Losing Weight... It's Not Just About Your Physical Appearance

As we have all read in the newspaper and heard from the media we have a health crisis in our country. The population is bigger than it ever has been, weight that is.

Some individuals struggle with their weight on a daily, weekly or monthly basis feel self defeating and choose the excuse syndrome to rationalize their weight. Believe me as an occupational health nurse I have heard just about any excuse possible. However, the bottom line is that your inner health is the most important. Once you have achieved inner health your physical appearance (hair, nails,skin and body) will improve too.

We have to educate others on the vital importance of maintaining a healthy height/weight ratio. Height/weight ratio,also refered to as BMI (BODY MASS INDEX). There are several charts available on the internet for to plot your BMI. A BMI of 29 or less is what your target should be.

Being overweight(BMI 30-33)or obese (BMI 34+) can cause dangerous health problems that can and will impede your quality of life and life span. Ask yourself some simple questions:

Do you want a life free from the financial worries of increasing healthcare cost? Do you want to live longer and without the worries of dependent care? Do you want to eventually retire and have a hassle free retirement and enjoy the things you always dreamed of?

There are many preventable illnesses that plague a large population of people that a healthy height/weight ratio could prevent? Yes, some illnesses are acquired through a poor gene pool called genetics but we have so many more resources than our parents did and available research that has proven these statements to be true. Heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers, arthritis,high blood pressure to name a few can be prevented and at the very least manged more cost effectively. I love the quote Dr. Vicor at the CDC said, genetics loads the cannon, but human behavior pulls the trigger. Another words, you have the power to help yourself. Get help from a support group such as friends, family, coworkers and/or licensed professional.

Negative emotions have been a conmmon denominator that I have seen throughout my professional career that lends itself to self defeat. Reflect on your inner layers such as self-esteem or lack of it and the pessimist. Are you unhappy, sad, angry, jealous or worried about finances? These seem to be some of the negative emotions most people will verbalize. Be honest with yourself. Do you think you are worthy of good health? Do you wnt to be more financially secure? Do you want to have quality of life and not be dependent on anyone for self care.

Research has shown that people are living longer, but with more serious preventable illnesses. Do you want to be one of these statistics?

There are strategies that are easy to implement once you deceide mind,soul and body to achieve optimal height/weight ratio, proper nutrition from the 5 food groups,10,000 steps a day and last but not least time for You. You need to take care of You before you can take care of anyone else. You can do anything you put your mind to. Take charge of you health today!

Patricia McGowan is a RN, BSN, CSHE. She has been an occupational health nurse for 13 years and critical care for 8 years. She is a co-author of Invest in Yourself, Health is the New Real Estate and soon to be published Invest in Yourself, A Woman's guide, The Secret of Youth Lies within You. She is a motivational speaker gives seminars and certified in health ergonomics.

Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck) Information

Abdominoplasty, commonly known as a tummy tuck, is a major surgical procedure for men and women generally in good shape and health but who have large fat deposits around their abdomen or have and excess of loose skin. Abdominoplasty can reduce protruding abdominal fat but it does leave a lengthy, permanent, sometimes visible scar that runs the length of the hipbones. Also during abdominoplasty, the vertical muscles of the abdomen are tightened.

Often, people who have abdominoplasty surgery are women who don?t intend to bear more children and whose previous pregnancies stretched their abdominal muscles or people suffering from obesity whose skin elasticity has diminished.

During the procedure patients are either given a sedative and local anesthesia or general anesthesia. An incision is made between the hipbones and around the belly button. Then the skin is separated from the abdominal wall and lifted over the vertical abdominal muscles. These muscles are then sewn together to tighten them. Next the skin is stretched down and flattened and the remaining skin left over the incision is cut away and the skin flap is sewn into its new place.

After surgery, supportive garments should be worn and after three weeks all sutures will have been removed. Post-operative exercise is encouraged to tone the muscles and healthy lifestyle and diet is encouraged to maintain the results.

While abdominoplasty leaves a significant scar, it doesn?t show under most clothes and under some swim suits and most people are happy with the procedure because they look better, feel healthier, and are in less pain.

Want more Information about Tummy Tuck Cosmetic Surgery?

Find a qualified Cosmetic Surgeon in Your Area at http://www.sleepingswan.com

Recognizing Acute Stress

For those who are familiar with stress, there is a distinct difference between regular stress and acute stress. While regular stress is a part of daily life in the hectic world of today, acute stress is an altogether different animal.

While stress is certainly a problem, considering that it can cause a weakening of the immune system, problems with memory, an inability to concentrate, and coronary disease, acute stress is something else. In fact, acute stress can actually cause a complete mental and physical breakdown.

Acute stress is caused by the most severe circumstances. It is often the result of threatened or actual death, serious injury, or some form of physical violation, such as rape. The person suffering from acute stress usually feels some sort of revulsion or horror at the sight of the event, or from the experience of the event. Then, after acute stress, the person is at serious risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder. Furthermore, the experience of acute stress can have lasting, even permanent effects upon the person who suffered the acute stress and they may not be able to fully adjust to life after the event.

Acute stress is, at its core, a form of psychological trauma, not unlike physical trauma. The person is in such a form of mental distress that the brain is almost incapable of coping with the stress and shuts down. The person who suffers from acute stress feels a sense of numbness and they are unable to connect to the world outside. They cannot adjust to the reality that surrounds them and they are, in many ways, stuck in the moment when they suffered the acute stress.

The problem with acute stress is that it creates a sort of loop tape in the person's mind, in which they continually replay the event over and over again without being able to stop it. The event is so completely consuming and yet so terrible that the person who lived through it continues to think about it until they are almost incapable of moving beyond it.

Unfortunately, the results of acute stress are not merely limited to inward issues. If left unchecked, acute stress can result in anxiety, inability to concentrate, post-traumatic stress disorder, and even nervous breakdown. Thus, acute stress is no minor issue. In fact, it must be dealt with quickly in order to prevent serious repercussions upon the mind.

If the symptoms of acute stress, such as detachment, anxiety, or a general desire to avoid anything that may remind the person of the event that caused the acute stress, it is generally considered that the acute stress has transitioned into post-traumatic stress disorder. Thus, anyone who has suffered acute stress should seek some sort of treatment so that this does not happen.

The first form of treatment that comes to most peoples' minds is psychotherapy. The sessions with a psychiatrist or psychologist are at least familiar to people and they are very useful for treating acute stress. However, many people shy away from psychotherapy simply because of the stigma attached to it.

