bone is tucked under and your bottom isn’t sticking out.

Rhythmic music gets us going. It’s great for exercise and great for sex. Sex is all about rhythm and you can get better at feeling the rhythm of sex by practicing while you do your pelvic floor exercises. Contract the anus and the perineum and vagina in rhythmic sets of 9. Try combinations of different rhythms 9 fast 9 slow, 9 strong 9 gentle or 3 strong, 3 soft, 3 strong and so on. Have fun play around.

Sex is good for you and like anything if you practice you will gain more strength, control, and flexibility and importantly more control over your own sexual pleasure, you will get better at sex and increase your sexual and overall wellbeing. The rest of your body sits on top of your sexual centre and if this is healthy, pert and in good shape the rest of your body will benefit.

Study: Drinking Too Much Coffee or Alcohol Linked to Irregular Heartbeat

Drinking more than 10 alcoholic drinks a week (less than 2 a day) or four cups of strong coffee each day can increase the risk of developing an irregular heartbeat, new research suggests.

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Two studies presented at the European Society of Cardiology congress in Barcelona found that alcohol and caffeine intake can affect the chances of developing an abnormal heart rhythm, known as atrial fibrillation.

About 46,000 people in Britain are diagnosed with atrial fibrillation every year. The condition greatly increases the risk of having a stroke, heart attack or other cardiac problems.

The study into alcohol, carried out on 8,830 men and women in Britain, Scandinavia and the United States, found that those who drank the equivalent of 10 standard drinks had an 80 percent increased risk of being diagnosed with the condition within five years.

The patients in the study had an average age of 67 and were already receiving treatment for high blood pressure but had no previous signs of atrial fibrillation. They were followed for an average of 4.8 years, during which time heart scans revealed atrial fibrillation in 5.7 percent of patients who reported drinking more than 10 drinks a week, compared to 3.9 percent of patients who drank less or no alcohol at all.

Inger Ariansen, who led the study at Oslo University Hospital, suggested that 10 drinks could be regarded as a threshold for increased risk of atrial fibrillation, although she pointed out that different countries defined the amount of alcohol contained in a typical drink differently.

The second study, by researchers at the University of Modena, found that drinking more than the equivalent of four espresso shots a day could increase the risk of arrhythmias in people without known heart disease, even if they otherwise had a healthy diet.

10 Tips For Faster Weight Loss

Losing weight can be a challenge, especially if you have many pounds to shed. It can be difficult to sift through all the fad diets, and downright dangerous supplements and pills on the market today. How do you know what works and what doesn’t? Whom should you believe?

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Here are 10 no-nonsense tips for fast, healthy weight loss:

1) Drink 8-10 glasses of water each day - this helps flush your body of impurities and fat. You can also substitute a few glasses of water for green or herbal tea.

2) Break up your meals into 5 or 6 smaller ones - this will help speed up your metabolism and keep you from getting too hungry in between meals.

3) Increase your fruit and vegetable intake - these are packed with vitamins.

4) Decrease your fat intake - try for no more than 20 grams per day.

5) Exercise for 30 minutes each day - take a walk, or play a game with your kids. Just get moving.

6) Find a hobby - take up knitting or painting to keep your hands busy.

7) Don’t eat that late night snack - Try not to eat for at least 2 hours before going to bed.

8) Listen to your body - your body will tell you when it is full, hungry, stressed, tired. Learn the signs and obey what your body is telling you

9) Increase your fiber - choose whole grain pasta and bread.

10) Cleanse and detoxify - this may be the most important. Rid your body of harmful toxins and chemicals, while allowing it to function normally.

Cleansing is an important part of long-term weight loss success. Our bodies are laden with insecticides, pesticides, lead, and dozens of other harmful substances. These chemicals clog our internal organs and our bodies respond by coating these chemicals with layers of fat.

One way to cleanse your body of harmful impurities is by using Acai Berry. This fruit is a nutritional powerhouse and will get your body functioning normally again, so it can fight illness and disease. It will also allow your body to burn calories and fat faster and more efficiently. You will see a faster rate of weight loss, and you will be able to keep it off.

Acai berry has many health benefits as well, including increased circulation, increased metabolism, and increased mental clarity and focus.

Excessive Laptop Computer Use Linked To Male Infertility

(NaturalNews) It's not only Big Pharma making billions off of the sometimes too-gullible American public. The infertility industry is raking in about two billion dollars a year -- even though many of the costly treatments have dismal success rates. Instead of trying to find high tech ways to overcome the inability to reproduce, it is clearly smarter, cheaper, and safer to use healthy lifestyle choices to help avoid infertility problems in the first place.

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For example, while fatherhood might be far from the minds of most young men, behavior patterns they establish early on may impact their ability to become a dad later in life. A case in point: a reproductive specialist at Loyola University Health System (LUHS) is sounding the alarm that excessive laptop computer threatens sperm production.

About 40 percent of infertility problems are due to problems with the male reproductive system, according to Suzanne Kavic, MD, director of the division of reproductive endocrinology at LUHS and associate professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology and department of medicine at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. And while spending too much time too close to a laptop may seem an unlikely cause of male fertility, Dr. Kavic says it does happen. "The heat generated from laptops can impact sperm production and development making it difficult to conceive down the road," she explained in a statement for the media.

This doesn't mean guys have to give up their laptops to protect their future as potential fathers, they just have to apply some common sense. Dr. Kavic advises simply placing laptops on desktops to keep the computer's heat from damaging sperm and decreasing sperm counts and motility.

While keeping a safe distance from heat-generating laptops, it is also a good idea to keep cell phones away from reproductive organs. According to a study published last fall in the journal Fertility and Sterility, men who park their cell phones in their pockets or clip them to their belts while using an earpiece to talk risk damaging their sperm. The reason? Cell phones emit radiofrequency electromagnetic waves when in talk mode. That causes higher levels of free radicals in sperm and a reduction in sperm health.

Of course, there are physical issues that cause male infertility, too. Dr. Kavic points out these include enlarged varicose veins in the scrotum, genital injuries or defects, sexually transmitted infections, prostatitis (an infection or inflammation of the prostate), and hormonal disorders. However, there's another important cause that is often totally avoidable -- prescription drugs.

"Medications for depression, blood pressure and certain heart conditions may lower libido or cause impotence," Dr. Kavic explained in the press statement. "Men should talk with their physicians to see if medication is necessary or if they can switch to another with fewer side effects."

Research from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), one of the National Institutes of Health, has also shown keeping weight under control is a way men can take charge of their own health and fertility. The NIEHS study found that overweight men with a body mass index (BMI) over 30 were significantly more likely to be infertile than normal weight men.

Dr. Kavic recommends additional healthy lifestyle measures to protect male fertility including:
• Avoid hot tubs.
• Wear boxer shorts instead of tight briefs.
• Avoid exercise that can generate heat or trauma to the genital area.
• Eat a nutritious diet.
• Take a daily multivitamin.
• Get eight hours of sleep per night.
• Stay hydrated and limit caffeine to no more than two cups per day.
• Don't smoke.
• Avoid drugs and excessive alcohol use.
• Minimize exposure to toxins.
• Practice stress reduction techniques, such as yoga.