Another method of therapy for acute stress is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT is designed to help people deal with their problems or fears through a combination of treatments all working toward the same goal. The cognitive portion of CBT treats the mind and helps it think differently about its memories. Then, the behavioral portion helps the person by exposing them to things that will force them to confront their fears or their problems. The behavioral method is already well known as a treatment for phobias and the cognitive treatment is familiar from psychotherapy. However, by combining these methods into one holistic treatment, CBT can bring about some very good results.

Another method for combating acute stress and its aftermath is through medication. Depending on the symptoms, a doctor might prescribe an antidepressant, an anti-anxiety drug, or perhaps some other form of medication. However, people must be very careful with these mood-altering medications, since they do tend to alter the way they think. Thus, people taking medications like these must monitor themselves and see how they react to their effects.

Overall, acute stress is manageable and it is treatable. And it should be treated, as it can lead to depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and even a complete mental breakdown.

Though people may think that they are handling it fine, acute stress is a form of mental trauma that is essentially comparable to physical trauma; the more severe the trauma, the more severe the results on the person. Thus, anyone who has suffered from some traumatic experience that doesn't seem to want to go away should seek treatment as soon as possible. Though people can't change what happened to them, they can do something to prevent the memories of it from taking over their lives.

Copyright 2005 Trevor Dumbleton

LowerYourStress.com: for everything to do with stress. Get a free ebook to help with your stress levels: http://www.loweryourstress.com/stress-book.html

Gastroenteritis Causes and Epidemiology

Gastroenteritis, also described as inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, is a sickness of fever, diarrhea and vomiting caused by an infectious virus, bacterium or parasite. It typically is of acute onset, usually lasting less than 10 days and self-limiting. Every so often it is referred to just as 'gastro'. It is often named the stomach flu or gastric flu even though it is not related to influenza.

If only the inflammation is found in the stomach, the term gastritis is used, and if only the small bowel is affected it is called enteritis.

Bacterial causes
Bacterial causes are less common in developed countries. Campylobacter jejuni is responsible for 5-10% of all cases, whereas Salmonella species, Shigella species, and various pathogenic types of Escherichia coli is accounted for a tiny percentage.

In the developing world enterotoxigenic, enteropathogenic and enteroinvasive E. coli are essential due to the sheer number of cases, whereas Shigella causes debilitating sickness and has increasing resistance against low-priced and readily available antibiotics. Cholera, caused by Vibrio cholerae is one more important cause of acute diarrhea sickness and following death in the developing world.

Viral causes
Viral causes are the most common of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in children less than 5 years of age, in both developed countries and developing countries. Rotavirus group A (up to 50% of the cases), noroviruses (the most common cause of outbreaks of AGE in all age groups), adenoviruses type 40 and 41, astrovirus, and finally sapovirus.

Parasites
An outbreak of Giardia lamblia can cause dehydrating diarrhea in infants, and Cryptosporidium is known to cause 1-4% of cases of acute diarrhea in hospitalized infants.

Epidemiology
Worldwide diarrhea caused 4.6 million deaths in children in 1980 alone, and most of these in the developing world. This figure has now come down considerably to approximately 1.5 million deaths yearly, mainly due to global introduction of correct oral rehydration therapy (Victora et al 2000).

The commonness in the developed countries is as high as 1-2.5 cases per child per year and a major cause of hospitalization in this age group.

Much more information about Gastroenteritis on this website. See for yourself.

Nutrition Facts

Facts about nutrition are becoming important to a greater number of people and that is terrific news for your health. There is an old saying that states: ?You are what you eat.? ? This holds true today just as it did centuries ago; even if it was originally coined when the majority of people received insufficient food. Today it refers more to the worldwide trend of over-eating.

Fortunately packaging now gives more advice on calories and servings. The major fault is that we ignore serving sizes; many people are quite happy to eat double size servings and then wonder why the pounds keep going on and the inward curves turn outward.

The new US label regulations force manufacturers to be more open with Nutrition facts and here are few tips concerning what you should check on the label.

Check serving size and use it. This figure is nutritional fact.

Check calories. A healthy adult requires at least 2,000 each day in total. Try to keep it below 2,750. The average American adult currently eats around 3,500 calories each day.

Avoid sugars. Sugar is calorie high and each one of us should check whether we need the amount of sugar that we use. I avoid sugar in beverages so that I can eat sweet things from time to time.

Know your fats. Foods that are low in saturated fats, trans-fats and cholesterol are good foods and will help reduce the risk of heart disease. (5% DV or less is low, 20%DV or more is high). Most of the fats you eat should be polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats. Keep total fat intake between 20% and 35% of total calories.

Reduce salt intake. Research indicates that our total sodium (salt) intake should never exceed 2,300 milligrams (about 1 teaspoon) each day to reduce the risk of high blood pressure. You should also know that the majority of salt is taken in from processed foods rather than from the saltshaker. - Watch those processed foods. Also look for foods that are high in potassium because they counteract the effects of salt on blood pressure.

Finally we come to exercise. The whole world seems to have forgotten how important it is to exercise and exercise burns calories which reduces weight. We should slowly work our way up to one hour of exercise each day. This can be done in 12 five-minute periods or 6 ten-minute periods until you are able to exercise for longer periods.

If you are looking to lose weight you will find more articles in our News Blogs articles section.

This article is copyright (c) David McCarthy and may be reproduced in its entirety with no additions.

About The Author
David McCarthy is webmaster of http://www.recipesmania.com a website dedicated to freely sharing knowledge of recipes, food, health and nutrition. The site contains recipes from simple to sophisticated and includes a special section for weight-watchers.

What Kind of Massage is Right for You?

Massage feels sinfully good, doesn't it? The truth is, massage is one of the best things you can do for yourself; especially during times of change such as menopause.

This soothing therapy has been shown to lower blood press, reduce muscle pain, improve joint flexibility and alleviate headaches, just to name a few of its healing powers.

Most people think of massage in terms of muscle aches, but it's much more than that. It increases blood flow to your muscles, tissue and every cell in your body which brings oxygen and nutrients to these critical areas. It also stimulates lymphatic flow, improving tissue drainage and the immune system.

Here are some of the different strokes you have to choose from:

Acupressure
An ancient Chinese technique involves the therapist using his fingers to press key points on the skin to release muscle tension and promote circulation and energy flow. Acupuncture and acupressure use the same points, but acupuncture involves needles. The pressure restores balance to the body and treats ailments such as headaches, menstrual cramps and constipation.

Swedish Massage
This is probably the most common form of massage in the US. Its main goal is relaxation and improved circulation. The therapist applies oil to the skin and uses flowing strokes and kneading movements to relieve tension from the muscles.

Deep Tissue Massage
This type of massage is more vigorous and uses various styles to loosen the muscles. It helps break patterns of tension, relieves chronic pain, including inflammation-related pain such as tendonitis and improves range of motion.

Shiatsu
Shiatsu is Japanese for ?finger pressure.? This technique is similar to acupressure where the practitioner uses their finger, thumb, palm, elbow, knee (and sometimes even walk on you) to put pressure on acupuncture healing points. This unblocks the flow of energy and encourages blood and lymphatic flow. It also promotes relaxation and strengthens the body against disease and restores balance.

Sports Massage
This treatment incorporates several massage techniques which is great for athletes. It keeps the body flexible, increases performance and assists in rehabilitation from an injury.

Hot Stone Therapy
During this therapy, heated stones are placed strategically on the body which dilates blood vessels and gets blood and oxygen flowing into tense areas. It can feel like a body ?rush.? The soothing heat can also prepare the body for deep-tissue work as well as alleviate PMS symptoms.

Aromatherapy Massage
The therapist incorporates essential oils extracted from herbs, flowers and roots into the massage. They select the proper oils based on a particular physical condition and blend them into a massage oil or lotion. The end result is a relaxing massage tailored to your individual needs.

Reiki
This therapy is an Eastern method meaning ?universal life energy.? It brings healing energy to the organs and glands in order to bring the body back into balance and help prevent disease. The massage practitioner places their hands on or just above the body to realign chakras and dissolve toxic substances from your physical and emotional being. People often feel warmth or tingling sensations during Reiki.

Pregnancy Massage
This massage focuses on a pregnant woman's needs including swollen hands and feet, stress on weight-bearing joints, exhaustion and lower back pain. And of course the practitioner positions you to accommodate your baby bump.

Craniosacral Therapy
This therapy involves the Craniosacral system which extends from the skull to the bottom of the spine and consists of the brain, spinal cord, cerebrospinal fluid and surrounding membranes. The practitioner uses a light touch to restore cerebrospinal fluid movement. This can help treat such conditions as headaches, eye and ear problems as well as whiplash and back pain.

Cathy Taylor is a marketing consultant with over 25 years experience. She specializes in internet marketing, strategy and plan development, as well as management of communications and public relations programs for small business sectors. She can be reached at Creative Communications: creative-com@cox.net or by visiting http://www.howtoconquermenopause.com or http://www.everythingmenopause.com or http://www.internet-marketing-small-business.com

Anxiety Rise From The Grave

In some cases of anxiety and depression a patient clings to hope by taking anti-depressant drugs in hope that it is the answer to their prayers in relieving them of their symptoms. It has been proven that certain drugs work for some and not for others.

Anti-depressants have an enormous affect on the chemicals in the brain thus changing the mood. Drugs as such are known to help anxiety sufferers to cope but what you have to remember is anti-depressants are not a cure they are there to help control the condition by dealing with the discomforts i.e. symptoms.

The healing process can take a few weeks for the drug to go to work and take affect where you will see changes. It is important to follow through with any course of prescribed medicine dosage from your doctor other wise it will hamper the effects. Anxiety/depression can cause major changes in a persons life where they have no choice but to turn to medication. Not all medical prescriptions of this sort agree with people therefore unwanted side effects. Before continuing with any medication or treatment that you feel is disagreeing with your body then consult your doctor.

Pill popping is an easy way to take away the pain from backache - headache or whatever illness causes misery, but is it the answer to a cure, no it is a temporary fix for pain.

Natural medication and treatments in the form of herbal remedies are taken by many sufferers in the 21st century to help combat the stress and pressure brought on by anxiety - depression and panic attacks. Visit your local herbal store and talk with the herbalist who can advise you on many of natures natural potions. Depression can be a very disturbing mind meddler where lack of control and concentration is lost, due to how it interferes with your well being leaving you feeling low and in some cases at an all time low when in desperation a patient can end up harming themselves

A proven therapeutic method practiced the whole world over for many people with health concerns is Yoga, surprisingly not many people are aware of the benefits that yoga has to offer. It is known with out doubt to ease the mind and has the ability with certain moves to ease physical pain (depending on the condition) If you feel there are no answers behind why your anxious moments erupt and that it is time for a tablet, then think again, are you doing more arm than good.

Dealing with anxious moments can prove to be unsettling for many people but then you have those that grin and bear it. Anxious moments should not be ignored if they prolong or outstay their welcome as this could now be recognised as the start of anxiety or depression.

An early grave has been the answer for many a sufferer who found coping alone with anxiety caused more pain and heartache than actually dealing with it. Are you a sufferer of the type of anxiety that leaves you feeling life is not worth living or wishing you were dead if so I urge you to rise from the grave in your thoughts and seek help. You are not alone and with the right help and medical attention you can enjoy the experience of feeling on top of the world rather than six feet under.

Health Concerns not to be ignored. Find help on the health page at http://www.benidormbeaches.com Your health can benefit from relaxation classes. This is a fabulous site to help ease stress http://www.want2yoga.com

Overcome Your Anxiety

Everybody at one point experiences anxiety when faced with a stressful or worrying situation. Anxiety is the feeling of fear, apprehension and worry, accompanied by nausea, palpitations, chest pain, and breathlessness. Sometimes this can interfere with your normal life. Excessive anxiety can be linked with other psychiatric conditions, such as depression.

Anxiety can be in many forms. It may be a fear of snakes, a fear of heights or stage fright, or it could also be nonstop worry about your parenting skills or constant fretting about success at work, etc.

Components:

Anxiety is said to have four components:

Cognitive components: This imposes fear of uncertain danger.

Somatic components: When faced with a frightening situation your blood pressure and heart rate are increased, you tend to sweat, and blood flow to the major muscle groups is increased. The somatic signs of anxiety might include pale skin, sweating, trembling, and pupil dilation.

Emotional components: The emotional components of anxiety cause a sense of dread or panic, nausea, and chills.

Behavioral components: This would lead to both voluntary and involuntary behaviors, and you maybe directed at avoiding the source of anxiety which is quite common.