Reference:
http://www.naturalnews.com/026509_fertility_health_infertility.html

Supplements to increase Men and Women fertility

To increase your fertility naturally, try taking these recommended supplements. Make sure to talk with your doctor about the proper doses for each supplement especially if you are taking other medications.


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Vitamin C helps to improve men's sperm count, motility, and viability. It also helps prevent agglutination, a condition in which cells gather together to form a cluster. This causes sperm to swim slower and conception more difficult. Some common sources of vitamin C include red berries, kiwi, red and green bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, and spinach.

  1. Vitamin E has been found to aid in conception by helping in the production of sperm and improving sperm motility. Good sources of vitamin E include nuts, green leafy vegetables, avocados, wheat germ, and whole grains.
  2. Selenium increases sperm count and can help minimize the risk of birth defects. You can find selenium in cashews, walnuts, beef, chicken, egg, cheese, tuna, and wheat germ.
  3. ZInc helps the body use estrogen and progesterone more efficiently. Be cautious since excess zinc can lead to problems such as fatigue and a weak immune system. ZInc is found in beef, lima beans, chickpeas, cashews, almonds, oysters, yogurt, and pumpkin seeds.
  4. Folic Acid helps men maintain quality and number of sperm. The March of DImes encourages all women of childbearing age to take a multivitamin with 400 mg of folic acid before and during the early part of pregnancy to prevent neural tube defects. Eat foods such as whole wheat tortillas, cooked lentils, ready to eat breakfast cereal, whole wheat pasta, and cooked okra.
  5. Vitamins B6 and B12 benefits men with low sperm counts and increases fertility in women. Foods with B6 include potatoes, bananas, beans, seeds, nuts, red meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and fortified cereals. Good sources of B12 are fish, red meat, poultry, milk, cheese, and eggs.

For more ways to increase your fertility naturally see the following articles:


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Herbs have been used in many different cultures throughout the centuries to aid with fertility for men and women. The following is a list of five herbs for men and their uses in promoting fertility.

  1. Ginseng: can raise testosterone levels, increase sperm count and sperm motility
  2. Pycnogenol: helps naturally increase normally functioning sperm
  3. Saw Palmetto: used to treat male impotence, low libido, and promotes prostate health
  4. Flaxseed Oil: helps keep sperm healthy and may help male impotence
  5. Astralagus: may improve sperm motility and count

Remember to consult with your doctor if you decide to try any herbal remedies. Some herbs can cause serious side effects if combined with other herbs, over-the-counter drugs, or prescription medication. Consult with an herbalist or naturopath for help determining which remedies might be right for you.

Herbs have been used for centuries to treat many conditions including infertility. Following are five herbs for women and their uses in promoting fertility.

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  1. Red Clover: can help balance hormonal functioning and relax the nervous system
  2. Black Cohosh: improves hormonal functioning and has been used to help prevent miscarriage
  3. Dong Quai: improves chances of embryo implantation, treats irregular menstrual cycles and menstrual cramps
  4. False Unicorn Root: used to encourage ovulation and as a uterine tonic
  5. Raspberry leaf: used to nourish the uterus

5 Fat-Burning Myths Every Man Should Know

You’re not going to achieve optimal fat loss without putting in a good effort. That being said, you’ve likely read about various fat loss principles that you can use to speed your progress.

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Mixed in with the useful information there’s a good chance you’ve come across at least a couple of metabolism myths that could be sending you down the wrong path. By getting it straight from the start, you put yourself in a better position to see results.

Here are some of the main metabolism myths you should know about.

1. Eating Before Bed Will Lead to Fat Gain

The first metabolic myth that many people fall for is that foods eaten before bed will automatically turn to body fat. The truth is that it’s the total calorie intake over the course of the day that determines whether a food will turn to body fat or not. It doesn’t matter when the calories are eaten, just that they don’t put you over your total daily calorie intake.

Spreading your calories out evenly throughout the day will help maintain a stabilized energy level, but from a fat gaining perspective, eating before bed won’t cause weight gain in and of itself.

2. Eating More Frequently Will Speed Up Your Metabolism

Another common myth is that eating more frequent meals will boost your metabolism. If you’ve ever heard someone tell you that you should eat six times a day for a faster metabolism, you’re being given misinformation.

The point to remember here is that each time you eat a meal, your metabolism increases. This increase is impacted by how large the meals higher in carbohydrates and fats).

Assuming total macronutrient composition and calorie intake stays the same over two different diets, one consisting of three meals and one of six, both diets will experience the same metabolic increases. The only difference is the individual eating six meals a day will have smaller increases six times while the other individual will have larger increases three times a day.

3. No-Carb Diets Cause Faster Fat Loss

When you start up on a very low carbohydrate diet such as Atkins or a Ketogenic diet, you enter into what is referred to as ketosis, where your body switches from running on carbohydrates as fuel to using a source called ketones. Many individuals believe that there is something special about being in ketosis that speeds up the rate of fat loss you experience.

This is not the case. Low carb diets offer the benefit of hunger control, but in terms of actually changing the rate of the metabolism, they’re not going to have any influence. In fact, if you go without carbohydrates for too long, your metabolism could decrease because carbohydrates are the main macronutrient that influences the thyroid gland.

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4. You Shouldn’t Eat Carbohydrates and Fats Together

Individuals who follow food-combining diets tend to fall for this myth time and time again. They believe that in order to lose weight effectively, they should avoid eating carbohydrates and dietary fats together.

This belief stems from the fact that since carbohydrates are used for energy, if fats are consumed at the same time they will immediately get turned to body fat. Likewise, since the body can also use fats as fuel (it’s just not preferred), if you are eating fat in your meal, you should avoid carbohydrates.

The truth is that the body is more concerned with total energy balance. If you eat a meal and your body needs fuel, it will use whatever fuel is available to it — carbohydrates or fats. It’s true that carbohydrates will be used first, but if the carbohydrates do not meet the full energy needs, dietary fat is used as well.

The only time in the day when you really want to avoid eating fats with your carbohydrates is immediately before or after a workout since having fat in the body will slow down digestion, decreasing the uptake of the carbohydrates by the muscle cells.

5. Metabolism Slows Automatically as You Get Older

Finally, the last myth is that the metabolism will slow down with age. The primary reason the metabolism slows as you grow older is because you lose muscle mass. If you continue with your weight training you will largely prevent this, warding off weight gain.

You may see a small drop as time goes on, but if you’re weight training and eating properly, it will hardly be noticeable in terms of weight gain.

So, be sure you don’t fall for any of these metabolic myths. Choosing to believe them could lead you to select a diet that isn’t ideal for you and doesn’t offer any additional fat loss benefits.

Smoking Marijuana Regularly May Reduce Risk of Some Neck, Head Cancers

You've heard about using marijuana and drugs derived from it to keep some of the side effects of toxic cancer chemotherapy in check. But what if smoking marijuana for 10 to 20 years could actually protect against certain tumors?