Types of Anxiety and the symptoms:

There are various types of anxiety - Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Post traumatic Stress Disorder, Social Anxiety and specific phobias. Anxiety Disorder is very common throughout the world. It is a chronically recurring case of anxiety that can seriously affect your life. People with this disorder feel afraid of something but are unable to articulate the specific fear. If you are constantly worrying, and have a hard time controlling your worries then you might be suffering from anxiety disorder.

Some of the common symptoms of anxiety disorder are:

? Muscle tension
? Heart palpitations
? Dizziness
? Fatigue
? Shortness of breath
? Sweating
? Nausea
? Cold hands
? Jumpiness
? Difficulty falling asleep
? Hot flashes or chills
? Diarrhea and irritated bowel syndrome

Anxiety can make you cranky and irritable. You may get tired easily and often suffer from insomnia. It is very important that you seek professional medical help. For the initial diagnosis of this problem, a good assessment is required by taking a standardized interview or questionnaire procedure with expert evaluation. There should be a thorough examination to find out the cause that could have triggered this condition. If the patient has a family history of anxiety disorders then this could be a possibility.

Treatment:

You can get help and come out of your fear. There are four types of therapy that have proved to be helpful and they have been used successfully to address the symptoms of anxiety disorders.

Behavior Therapy: Here you are made to face your fear in a planned environment, and using different relaxation techniques, you are made to accept and overcome your anxiety and panic. This helps you to become more confident about managing fear and anxiety and also prepares you to face any kind of inducing situations.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy: This is the most popular and effective type of psychotherapy to overcome your anxiety. The goal is to understand your thinking process and help you to develop coping skills before your anxiety takes over. This helps you:

? Challenge false or self-defeating beliefs
? Think positive

Psychodynamic psychotherapy: This therapy helps those who have fear because of unconscious mental conflict. You are made to uncover the conflict as a means to stop the fear-causing anxiety and panic.

Alternative therapies: Different therapies have been developed for treating anxiety, like EMDR - a therapy that utilizes rapid eye movement, repetitive sounds and tapping to reintegrate an ?out of sync? brain. Even acupuncture is being used to treat anxiety.

All these therapies depend on various subjective factors, such as therapist competence. It is advisable to go to only a well known and experienced psychotherapist. Self help and relaxation techniques also play an important role in relieving anxiety symptoms. Improving your eating habits and reduction in caffeine and sugar intake also helps. Exercise and a relaxation technique such as yoga, is also very helpful. Try to reach out to your friends and family and share your troubles; do not let it get accumulated before it hits you hard. Anxiety is very common and you are not the only one, so don't hesitate to seek help.

Paul MacIver provides detailed Health Information and help to eliminate Anxiety Attacks at Anxiety Help

The Power of Probiotics: The Solution to Energized Health

It?s hard to believe, but 1 in 5 of us live with digestive problems every single day. And if you?re like most people, you probably treat yourself with antacids or even stronger ?purple pills? which neutralize stomach acid. But often these treatments cause stomach to produce even more acid, making your condition worse. Or, you may rely on laxatives to relieve constipation ? which leads to diarrhea.

But digestive problems can quickly evolve beyond just gas and bloating. Your energy levels become radically reduced, and your immune system becomes compromised. You may even fall victim to such chronic health problems as migraines, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome, even high cholesterol.

Little wonder why many researchers now say that a disrupted ecology of the gastro-intestinal tract may cause up to 90% of illness and disease. So keeping your digestive system strong is one of the best things you can do for your overall health.

The Balance of Good vs. Evil

Did you know that both friendly and unfriendly micro-organisms inhabit the human intestinal tract simultaneously? In many cases, each contributes to the overall function and health of the intestinal tract, while keeping each other in check?. Intestinal function runs at peak levels when the balance of friendly and unfriendly micro-organisms is stable.

Science tells us that healthy colon should contain at least 85% lactobacillus and 15% coliform bacteria. That's the good bacteria.

But due to the conditions we have to endure living in a modern society where our natural good health is stripped-down by environmental toxins like pesticides, cigarette smoke, vehicle emissions, artificial ingredients and preservatives in our foods and so on ? our modern colon is not a healthy one. Alarmingly, its bacterial balance is often opposite of what it should be! This unbalance brings the gas and bloating associated with indigestion, constipation, pathogenic organisms ? as well as the malabsorption of essential nutrients our body needs to thrive.

One of the simplest, best ways to replenish your body?s supply of ?friendly? intestinal flora is with a probiotic supplement. Probiotics help rebalance intestinal microflora, detoxify and cleanse your body, and actually reverse the imbalances that contribute to a barrage of health- and energy-robbing illnesses. They also have natural anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

When you start feeding your body these health-promoting bacteria, the difference can be remarkable. Most people feel results rather quickly.

What You Need to Know Before You Buy

Probiotics contain ?live? microorganisms, which means they?re particularly sensitive to light, temperature, and air. Most quality probiotic supplements require refrigeration and special handling -- but even then, you can?t be sure of their potency.

The probiotic you choose should contain close to 15 live strains of friendly flora ? and deliver them at high enough levels to make a real difference in your health.

Unfortunately, most probiotics on the market today contain only 2-1/2 billion viable cells per capsule and only two or three different cultures. This is not nearly enough to provide you with the health protection you need.

The best quality probiotic supplements contain 22 billion viable cells per capsule and 49 billion viable cells per gram. They should also include a broad spectrum of at least 12 to 15 live cultures for total effectiveness. So be sure to check the label before you buy!

More and more doctors recommend probiotics as a safe, natural solution for their patients? digestive problems. In fact, many agree that a high-quality friendly flora product is the most powerful weapon in their healing arsenal ? and one of your most important as well.

In study after study, probiotics completely and efficiently cleanse from the inside out by replacing bad bacteria with important good bacteria ? and to effectively power-pack your immune system so you can look and feel your absolute best.

Mary Faith Hunt is a nutritional researcher and President of Golden Health Products located in Quincy, IL. An expert on probiotics and digestive health, her company?s products have helped thousands of men, women, children and even their pets live happier, healthier, more active lives for over 12 years. For more information, visit http://www.goldenhealthproducts.com. You can subscribe to her new pet health ezine at http://www.goldenhealthpets.com. Contact Mary Faith directly at berries@adams.net.

The Dangers Of Burning Paraffin Candles

If you burn paraffin candles, you might as well be inhaling diesel fumes. ?The fine particulate matter collected from candle emissions was similar to that of diesel engine exhaust in particle size, morphology, elemental carbon content, and absorbed chemical constituents? says David Krause. Krause is an air quality engineer and former employee of the Florida Department of Health. He also adds, ?These similarities point to a similar potential for adverse health effects.?

Supporting the Oil Industry

Paraffin is the final residue left from refining crude oil. It has become the leading wax for use in cosmetics, food and candle manufacturing because it?s cheap and readily available. And the oil industries make a healthy profit from its use.

Paraffin wax is a non-renewable resource. Once all the crude oil is gone, we will not have any more. Paraffin burns more quickly and hotter than most waxes creating more concern for fire hazards than necessary. Because it is oil-based, paraffin wax spills do not cleanup easily.

Health Concerns

The main concerns cropping up from research deal with high levels of indoor pollutants, particularly soot and lead. This is a major problem considering that air borne soot can penetrate the deepest areas of the lungs and the lower respiratory tract.

Paraffin candle burners may be exposing themselves to inflammatory agents, carcinogens and teratogens. These may lead to increased risk of cancer, neurological and behavioural deficits and acute aggravation of existing respiratory diseases such as asthma.

Emissions in the home are estimated to stick around for up to 10 hours after extinguishing a candle.

Soot

Soot from paraffin candles can cover your walls and has resulted in millions of dollars worth of insurance claims in North America. The results from tests with scented paraffin candles seem to be even more dismal. Paraffin candles cannot be scented with natural essential oils because the petrochemical rich wax will break them down. This has lead the candle industry to create petroleum-based fragrances that are more compatible. When these fragrances are added to the mix, a lot more soot and chemicals are released.

Soot, in high levels, can be seen rising from the offending candle. But, even a visually clean burning candle could still emit significant quantities of lead.

Lead

In 1974, the US candle manufacturing industry voluntarily ceased the production of candles with lead wicks. However, with the lack of an official ban, they are still found on store shelves. On average, 30% of candles contain lead. Burning lead wick candles can result in airborne concentrations of lead above EPA recommended thresholds.

Metal core wicks are used to decrease production time - they stand up on their own while the candle is poured. Zinc wicks are a better choice, but still emit undesirable chemicals. Even burning candles in metal containers can increase the amount of airborne pollutants.

More Chemicals

The main focus of this article is on the hazards of soot and lead. I thought I should include this list of chemicals normally found in paraffin candles:

Acrolein, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde exceeding EPA safety thresholds, dibutyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, didecyl phthalate, toluene, styrene, benzene, styrene, toluene, ethyl benzene, naphthalene, benzaldehyde, benzene,ethanol, and 2-butanone (methyl ethyl ketone) and acetone.

With the craze for gel candles you can add in mineral oil, terpene-type chemicals, modified hydrocarbons & viscosity increasing chemicals.

Alternatives - A Breath of Fresh Air

All is not lost. The increasing popularity of vegetable wax candles presents us with a healthy and environmentally friendly alternative. Look for candles made from soy wax, palm wax and so on. Insist on a wick made from cotton or other natural source fibres.

Most important - never let them fool you with claims of a ?natural? candle scented with butter pecan. Butter pecan and a multitude of other creative non-plant scents are chemicals, as are the more expensive scents from nature such as rose. Rose essence (a chemical fragrance) is about $7/oz, rose essential oil (the real thing) is about $200/oz. So, your not likely to get a rose candle scented with the real thing for under $30 (and that?s a small one). When in doubt - ask.

Ivy Mills has been researching chemical sensitivity and natural alternatives for over five years and has brought her knowledge to the marketplace in her company, Valhalla Essences. Her personal experiences have fed a passion to help others with the same problem. Ivy welcomes others to share their stories and experiences on her blog, Peaceful Power.

Hypnosis Myth and Reality

Hollywood hype would have us believe that a hypnotist can control and direct our actions, and that we can be made to do all sorts of unimaginable things under hypnosis. Following is a list of some of these common myths and why they are myths.

The hypnotist can make you do things against your will.

Absolutely False. The hypnotist has no powers over you at all, and cannot make you do things against your will. All Hypnosis is really self-directed and self-controlled. The hypnotist merely guides you into a hypnotic state, and feeds your mind with carefully worded suggestions. If you feel uncomfortable with these suggestions, you may reject them at will. Hypnosis is essentially a matter of cooperation between the hypnotist and his subject, not some form of power the hypnotist possesses which will compel the subject to submit to his or her will.

Once under Hypnosis, one can?t come out of the state on his own.

If you are under hypnosis and the hypnotist suddenly left the room, two things may happen. You will either realize that the hypnotist is no longer talking to you, and will open your eyes, feeling fresh and alert. Or, you may drift into natural sleep, in which case you will wake up after a few minutes (or hours). So, the subject can come out of the trance on his own.

Only weak-minded people can be hypnotized.

False. Hypnosis has nothing to do with will power. People often confuse hypnosis with gullibility. There is no connection between the two. On the contrary, the more intelligent a person is, the easier it is for him to be hypnotized. To be hypnotized, one needs the abilities of concentration, imagination and vivid visualization.

Under hypnosis, the subject is totally unconscious.

At all times during the course of a hypnotic session, you will be able to hear and to think. You are aware of what is going on around you. Although your body is very relaxed, your mind is actually more alert than usual. Many people are worried by stage hypnosis and the fact that the subjects, many of whom do ridiculous things during the session, seem to have no knowledge of anything around them. The unfortunate part of such an activity is that it often frightens away those people who could really benefit from hypnotherapy, but are afraid of losing control.

Under hypnosis, one can be made to reveal his secrets.

As mentioned above, under hypnosis, the subject is fully alert, in fact more alert than usual. The hypnotist can only guide the subject to remember forgotten memories. Whether the subject will reveal them to the hypnotist is entirely at his own discretion.

Hypnosis is dangerous.

Untrue. It is quite the opposite. Hypnosis is a safe and natural process. One fact that most people are unaware of is that we undergo Hypnosis several times in our daily lives. For example, while driving along a highway, very often, people suddenly discover that they have lost consciousness for several minutes. This is actually an example of momentary hypnotism. However, someone with epilepsy should never be hypnotized.

One needs special powers to be hypnotized.

Any average person with the willingness and patience to learn, can master the skills of hypnosis. Like other skills such as playing the piano, or learning a foreign language, some people are ?naturals?, and become accomplished with little training while others can increase their abilities through regular practice. A good, confident voice is an advantage, but not a must. Of course, children lacking an understanding and appreciation for the subject (usually below the age of 5) may not respond to hypnosis in the desired way.

The user might become dependent on hypnosis.