In a study, researchers have found that long-term pot smokers were roughly 62 percent less likely to develop head and neck cancers than people who did not smoke pot.

The new study featured 434 patients with head and neck cancers, which include tumors in the mouth, tongue, nose, sinuses, throat and lymph nodes in the neck, and 547 individuals without these cancers seen in the Greater Boston area from December 1999 to December 2003.

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After factoring out the impact of smoking, drinking, and other factors that might influence the results, smoking marijuana from once every two weeks to three times every two weeks, on average, was associated with about half the risk of head and neck cancer, compared with less frequent use.

Those who took up pot smoking at an older age appeared to have less risk of these cancers than those who started it at a younger age.

Compared to people who never smoked pot, those who began smoking marijuana between the ages of 15 and 19 years were 47 percent less likely to develop head and neck cancer, while users who began at age 20 or older had a 61 percent reduced risk, Kelsey and colleagues found.

It's unclear why marijuana would prevent cancer, if in fact the study is borne out by others, but the authors note that chemicals in pot called cannabinoids have been shown to have potential antitumor effects. Other studies have linked marijuana use to a reduced risk of some cancers, such as cancer of the prostate, and now head and neck cancer.

It's also been suggested that smoking pot may help stave off Alzheimer's disease and help combat weight loss associated with AIDS, and nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy in cancer patients.

Overall, however, research on the effects of marijuana on human health is mixed. Some studies have suggested the drug can increase a person's risk of heart attack or stroke and cause some cancers such as lung cancer.

In the journal Cancer Prevention Research, the researchers emphasize that further research from larger studies is needed to verify this link. Moreover, even if marijuana use were found to protect against these cancers, the risks of use may still outweigh this benefit, they say.

"Marijuana is an entry-level drug and can be associated with later use of more serious addictive drugs, as well as other risk behaviors," warn Dr. Karl T. Kelsey, from Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, and colleagues.

Any policy regarding marijuana use should take this into consideration "and should not be made based on one study's results," they note.

Reference:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,542941,00.htm

Shisha 'as harmful as cigarettes'

Smoking a shisha pipe is as bad for people as smoking tobacco, the Department of Health and the Tobacco Control Collaborating Centre has found.

People who smoke shisha, or herbal tobacco, can suffer from high carbon monoxide levels, its research revealed.

It found one session of smoking shisha resulted in carbon monoxide levels at least four to five times higher than the amount produced by one cigarette.

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High levels of carbon monoxide can lead to brain damage and unconsciousness.

Shisha is an Arabic water-pipe in which fruit-scented tobacco is burnt using coal, passed through an ornate water vessel and inhaled through a hose.

The Department of Health said it was difficult to know exactly how much carbon monoxide one cigarette produced, due to the differences in smokers' inhalations.

But measuring carbon monoxide in exhaled breath showed a normal non-smoker's level to be three parts CO per million parts of air (ppm) (less than 1% of blood not working properly), a light smoker to have 10-20 ppm (2-4% of blood not working properly), and a heavy smoker 30-40 ppm (5-7%).

The study found shisha smokers had 40-70 ppm of CO in their breath - affecting 8-12% of their blood.

Dr Hilary Wareing, director of the Tobacco Control Collaborating Centre, told the BBC's Asian Network she was shocked by the results of the research.

"Our mouths opened at the level of harm - none of the tests we did showed anything other than shisha is hazardous to health."

Paul Hooper, regional manager at the Department of Health, said the findings made the dangers of shisha a "major issue".

He said many people regard shisha "as not even smoking".

Misconception

Shisha bars, which are typically decked out with low stools and soft cushions to create an inviting atmosphere, have become popular in cities across the UK, particularly in London, Manchester and Birmingham.

An activity largely associated with Middle Eastern customers and a young crowd, there is a growing trend of themed shisha parties.

Many people who go to "shisha evenings" think it is a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes.

"You never see it in the news - 'that is terrible, don't do it' - there's no shock tactics like (there is with) cigarettes," said one young woman.

"If my mum sees me smoking shisha, she isn't going to take it as seriously as if I was smoking cigarettes," said a British Pakistani man.

It was this misconception - and finding dangerous levels of carbon monoxide in a pregnant woman who had stopped smoking tobacco, but continued to smoke shisha - which prompted the research.

"We found one session of smoking shisha - that's 10 milligrams (of fruit tobacco) for 30 minutes - gave carbon monoxide levels that were at the lowest four and five times higher than having a cigarette," said Dr Wareing.

"But at the worst, shisha was 400 to 450 times more dangerous than having a cigarette," she added.

Informed choice

Man smoking shisha in Edgware Road
Edgware Road is home to a large number of shisha cafes or hookah bars

Shisha smokers in a cafe in Edgware Road, London, said the findings would make them think twice about smoking.

"You know you can die from cigarettes, but you don't know you can die from shisha," said one.

"I'm now going home to research it," said another.

But not everyone is convinced.

Akram, a 27-year-old who runs a restaurant and shisha bar in Birmingham, has his own views.

"There is a health risk but it's all down to consumption and all the evidence I've seen is that smoking shisha is nothing like smoking even one cigarette," he said.

He said he did not actually inhale shisha smoke.

It is not just the level of carbon monoxide that is causing concern.

Qasim Choudhory, a youth worker at the NHS Stop Smoking Service in Leicester, said sharing a shisha pipe could pass around infections.

"There's a heightened risk of getting TB, herpes and infections like that," she said.

"Now you know swine flu is on the top of the agenda right now - there's no kind of direct correlation, but at time when we're up on our hygiene, it's not the best type of activity to be taking part in."

Dr Wareing said more research on exactly how dangerous shisha was needed to be conducted to enable people to make an informed choice.

Paul Hooper said the department was working hard at "how best to get the message - that it is dangerous - across to the consumer".

"But how do you label the tobacco and the shisha pipe? It's not as simple as labelling a packet of cigarettes," he added.

Reference:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8214097.stm

Herbal remedies for Men health

Healthy family is a Happy family and vice versa. At times, one person’s illness affects the entire family, be it Mom, Dad or a kid. In all cases a man should stand besides his family, so it is most importance to take of care of your health, as your family needs you the most. Recognizing and preventing men’s health problems is not just a man’s issue. The impact that a man’s problem has on his entire family, be it his wife, children, parents or relatives makes it an entire family concern.

That is why it is more important for men to give basic awareness to their health. Research proved that women live longer than men all over the world, so you have to keeping in mind that, you not only have unique health concerns, but you also suffer more from certain diseases.

Natural remedies have been used in alternative medicine for thousands of years to support the health of the female reproductive system, ovulation and supporting healthy and efficient conditions for the design. Natural remedies have been used in alternative medicine for thousands of years to support the health of the female reproductive system, ovulation and supporting the conditions for healthy and efficient design. The herbal fertility Product have been part of alternative and complementary medicine for thousands of years and have been used to safely maintain harmony, health and systemic balance in the female reproductive system.

For this reason, Herbal products treat the individual holistically in a variety of factors including diet, lifestyle, personality type, surroundings and emotional elements – thereby supporting the health of the individual as a whole (rather than treating problems in isolation).

Maintain a healthy weight (not excessive or insufficient) is beneficial because it is the body’s way of feeling if you can sustain a pregnancy. It is important not to see fertility in isolation, as it covers many different areas of operation.

Safe and herbal way to Correcting premature ejaculation naturally. Confido is a safe non-hormonal sexual stimulant, reduces anxiety and calms the individual,restores confidence and it regulates the process of ejaculation.

Important Note: For men with fertility problems, some doctors are prescribing a very conventional way to have a baby: MORE SEX. Low Sperm Production, Correcting premature ejaculation can also be improved and enhanced if men don’t smoke, drink moderately, exercise or get more herbal remedies or products.

Pregnancy Problems: Infertility, Reproductive Assistance Explained

Infertility is a disease of the reproductive system defined as the inability to achieve pregnancy after one year of unprotected intercourse. It’s a myth that if you try hard enough, pregnancy is guaranteed. Infertility is a medical condition.

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One in seven couples experience infertility. Though it’s often assumed that infertility is largely a female problem, the reality is quite different. About one-third of infertility cases are due to problems in the male partner, another third of the cases are due to the female partner, and the remaining third of infertility cases are unexplained.

Male problems include conditions in which no sperm or too little sperm is produced. Conditions that affect women include ovulation disorders, blocked fallopian tubes (usually due to inflammation from infection or endometriosis), and anatomical deformities of the pelvic organ. While some people will insist that stress causes infertility, it is certainly true that infertility causes stress.

A diagnosis of infertility is made first by taking a thorough history and doing a physical examination, which are then followed by running a series of tests. For women, these include a laboratory test of hormone levels, ovulation charts, X-rays of the fallopian tubes and uterus, and a laparoscopy, in which a scope looks inside the body and provides a visual of the pelvic organs.

Men usually have a sperm analysis. Eighty percent of the treatments for infertility fall into two categories—either medicinal or surgical. Several medicines are available that can improve ovulation, while surgical techniques can remove a blockage from the tubes and ovaries.

More aggressive treatments include artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization. With artificial insemination, ovulation is regulated with medications, and a health-care provider then artificially deposits semen in the vagina. For some patients, including same-sex partners, this is a very effective technique.

In vitro fertilization is recommended for couples who want to conceive but are affected by a total blockage of the fallopian tubes or a very low sperm count. This technique surgically removes eggs from the ovary of the female and mixes an egg with sperm outside the body in a laboratory. Once a new embryo is formed, it is placed back inside the uterus. This technique has proven to be quite successful for couples who would otherwise not have been able to conceive on their own.

Twins and More!

If one is good, is two better? How about three? Or four? Or more? Of course, it’s not exactly a matter of choice. Or is it?

The number of multiple births in the United States has increased dramatically over the past two decades. The number of twin births has increased by nearly 75 percent, making up 95 percent of the multiple births in this country, while the number of births involving three or more babies has gone up fivefold.

Two factors are responsible for this increase in multiple births. More women are waiting until they are over the age of 30 to have children, and these women are more likely to conceive multiples. The other, probably more significant factor, is due to the use of fertility-stimulating drugs and assisted-reproductive techniques (ART), such as in vitro fertilization. In fact, more than half of the infants born through ART were from multiple births.

The more babies a woman carries at once, the greater the risk of complications. The greatest risk with multiples is early labor resulting in premature births. More than half of twins, 90 percent of triples, and virtually all quadruplets or more are born preterm. These babies, like all preterm babies, face numerous health challenges both in the newborn period and later in life in the form of possible lasting disabilities. Other complications of multiples include high blood pressure and diabetes.

An ultrasound exam can detect almost all cases of multiples by the beginning of the second trimester. Because multiple pregnancies are automatically termed “high risk,” it is absolutely essential that mothers-to-be of multiples eat properly, get plenty of rest, and make frequent visits to their doctor.

Reference: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,244001,00.html?sPage=fnc/health/sexualhealth

A.M. vs. P.M. Workouts

The early bird gets the worm — that's the mantra the 5-a.m. gym-goers live by. However, exercise improves sleep quality, so why not work out later in the day, closer to bedtime? There's been a long-standing debate over the optimum time to work out, due to the physiological effects exercise has on the body. So, no matter what time you choose to work up a sweat, consider the pros and cons of a.m. vs. p.m. workouts.

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Pros for A.M. Workouts

Working out in the morning can boost energy for the rest of the day. An a.m. workout jump-starts metabolism in the same vein that eating breakfast does. The thermal effect of exercise (or activity) lasts at least four hours after a workout. That increases the total calorie expenditure throughout the day.

In the 8-12 hours prior waking, your body was in sleep mode and, depending on the quality of sleep, in a process of regeneration. A workout causes microscopic tears in the muscle fibers. Oxidation also takes place on the cellular level and energy stored in the muscle fibers are utilized. Sleep is the time for the body to repair damage. Antioxidants repair cellular damage. Food is digested and converted to glucose. In the morning, you're using a fresh, repaired and, in some instances, new body. During REM sleep, dreams are also a chance for the body to rehearse or even learn new motor skills — that clean and snatch is smoother and easier than it was during your last workout because you essentially had time to practice during your sleep.

Hit the Snooze Button

So the early morning dew isn't enough to get you to roll out of bed, and that's OK. What works for a person who gets enough rest every night and has enough ATP and muscle glycogen stored up won't work for the person whose last meal was at 4:00 p.m. the previous day and went to bed after midnight. Your body has been in a state of fasting — or even starvation, depending on your eating habits — since the night before. Not to mention that an early morning workout may wear you out for the rest of the day, especially if you didn't get the recuperative sleep you needed. That groggy feeling in the morning will have you leaning toward an evening workout in the a.m. vs. p.m. workout face-off.

Pros for P.M. Workouts

Muscle strength is dependent on the muscle's ability to contract as well as its tensile strength — the ability for the muscle to stretch. Think of your muscles as rubber bands: An old, dry rubber band cannot stretch. If you try to use it, it snaps — this is sometimes how your muscles will feel first thing in the morning. Later on in the day, your body is more warmed up. That results in the ability to work out longer and lift heavier weights, and it means you are less likely to injure yourself. Your joints also benefit from being warmed up: Synovial fluid fills every joint and acts as cushioning and lubrication. First thing in the morning, that stiff feeling in your knees, ankles, hips, or shoulders is caused by synovial fluid that's viscous. Later on in the day, your body is like a well-oiled machine.

Hopefully you've had your five to six small meals throughout the day, and we all go through those days when you're celebrating a coworker's birthday or the company has lunch catered for the entire office and you eat a little more than usual. The calories you've consumed throughout the day are the perfect fuel for an evening workout.