You cannot become dependent upon hypnosis because it has no physical effects on the body. However, many people look forward to their daily hypnosis exercises because they become totally relaxed and awaken refreshed.

Pradeep Aggarwal is a renowned Hypnosis & NLP guru with career spanning two and half decades He is also a much sought after speaker and peak performance consultant for organizations and sport teams. Visit Hypnosis Global for free 6 part mini course to learn Self Hypnosis and Personal Transformation

Reiki on the Road

Have you always wanted to travel but your budget is a little short and you're worried you'll 'feel so lonely I could die, boom boom'?

Well there's something that you could take with you that might help; it doesn't weigh a ton (it'll even leave room for that extra book) and will always leave love and compassion strewn across the path behind you . You'll have guessed by now what I'm about to suggest - Reiki! This article also applies to those who practise any healing art whether it be massage, shiatsu or acupressure.

Here's how to set yourself up.

Cost: We suggest that you charge the local price for a massage. Remember, you don't have to charge a lot to cover the costs of your next meal and you'll meet really interesting, like minded people who you'll probably end up having lunch with anyway and perhaps even travelling with. Instead of charging money you could also swap services; a massage, a painting, information, food etc.etc.

Where: Reiki can be practised anywhere though preferably in a quiet(ish) space on a comfortable something. Hmmm sounds a little vague doesn't it? But then that's the point - it really doesn't matter! When you're travelling you can do Reiki in the room of a backpackers, by the beach or in a park. Make the space more attractive by using aromatherapy (incense), candles or locally handcrafted materials.

Other ideas are to ring Health Resorts (your dream destination) and work for a month as a practitioner on a commission basis or for free board and rent.

Reiki Masters might want to rent a space if they are staying in an area for a while and offer courses for travellers. This can be a huge success as travellers are often interested in self development.

How: Carry an A4 sheet with you that announces 'Reiki treatments by your name'. Don't fill in where as yet but do leave a space. When you have found a place to practise, photcopy the sheet and fill in where. This might be your address 'Room 8, The Backpackers Inn' or it might say 'For more information meet me at Grandma's for breakfast between 8 and 10 every morning' - you eat there anyway! All you do is place a leaflet on the table so that everyone knows that it is you who they are looking for.

You can then copy this sheet a number of times and place in backpackers, hostels, restaurant windows, bus/train stations. Make sure you ask beforehand - you'll find most locals are curious and more than willing to help your venture. If necessary offer them a free treatment!

If money's no object and you are simply interested in practising your Reiki for the benefit of others, now's your chance. When travelling you can become involved in the immediate community by volunteering your services. You can do this formally through the Red Cross or local hospital or just ask around and there will surely be someone who needs Reiki. This is an excellent way to meet people, understand the culture (a little bit) and spread love and compassion. Perfect!

Reiki Masters Frans and Bronwen Stiene (pronounced stee-nuh) are authors of the internationally acclaimed The Reiki Sourcebook, The Japanese Art of Reiki, Reiki Techniques Card Deck and the A-Z of Reiki and are the founders of the International House of Reiki.

Their website is the http://www.reiki.net.au which is full of lots of articles and research into Reiki.

With over 16 years of combined experience as practitioners, teachers and speakers in healing and spirituality they have worked with, taught and researched healing in the USA, Europe, Asia, Australia and Japan. They are teachers whose passion is truth, education, support and spiritual development for all.

MiniStroke: A Term That Means Everything and Therefore Nothing

What is a mini-stroke? Doubtlessly, you've heard someone use this term before, and you might have even seen it in print. What does this term mean to you? Probably something less than a full-fledged stroke, which is a permanent brain injury due to a blocked blood vessel or a hemorrhage that produces obvious clinical impairment. But, apart from that, what exactly does it mean?

One might suppose mini-stroke to be a term with a definite meaning that everyone agrees upon. However, this is far from the case. Just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so too, the meaning of mini-stroke depends on what is in the mind of its user. Lewis Carroll's Humpty Dumpty said it best: When I use a word, Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, it means just what I choose it to mean -- neither more nor less. Clearly, Humpty could have been talking about mini-strokes.

As a community-based neurologist, I have encountered several uses of this term. One is as a substitute for transient ischemic attack or TIA. In this case, the term TIA already has a specific meaning. It is an episode of obvious clinical impairment lasting fewer than 24 hours resulting from a temporary interruption of blood-flow to a portion of the brain. Employed in this fashion, mini-stroke is a user-friendly version of a longer, precisely defined term. If this were the only usage of mini-stroke, there would be no problem.

But, of course, mini-stroke can mean much, much more. The most unsettling use is as a pat explanation for any small, otherwise unexplained event. This diagnosis emerges from patients themselves, family members and even primary care physicians. A typical example is that a patient had an episode of confusion or unconsciousness followed by full recovery. Explanation: That was a mini-stroke. Yet the more usual causes of such episodes have nothing whatsoever to do with strokes or TIAs.

Unfortunately, labeling these events as mini-strokes means that the more likely causes are shut off from consideration, and the unlucky patients don't receive appropriate evaluation and treatment for their actual ailments. Moreover, by labeling such episodes as mini-strokes, improper treatments can ensue, for example, a surgical clean-out of a carotid artery, which in this context could cause more harm than good.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans have led to another confusing use of the term mini-stroke. MRIs are marvelous tools that sensitively reveal a wide variety of diseases afflicting the brain. It's best at showing lesions, i.e. discrete, anatomic disturbances affecting limited portions of the brain. Sometimes, MRIs show apparent lesions that are not disturbances at all. Unknown bright objects (UBOs) are small areas of apparent abnormality often scattered deep within the brains of older individuals. Sometimes they do indeed represent damage from plugged blood vessels that may or may not have produced symptoms. But in other cases they represent other diseases entirely or even no disease at all. For example, normal spaces next to blood vessels can appear as UBOs.

To make a long story short, any and all of these apparent disturbances can get labeled as mini-strokes, e.g., The scan showed that your brain is full of mini-strokes. Thus, a mini-stroke can additionally refer to something seen on a scan which in many cases had nothing to do with circulation or actual symptoms.

When a term like mini-stroke gets used for so many things, it becomes meaningless and confusing. When a meaningless and confusing term is applied to real patients with real problems, the result is bad medicine.

(C) 2006 by Gary Cordingley

Gary Cordingley, MD, PhD, is a clinical neurologist, teacher and researcher who works in Athens, Ohio. For more health-related articles see his websites at: http://www.cordingleyneurology.com and http://www.neurologyarticles.com

A Look at Electric Wheelchairs and Medicare

Electric wheelchairs are very expensive and therefore, it can be a difficult decision whether to buy one. However, Medicare usually covers up to 80% of the cost of electric wheelchairs. Any secondary insurance company will usually cover the rest.

To obtain Medicare for electric wheelchairs, certain criteria have to be met:

1. The person's condition is such that, a wheelchair or scooter is a must for mobility. 2. The person cannot operate a manual wheelchair, hence an electric wheelchair or an electric scooter is required. 3. The person is capable of safely operating the controls of a wheelchair or scooter. 4. The person can safely transfer in and out of a wheelchair or scooter. 5. The person has adequate trunk stability to safely ride a wheelchair or scooter. 6. The person has not purchased a wheelchair or scooter and obtained reimbursement for that purchase within the last five 5 years. 7. Medicare must be the primary insurance carrier for filing the initial claim with them. 8. If Medicare had covered the cost of a manual wheelchair previously, that chair should be returned to the company for claiming the cost of an electric wheelchair from Medicare.

If all of these criteria are met, then the person seeking support from Medicare should provide a description of the functional limitations affecting the patient, which supports the medical necessity of the POV; patient diagnosis requiring the POV. This information must be furnished on letterhead or other documentation, which identifies the specialty of the ordering physician. The recommendation for a wheelchair for which reimbursement is requested needs to be ordered by a neurologist, orthopedic surgeon, rheumatologist, or rehabilitation medicine specialist.

Medicare supports up to 80% of allowable charges however, reimbursement amounts vary from state to state. $100.00 is deductible yearly for Medicare's Part B. All Medicare claims are settled within 30 days. For guaranteed assurance, it is better to fill out a pre-approval form from Medicare.

Electric Wheel Chairs Info provides detailed information about electric wheelchair lifts and scooters, used electric wheelchairs, electric indoor wheelchairs, Medicare, electric wheelchair reviews, and more. Electric Wheel Chairs Info is the sister site of Scooters Web.

Soap Isn't A Stranger Offering Candy It's Your Friend

Seriously, there is absolutely nothing that can be done to turn a discussion of soap into something with the passion of a Jackie Collins novel, the drama of a Tolstoy novel or the riveting action of a John Grisham novel. It?s soap.

Still, despite the fact that we take soap for granted there are important things to understand about soap. Our hard earned dollars are often coaxed right out of our wallets on the say so of marketers. With a little soap knowledge in hand the feasible, the plausible and the utterly ridiculous are more easily discernable.

All ?soap? is made by combining fat of some sort, either animal fat or vegetable oil, with lye. This process is called saponification. When done correctly, the lye expends itself and no alkalinity is left in the soap and it has a nifty by-product, glycerin, that draws moisture into the superficial layers of the skin. Contrary to what leading manufacturers would have you believe, intact soap does not dry the skin. The most popular brands of soap do dry the skin because they remove the glycerin and use it for other products.

Basically, soap gets you clean by bonding the oils in the soap to the matter on the skin and, theoretically, rinsing away the oil with the trapped matter off of the skin. A caveat to this process is in highly acidic water that contains high levels of calcium, iron and/or magnesium. The other big exception results from synthetic additives to soap. These additives create chemical compounds that leave residue on your skin. If there is residue on your skin, then the purpose of the soap has been defeated. You end up with dirt attracting oil beckoning to particulate and microbial matter fixed to your skin.

A great bar of soap will have retained glycerin, balanced ph, no synthetic additives and only additional additives that are necessary to cope with the needs of your skin. Additive colors and perfumes offer additional opportunity for irritation to the skin. Everything that lives dies and goes horribly horribly bad.

We have the tendency to want things to last forever, or until we get around to them. Try to resist that urge to purchase products that cater to this desire. Remember Dr. Frankenstein. Distraught over the death of his brother he wanted to reanimate the deceased. Each time you are tempted to go the preservative route instead of deliberate consumption, think of Igor collecting body parts from the grave yard and bringing home the ?abbie normal? brain. (Sorry, I couldn?t help that. I laughed myself silly at Young Frankenstein) Avoid purchasing preservative laden products. They do bad things.

In short, (I know it's a little late for that) Be good to your skin. Don?t look at the pictures, read the label.

Dawn Worthy, owner of Fresh From the Farm, offers a complete line of biodegradable, vegan friendly, organic botanical soap. What is in the soap is good. What isn't in the soap is better. There are no artificial ingredients. There are no manufacturing, coloring or fragrance additives. It's simple, Aunt Ann's Garden Soap is naturally good. We invite you to see for yourself at http://www.FreshFromtheFarm.Us

Is A Treadmill The Best Exercise Equipment For You?

The #1 fear people have when buying a treadmill is that they won't use it. (That's the #1 fear when buying any piece of exercise equipment).

They know that a treadmill can help them lose weight, get fit, burn extra calories and reach their fitness goals.

But that's only if you use it. A treadmill is a large investment to make and you want to be sure that it is the right piece of exercise equipment for your needs.

How do you know if a treadmill is the best piece of exercise equipment for you? How do you know if it's suitable for the kind of exercise that fits your lifestyle?

If you're thinking about buying a treadmill, here are 3 ways to tell if a treadmill is the right piece of exercise equipment for you:

#1 Do you prefer to exercise alone or in groups?

Walking on a treadmill is not a group activity (it could be - but that's a little dangerous). If you prefer to exercise with other people, say for example in a group sports situation, a treadmill might not be the best choice for you.

Of course a treadmill can add another side to your exercise options if you do get most of your exercise from social or group sports. But if you absolutely hate exercising by yourself, don't buy a treadmill.

On the other hand, some people enjoy exercising on their own - it's a sort of getaway from the constant social buzz surrounding them every day. A treadmill would be great for someone looking for this kind of exercise 'retreat'.

#2) Do you prefer to exercise outdoors or indoors?

Some people prefer to exercise outdoors. They take hikes to enjoy the beauty of nature or rollerblade down the sidewalks to take in the fresh air. If you prefer to be outdoors to exercise then a treadmill probably isn't for you.

And if you live in all-year-round sunny, warm weather, you may not need a treadmill (then again, you may prefer an air-conditioned workout.)

However, if you happen to live in seasonal climates where it rains, snows or both, a treadmill can be a handy tool to maintain your fitness regimen during the bleak weather months. A treadmill can help you fight winter weight gain and even stave off those nasty winter blues.