Pillow Talk

When choosing sides between a.m. vs. p.m. workouts, it's important to remember a few things: Evening exercisers often do so because they want to be “tired out” by the time they hit the sack. However, the thermal effect of exercise is the same at any time of day; body temperature rises during and after physical activity. So the body will be "alert" when you're trying to sleep. A study published in the journal Sleep found that a dip in body temperature took place two hours prior to subjects falling asleep. The decrease in body temperature is the body's cue to relax and then ultimately fall asleep. Working out close to three hours before your bedtime can disrupt the body's circadian clock and may affect your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep.

Timely Fitness

At the end of the day (or the beginning, as the case may be), the time you choose to exercise is the time that's best for you — when you can fit it into your schedule. Making time for physical activity in the grand scheme of things is what's really important to keeping you fit and healthy, whether you do it at 4:00 a.m. or 11:00 p.m.

Reference;
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,536864,00.html?sPage=fnc/health/fitness

Cabbage May Reduce the Risk of Cancer

Powerful Natural Antioxidants Help to Prevent Breast Cancer

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The lowly cabbage is more likely to evoke a meal for a character out of a Dickens novel or a diet fad gone wrong, than anything else. But the cabbage has a long and well-documented history as a nutritious food and a medicine.

Cabbage or Brassica oleracea is from the plant family Cruciferae which includes cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts and other vegetables with “heads.” In fact its name is derived from the Normanno-Picard word for “head,” caboche.

General Health Benefits of Cabbage

High in nutrients, plentiful and inexpensive, cabbage is surprisingly high on the list of power foods. Chrysippus, an ancient Greek scholar, wrote an entire volume on the medical properties of it and Pliny the Roman scholar listed 87 different remedies made from cabbage. Another Greek physician, Dioscorides recommended it for ailments including weak vision and snakebites and Hippocrates used cabbage to help treat dysentery, kidney disorders and insufficient production of breast milk. The Arab physician and sage Ar-Razi, even cited cabbage as a remedy for tumors and growths in his famous medical encyclopedia Kitab al-Hawi in the 9th Century AD.

Cabbage also contains significant amounts of glutamine, an amino acid, which has anti-inflammatory properties in the body and is beneficial to the heart and circulatory system as well as for treating stomach, skin and intestinal ulcers. In European folk medicine a paste made of raw cabbage leaves was used to treat inflammation and reduce pain and discomfort. Cabbage leaves are also effective in reducing breast pain in breastfeeding mothers.

Red or purple cabbage has even higher medicinal properties. Its bright color is from a chemical called Lycopene which is especially good for prostate problems in men, helps to reduce free radical damage that causes skin aging, wrinkles and even helps to repair sun-damaged skin.

Antioxidant Indoles in Cabbage Prevent Cancers

The sulphur smell of cabbage comes from phytochemicals called indoles that are released during cooking. These powerful antioxidants may play a role in the health benefits of cabbage, particularly cancer prevention. According to a study published in the International Journal of Cancer in 2006 (page 857-868, Volume 118), indoles may prevent cancers such as breast cancer by inhibiting excess estrogen and by triggering our bodies to produce certain enzymes which block new cancer cell growth.

This cabbage compound also helps to prevent and slow the progress of respiratory papillomatosis, a cancer of the head and neck caused by the human papillomavirus that can cause fatal growths in the airways. Medical researchers have also found that these phytochemicals have far greater effectiveness against cancer prevention in the whole food form, rather than in supplements.

Other Nutrients Important for Overall Health

Additionally, this cancer fighting vegetable is packed with vitamin C, fiber, folic acid, potassium and has no fat or cholesterol: plenty of reasons to pack along a coleslaw salad in your lunch (just replace most of the mayonnaise with yogurt for an even healthier snack).

Reference:

Inhibition of Breast Cancer Cell Invasion By Natural Indoles by Christine Brew PhD.

Scientists Identify Why Some People Thrive on Fewer Hours of Sleep

Scientists have discovered a gene that helps a mother and daughter stay alert on about six hours sleep a night, two hours less than the rest of their family needs.

It's believed to be a very rare mutation, not an excuse for the rest of us who stay up too late. But the finding, published in Friday's edition of the journal Science, offers a new lead to study how sleep affects health.

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The National Institutes of Health says adults need seven hours to nine hours of sleep for good health. Regularly getting too little increases the risk of health problems, including memory impairment and a weakened immune system. A major 2006 study estimated that as many as 30 million Americans suffer chronic insomnia, and millions more have other sleep disorders, including sleep apnea.

University of California, San Francisco, researchers have long hunted genes related to how and when people sleep. In 2001, they discovered a mutation that puts its carriers' sleep patterns out of whack: These people regularly go to bed around 7:30 p.m. and wake around 3:30 a.m.

Now the same team has found a gene involved in regulating length of sleep. In one family, the 69-year-old mother and her 44-year-old daughter typically go to bed around 10 p.m., and Mom rises around 4 and her daughter around 4:30, with no apparent ill effects. The rest of the family has typical sleep patterns.

Blood tests showed the women harbored a mutation in a gene named DEC2 that's involved in regulation of circadian rhythms, the body's clock. A check of more than 250 stored DNA samples didn't find another carrier.

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Then lead researcher Ying-Hui Fu, a neurology professor, and colleagues bred mice and fruit flies that carried the mutation. Sure enough, the flies' activity and brain-wave measurements on the mice showed those with the mutation slept less — and the mice needed less time to recover from sleep deprivation.

The result: A model that "provides a unique opportunity" to study the effects of different amounts of sleep, Fu concluded.

Reference:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,539352,00.html

Study: Marijuana May Prevent Osteoporosis in Elderly

Marijuana can help to prevent osteoporosis in the elderly, according to research. The findings could lead to new treatments being developed to treat the crippling condition.

On the downside, researchers at University Edinburgh also found that the drug can weaken the bones of younger people.


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The discovery was described as “exciting” by charities, but they cautioned that it was important to understand the negative consequences of cannabis use on young bones.

It was previously recognized that bone development was affected when a molecule in the body, known as the cannabinoid receptor type 1, came into contact with cannabis. It was not clear, though, whether the impact was good or bad. Now the Edinburgh team has established that this depends on the age of the user.

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They exposed mice to compounds similar to those found in cannabis. They found that, in the young mice with the receptor, the compounds increased the rate at which bone tissue was destroyed.

When the older mice with the receptor were exposed to the same compounds, however, their bone loss decreased and the accumulation of fat in the bones was prevented. Among older people bone regeneration normally slows down and fat builds up, causing osteoporosis.

Stuart Ralston, professor of rheumatology at the university, who led the study, said, “This is an exciting step forward, but we must recognize that these are early results. We plan to conduct further trials soon and hope the results will help to deliver new treatments that will be of value in the fight against osteoporosis."

Reference:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,539369,00.html

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine side effects

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Is the HPV vaccine safe?
The vaccine has been licensed as safe. Before it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the vaccine was studied in thousands of girls and women age 9 through 26 in the United States and around the world. The most common side effect is soreness where the shot is given, in the arm.

What about the frightening reports from VAERS?
VAERS stands for Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. It is a national vaccine safety surveillance program co-sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the FDA.

VAERS collects and analyzes information from reports of side effects after immunizations, so it serves as an early warning system for problems that may be related to a vaccine. The system helps to identify any important new safety concerns and thereby assists in making sure the benefits of the vaccines continue to be far greater than the risks.

Reports to VAERS do nothing to prove that particular vaccines cause specific adverse events. The only thing inclusion in VAERS means is that the reported event occurred after vaccination. Anyone can submit a report to VAERS, although health care providers are required to report certain adverse events.

How many reports of HPV vaccination-related adverse events has VAERS received?
At last count (June 2008), VAERS had received a total of 9,749 reports of potential adverse events following HPV vaccination. Ninety-four percent of these reports were about non-serious adverse events such as pain with the injection, or redness and swelling afterwards.

Six percent of adverse events reported for the HPV vaccine were considered serious. That's about half of the average number of serious events reported for other vaccines. Keep in mind that the rate is 6 percent of all reported HPV vaccine side effects, not 6 percent of all girls who had the vaccine.

Many of the problems reported to VAERS are chance occurrences. They are as likely to have showed up shortly before the vaccination as after it. Sometimes, problems reported to VAERS actually stem from medications unrelated to the vaccine, or from undiagnosed illness. Sometimes there's no identifiable cause.

VAERS data are routinely updated, and the number of reports and the type of adverse events will vary depending on the date of analysis.

5 Overlooked Fat Loss Factors

We're often told that losing weight is a simple mathematical equation of calories in, calories out. Burn more calories than you eat and you’ll lose fat. However, is it really that simple? The truth is that the actual “number” of calories you consume is not the only factor that affects your fat-loss efforts.

In this article, we’ll discuss five other things that should be considered when determining the effect of your diet on your waistline, primarily overlooked fat loss factors. Incorporate this knowledge into your workout and nutrition routines and soon you'll be ripped like Ryan Reynolds — and attracting looks from fitness babes like Amy Weber and Jamie Eason for it.

1. The Thermic Effect of the Food You Eat

The thermic effect of food (TEF) measures the amount of energy that is required to support the processes of digesting, absorbing and assimilating food nutrients as well as the energy expended as a result of the central nervous system's stimulatory effect on metabolism when food is ingested. Of the three macronutrients, protein carries the highest thermic effect. Eat more protein; burn more calories.

2. The Fiber Content of the Food You Eat

Due to its chemical makeup, fiber is classified as a carbohydrate; however, it is unlike other carbohydrates in that it is an indigestible nutrient. Even though each gram of fiber contains four calories, these calories will remain undigested and will not be absorbed. Therefore, if you were to consume 300 calories of red beans (a food in which nearly 1/3 of the caloric content is from fiber), approximately 100 of these calories would pass through your intestinal tract undigested.

3. The Glycemic and Insulin Indices of the Food You Eat

The glycemic and insulin indices are scaled numbers that refer to how quickly a particular carbohydrate source enters the bloodstream as sugar and how much insulin is needed to rid that sugar from the bloodstream, respectively. Generally speaking, there is a positive relationship between the two; the quicker sugar enters the bloodstream, the more insulin is needed to rid that sugar from the bloodstream. When high levels of insulin are present within the blood, fat burning is brought to a screeching halt, which is anything but desirable for those whose goal it is to obtain a lean, muscular physique. Don't let this be an overlooked fat loss factor.

4. The Different Macronutrients Present in the Food You Eat

Although insulin's primary function is to shuttle glucose (sugar) into skeletal muscle, it also carries many other nutrients to their respective storage sites — this includes lipids (fat). Since carbohydrate ingestion stimulates a large insulin response and fat ingestion gives rise to blood lipid levels, when the two are consumed together, they promote the greatest fat storage.

5. The Size, Frequency and Time of the Meals You Eat

Large, infrequent meals tend to promote storage of the ingested nutrients, as the body is unsure as to when the next feeding will take place. Conversely, consuming smaller, more frequent meals will result in an increase in metabolism and utilization of the ingested nutrients. Also, ingesting a large amount of carbohydrates before bed spikes insulin, deters nocturnal thermogenesis and increases fat storage during sleep. On the contrary, consuming a great deal of calories early in the day does not bring about this problem; rather, these calories are likely to be used as energy to support daily activities.

Fight the Fat

As you can see, someone could be eating a relatively small amount of calories daily, but at the same time be promoting a great deal of fat storage by: 1) Making poor food choices; 2) Combining macronutrients in a nonproductive fashion and; 3) Consuming food infrequently and at inopportune times. To illustrate this further, let's take a look at a recent study that analyzed the diets of 38 police officers. This study discovered that although the officers were consuming a hypocaloric diet (fewer calories than they burn), they all had unhealthy levels of body fat and had been gaining fat mass over the past five years. If all you had to do to lose fat was consume fewer calories than you burned, then these individuals would be losing fat, not gaining it.

To confirm the importance of the factors that I previously mentioned, let's take a look at some of the other things this study noted:

— Only 15 percent of their diet consisted of protein, the macronutrient with the greatest TEF.

— Their diet contained very little fiber.

— Over 50 percent of their carbohydrate intake was derived from simple sugars, which have very high glycemic and insulin indices.

— They didn't note this, but I'm willing to bet that they didn't avoid the fat-carb combo.

— They ate infrequently — only 10 percent of their caloric intake was consumed at breakfast and over 50 percent was consumed right before bed.

By now, it should be obvious that fat loss isn't just a matter of calories in, calories out. And while it’s a little more complex than that, you can easily use the tips in this article to ensure you’re getting the most from your dieting efforts.

Reference:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,539105,00.htm


Swine flu: the worst thing we can do is panic

"There's a fire!" someone shouted. At first, people standing on the Tube platform just looked around nervously as they assessed the situation. A false alarm, surely? My flatmate Toby and I hesitated, too, wondering whether it would be quicker to walk or take a bus to lectures – this was a few years ago and I was still at medical school.

Then some people picked up their briefcases and made for the exit, while others continued to stand, almost defiantly, refusing to believe that their journey was being disrupted. Then an alarm sounded and there was an announcement asking us not to panic but to evacuate the station. Suddenly, everyone was hastily making their way to the escalators and out of the station.

People jostled and pushed. "There's a bomb!" someone shouted as Toby and I left the platform. This rattled the crowd even more. They pushed and jostled at the bottleneck leading to the escalators.

Someone was knocked to the floor and scrambled to get up. Then someone pushed the emergency button and the escalators shuddered to a halt. Some commuters were thrown forward and several more stumbled. Hysteria seemed to be breaking out. Toby and I watched from the bottom as grown men clambered over each other. It was then that we saw an elderly woman fall over. Rather than stopping to help her up, the crowd continued pushing. "She's being trampled on," said Toby in horror.

Blinded by panic, people were actually treading on her. Toby pushed forward. "We can't leave her," he said and before I could respond, he was leaning over her, using his body to shield her. He helped her to her feet and we led her away from the throng. She had cuts on her face and hands, and her glasses were broken. She was very shaken and dazed. We decided to stay and help her rather than join the chaos.

We waited until the crowd had subsided and then the three of us calmly walked up the escalator and into the sunlight, along with several others who had been unwilling to join the stampede. Of course, there wasn't a fire or a bomb. It was a false alarm. The fire brigade arrived and soon the station was open again. Those who had panicked stood looking sheepish. We helped the woman into a cab and resumed our journey. The only injuries that had occurred were because people panicked. Someone had been hurt, not because of the original risk but because of people's fear of it.

It was an edifying lesson and one I was reminded of last week. Since the first reports of the swine flu epidemic there has been a steady flow of people turning up at A&E worried that they might have the virus. But with the news that a six-year-old girl had died from it, the department was besieged.

On call in A&E, I have watched people pour through the doors seeking reassurance and advice. This is despite notices at all the entrances requesting that people with "flu-like symptoms" should not enter the hospital unless they require emergency treatment.

There are two reasons for this: firstly, hospitals are full of sick people who often have compromised immune systems. Secondly, the legions of people descending on A&E departments threaten to bring the over-stretched service to its knees. Often the people coughing and shivering in the waiting room had already telephoned NHS Direct or their GP and been told to stay at home and take paracetamol and plenty of fluids. But they insisted on coming to hospital anyway – some had even called ambulances. This means people genuinely in need of emergency treatment are put at increased risk.

The Department of Health has now called on the public not to panic, because it affects vital services, and instead to stay at home and get better. I couldn't agree more. The real risk to health right now is other people's panic.

Natural Herbs For Infertility In Men

Due to the dangerous side effects of prescription drugs more and more people are turning towards herbal medicines. It is a staggering fact that 70% of the world's population is still dependent on alternative form of treatment. Here in this article we are mainly concerned in finding the herbs that can help overcome male infertility which ails 1 out of 4 men.

Causes of Infertility In Men

There are a lot of factors which can result in infertility. Some of the major reasons include unhealthy life style, side effects of prescription drugs, excessive intake of alcohol and hormonal imbalance.

How Does Herbs Help Overcome Infertility?

The alternative medicine method of treating infertility mainly concentrates on balancing the disturbed hormonal balance thereby helping in increasing fertility levels. There are a number of herbs mentioned in ayurveda which can help you become fertile. Let us discuss about some of them.

Panax Ginseng

It is primarily used in cases of decreased stamina levels, improving the immunity system and is also used in any type of sexual dysfunction. Ginseng is also being studied to find out its anti cancer properties.

Withania Somnifera

It is a very important herb for people suffering from low sperm count and infertility. It has great sex enhancing properties hence it has been extensively used in ayurveda to treat sexual problems both in men and women.

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Shilajit

This powerful herb has been considered the best herbal remedy for increasing fertility levels in men. It is a plant native to the Himalayas.

Safed Musli

This is often used as an aphrodisiac and is also given to pregnant women as it form a complete diet due to the presence of over 25 alkaloids, minerals and vitamins. Men take it in pill form to increase their fertility and improve sperm count.

So these were some of the herbs which are highly effective in treating male infertility without the risk of dangerous side effects plus they not only cure the disease but improve the overall health of the person.

Baldness Cures: Male Hair Loss Treatments

Men who are losing their hair may experience lower self-esteem and confidence than their peers who have a full head of hair. Whether it’s genetic or from some other condition, no one wants to lose their hair. Luckily, there are many different male hair loss treatments and below, men will find the best kind of baldness cures available.

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Alternative Treatments for Baldness

For men who don’t want to try prescription drugs or hair replacement, there are many different alternative cures. Herbs are sometimes suggested for men who are seeking alternative options. Scalp massage is also something that is recommended as a way to stimulate the hair follicles and help hair to grow. Honey, onions and almond oil are all suggested by some alternative medicine experts as a way to stimulate the follicles and get the necessary nutrients to the scalp and hair. Some essential oils are recommended as well. To learn more about alternative treatments for baldness, visit Web Md.

Prescription Treatments for Baldness

There are two prescription treatments that have been approved by the FDA to help slow male pattern baldness and regrow hair. These treatments are Propecia and Rogaine. The prescriptions can be obtained simply if the man visits his doctor and asks for a prescription treatment for baldness.

The downside to these two drugs is that the effects last only as long as the medication is taken – meaning that if the man stops taking the drug, his hair loss will come back and the hair will stop growing. There are also a number of drugs that have not been approved by the FDA – and this does not necessarily mean that they do not work or that they are dangerous. It’s important to discuss these details with a physician to get an idea of which drugs are best for one person. To learn more about other drugs that are prescribed for male baldness, visit Doc Shop.

Hair Replacement Surgery

Typically, hair replacement surgery can be done on men with thinning hair – usually the best kind of candidate is experiencing thinning hair at the top of the head but has healthy hair growth at the back and sides of the head. The surgeon can take hair from the donor areas of the head and transplant it to the top of the head. In some cases, the doctor will take full flaps of skin and in other cases, he or she will only take the hair and insert it into the front of the head. It’s important to discuss hair replacement therapy with a physician to get a full understanding of the process and what the results will be.

Men with thinning hair all over may not be good candidates for hair replacement surgery, as there will not be enough donor hair to supply the head with enough hair. There are also potential side effects that come with hair replacement surgery – the same as there are with any surgery at all. There is a risk of infection, swelling, bleeding and pain.

For men who are seeking a solution to their baldness problems, there are many different options. By discussing these options with a physician, one can determine the best solution for them. Being proactive about hair loss can help a man regain his confidence and raise his self-esteem.

Drinking Beetroot Juice Will Increase Stamina, Study Finds

Pounding the streets for hours every day in preparation for a marathon? Sit down and drink some beetroot juice instead.

Drinking a glass of beetroot juice has been found to boost stamina, allowing people to endure strenuous physical exercise for longer.

Research, which was published in the “Journal of Applied Physiology,” shows that the nitrate in beetroot juice leads to a reduction in oxygen uptake, slowing the rate at which a person becomes exhausted. Those drinking the juice can exercise for 16 percent longer.

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The scientists behind the study said that the reduction in oxygen use was greater than that achieved by any other known means, including training. The findings could be of interest to endurance athletes, elderly people or those with cardiovascular, respiratory or metabolic diseases, they added.

The research team, led by the University of Exeter, in England, conducted the study with eight men ages 19 to 38. They were given 500 milliliters of organic beetroot juice a day for six consecutive days before completing a series of tests, involving cycling on an exercise bike. On another occasion, they were given a placebo of blackcurrant cordial for six consecutive days before completing the same cycling tests.

After drinking beetroot juice the group was able to cycle for an average of 11 minutes, 25 seconds — 92 seconds longer than when using the placebo. The group that consumed the beetroot juice also had lower resting blood pressure.

Reference:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,537843,00.html

Fertility-Boosting Foods: How Smart Eating Can Help Fertility and Pregnancy

When most of us think of fertility treatment, we imagine sophisticated diagnostic testing, powerful medications, and high-tech procedures. Choosing certain foods and drinks as a way to influence your ability to become pregnant sounds more like folktale wisdom than medical advice.

No wonder, then, that in a society blessed with many medical advances, we sometimes overlook the natural tools we have to help us with our fertility and pregnancy experiences.

Yet, science now is coming full circle to take another look at the role nutrition may play in improving fertility and supporting healthy pregnancies. While many women don't start getting serious about eating healthfully until after they've become pregnant, there's increasing evidence that diet matters long before conception.

Watch your weight

Unhealthy food intake—whether too much or too little—has been recognized as a contributing factor to infertility for many years.

Too little or too much weight can make your reproductive cycle irregular. That causes you to ovulate only now and then, or not at all.

"Your ovaries and your fat cells regulate estrogen, which affects ovulation. If you're too thin, you may not be producing enough estrogen, and if you're overweight or obese, you may be producing too much," says Maria Biasucci-Vianna, MS, RD, CDN, a New Rochelle, NY, dietitian who has counseled women with infertility problems in her private practice.

The first order of business, Biasucci-Vianna says, is to achieve and maintain a healthy weight to keep your reproductive cycle in balance. She advises the women she sees to check their BMI (body mass index) score. A BMI ranking of 19-24 indicates a healthy weight (athletes may have higher scores due to muscle mass). Anything below or above that range should be discussed with your health care provider.

Foods to improve ovulation

If weight isn't a problem, but you're experiencing infertility, will changing your dietary habits help you eat your way to motherhood?

Recently, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health published findings from a study of more than 18,000 women who were followed over eight years to see if their diets influenced their ability to become pregnant.

The study found that women who ate foods containing higher amounts of trans fats, animal proteins and carbohydrates, among other dietary factors, were more likely to have an ovulatory disorder. Ovulation problems cause infertility in about 20 percent of women seeking help in becoming pregnant. The researchers concluded that a majority of such cases "may be preventable" by adjusting diet and lifestyle.

Those findings apply only to women with ovulation problems and not to all infertile women. Yet, key study findings could give many women new avenues to explore, including:

  • Switch protein sources: Replace some of the beef, pork or chicken you eat (animal protein) with vegetable protein sources, such as cooked dried beans and nuts. When five percent of total calories eaten come from vegetable protein instead of animal, the risk of ovulatory infertility drops by more than 50 percent.

  • Add some high-fat dairy: Call it the Chunky Monkey Effect. The more low-fat dairy products you eat, the greater your risk of ovulatory infertility. Yes, you read that right—although the study's authors caution against using this to justify late-night freezer raids for a pint of premium ice cream. Instead, try replacing one low-fat dairy serving per day with one high-fat serving, such as a glass of whole milk.

  • Don't forget your vitamins: Women in the study who regularly took iron supplements and multivitamins containing folic acid had less ovulation-related infertility.

Building a healthy baby nest

Let's face it: Everyone knows women whose food choices are awful, but who have no problem getting pregnant. Likewise, there are plenty of women eating healthy meals consistently, yet struggling with infertility.

"It's not clear how what we eat can determine how easily we will get pregnant," says Melinda Johnson, MS, RD, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association and a dietitian with a private practice in Chandler, AZ. Despite that, Johnson adds, "It makes sense to eat a healthy diet while you are trying to get pregnant. It may increase your odds of getting pregnant, but, beyond that, it nourishes your body so that it is at its healthiest the moment that you do get pregnant."

If you're trying to become a mom, Johnson advises focusing on the following foods to help your body function at its peak right now. That will improve your fertility environment as well as create the best nutritional foundation for fetal growth and development:

Eat more To gain
Whole grains B vitamins, vitamin E, fiber
Fruits, vegetables Vitamin C, antioxidants
Lean meats, beans Protein, zinc, iron
Low-fat dairy Protein, calcium
DHA/Omega-3 (salmon, canned light [not albacore] tuna, some egg brands) Benefits baby's brain and nervous system development; reduces risk of premature birth
Multivitamin with 400 mcg of folic acid Reduces risk of spinal cord and brain defects, especially in weeks before conception and first trimester of pregnancy

More tips

  • Consume choline: You may never have heard of it, but choline is a nutrient with the potential to reduce harmful gene effects that may result in birth defects. It also is important for brain function, among other benefits. Most women don't get enough choline; many prenatal vitamins don't even contain it. Egg yolks are rich in choline; only beef liver contains more. Cauliflower, the highest choline-containing veggie, has 25 percent of the choline found in one egg yolk.

  • Watch your herbal teas and supplements: "You really have to be careful of having too many botanicals in your diet," cautions Biasucci-Vianna. Some herbs—including licorice, sassafras, ginseng, St. John's wort and ephedra—should be avoided while in fertility treatment or pregnant.

  • It takes two (usually) to tango: Fertility problems may be due to the male partner's weight or diet. Johnson says that vitamins C and E, zinc and folic acid help improve sperm health. Sperm motility can also be damaged by smoking, drinking alcohol (including beer) and recreational drug use.

  • Fish carefully: Don't eat sushi or any raw fish. Avoid fish that have high mercury content due to their environment—including swordfish, tilefish, king mackerel and shark.

  • Stay fluid: When you don't drink enough water, your cervical fluid (the stuff that helps the sperm find the target egg) becomes sluggish, Johnson points out. The same goes for a man's ejaculate fluid. Drink enough water so that your urine is a light yellow color.

  • Cut caffeine: High caffeine intake interferes with conception. You may want to consider eliminating it from your diet altogether by avoiding caffeinated coffee, tea and soft drinks (decaf is fine). Once you're pregnant, caffeine also crosses the placenta and can affect the fetus and even cause miscarriage. Stick to no more than two five-ounce cups of regular coffee a day, advises Biasucci-Vianna.

Study: Men Spend 43 Minutes a Day Staring at Opposite Sex

Men stare at up to 10 women every day, spending an average of 43 minutes per day admiring them, researchers revealed.

All this time adds up to one year in a lifetime.

But men aren’t the only ones eyeing the opposite sex. Women ogle up to six men for 20 minutes a day, which equals six months of their lives.

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The cool glance ... David Beckham sneaks a peak at a US cheerleader The cool glance ... David Beckham sneaks a peak at a US cheerleader

"Men are renowned for looking at women but it's interesting to see just how long they spend doing it,” said Mark Ireland, of Kodak Lens Vision Centers, which carried out the poll. "A year of your life is a long time to spend with your eyes fixed on the opposite sex."

The poll of 3,000 Britons revealed supermarkets were the favorite ogling location for men, followed by pubs and nightclubs. Women listed bars as their top spot for eyeing male talent.

The majority of both sexes said they were flattered by the attention. But men enjoyed it more and 20 percent of women were embarrassed.

One in 10 people admitted a roving eye had caused a split with a partner.

Reference:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,537633,00.html