#3 Do you enjoy walking, jogging or running?

Walking is an exercise that everybody can do. It's simple, doesn't require heightened coordination, and can be a great way to clear your head and deal with stress. Anyone can do it, regardless of fitness level - from absolute beginner to elite athlete.

There are also people who enjoy the rhythm and routine of jogging or running. Running or jogging is also one of the best all-round ways to burn fat. Again, it's fairly simple to do and doesn't require complex coordination.

While the benefits to walking, jogging and running are numerous, some people just don't like to exercise this way. They like the challenge of a box-aerobics class or mastering a complicated martial art. If you fall into this category, a treadmill will not meet your exercise preferences and it probably isn't the right machine for you.

If you do like walking but still want a challenge or even a distraction, there are easy ways to do this, of course.

Treadmills are growing more sophisticated all the time offering numerous built-in workout programs, upper-body workout arms and even built-in stereo systems for you to plug-in your favorite CD's.

There's also the magazine rack so you can read your latest Time or People magazine. And of course, the most popular method: setting your treadmill up in front of the television (or buying a mini-television to mount above your treadmill).

You can always make your workout more interesting with your home treadmill - but if you don't enjoy walking, jogging or running, you might want to steer clear of the treadmill.

So those are 3 ways to tell if a treadmill is right for you. With our busy lifestyles and lack of time, the home treadmill also offers several other unique benefits, which you might want to consider before buying:

#1) Exercise Convenience

With a home treadmill you can jump on it at any time day or night. You don't have to waste time driving to the gym. You don't have to work around your gym's hours or schedule your workout around those 'peak times'. You don't have to rush to sign up for a treadmill at the gym. It's all yours. Workout whenever you want - and for however long you want.

With our jam-packed schedules these days, time is at a premium. While you may not have a long period of time to carve out for exercise, experts tell us that 'mini-workouts' give us the same benefits as long workouts. So instead of doing 30 minutes straight, with your own treadmill you can do 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes at night.

There's a third convenience to having a home treadmill - you can wear what you want. No worrying about if your hair is staying under your baseball cap. No rushing to find the right T-shirt for the gym. While this may seem trivial - it can actually make a difference in how much you exercise!

#2) Exercise Comfort

With a home treadmill, you can exercise in the comfort of your own home. No worrying about the rain, snow or sleet that's pouring down outside. You can jump on your treadmill with your favorite sports drink, turn on your favorite show and burn away those calories.

No worrying about winter weight gain or holiday pounds - because you have the tools at your disposal to easily work off any extra calories.

#3) More Calories Burned, More Weight Lost = Better Body Achieved

Because you can exercise when you want, for how long you want, regardless of weather or even busy schedules, you'll use your treadmill much more. And when you exercise more, you burn more calories, lose more weight and achieve a better body. This is always a benefit!

Home treadmills continue to be the most popular exercise machines with buyers today. They offer convenience, comfort and more opportunities to enjoy getting in shape.

If you decide that a treadmill is right for you, know that you'll be investing both in a great exercise machine and a better, healthier body!

Kathryn O'Neill is a treadmill enthusiast and successful writer for http://www.treadmillreview.net, a consumer oriented website focusing on home treadmills.

For a list of Best Treadmill Buys visit:

Best Treadmills

EE Meditation Shaman + Integrated Soul Personality Fragmentation MPD + DID Psychology Pt. 3 of 3

There is in every person the possibility of an integrated Soul Personality. However, normally the average person is split to a greater or lesser degree, dependent upon the amount of pain, trauma and undigested stress in their lives and dependent upon the amount of work they have done to integrate their personalities by means of therapy and meditation.

Therapy and psychology allow intellectual appreciation of the problem in ourselves and others. It takes meditation to heal the splits and integrate the separated selves.

Colin Ross (Ross, 1997) lists 11 dissociative features of the Shamen work, and relates each to Dissociative Identity Disorder or Splitting. These parallelisms are worth mentioning here, as they further ground the experiences of Split patients in a milieu that is pathological by reference to the abilities of Shamen which are integrated and real:

Possession by the Souls of Ancestors-- In trance states, Shamen would often deliberately become possessed by the souls of dead ancestors, who would impart advice and wisdom. Again, it takes a strong sense of the Higher Soul Infused Personality to be able to enter into the various unintegrated parts of the personality and then return as it is easy to get lost.

For thousands of years it was common knowledge that Personalities migrated from body to body, lifetime after lifetime. Only a Soul Integrated personality can remember their past lifetimes, for example Buddha often talked about this. It is fairly common for Split patients to have at least one alter who claims to be a dead ancestor and their access to this information shows that these people are in the process of integration, their amnesia is starting to slip.

So called normal people have no access or experience of this reality through deep amnesia and they are fearful of the tales of ghosts and ancestors because of their not wanting to face up to their painful memories which are the real cause of their amnesia. However, there is no need for this fear. The real experiences we cannot face up to as children, once accessed in energy enhancement meditation are easily and painlessly digested and integrated by the adult.

Possession by Helping Spirits-- These familiars were often invoked by Shamen during trance states as helpers and guides. Split patients almost always have helper personalities, some of whom claim to be from other dimensions or to be spirits.

Exhaustion Following Strenuous Trance Work-- Intense trance events often left Shamen tired for a period of days. Spiritual work for the Integration of the split off parts of the Client takes energy. Intense psychological Split treatment sessions have a similar effect.

Stimulating Dissociation through Intoxication-- As mentioned, it was rare for Shamen of old to use intoxicants, except, rarely, hallucinogenic mushrooms. Split patients, on the other hand, frequently resort to chemical paths to dissociation, and often manifest substance-abusing alters.

Why do you drink? Because I want to forget. What do you want to forget? I don't know, I've forgotten! Split patients always resort to amnesia in order to handle painful events and amnesia is the symptom of a Split personality. So called normal people have split from their subconscious and Unconscious minds and this also is a symptom of a Split personality, whereas the Shamen and the enlightened have complete or better access to their shadow sides.

Out-of-Body Experiences-- A common technique for Shamen was astral projection, or out-of -body travel, where they would project themselves into the spirit or real world to accomplish integration of their clients. This happens spontaneously in meditation which is a training in Integration. For thousands of years Shamen and the Enlightened have helped their clients in the field of healing and Personality Integration. Many Split patients have had out-of-body experiences, often at the time of childhood abuse, as a means of psychic escape but also as the first stage of attempting to heal the personality split. Sometimes they spontaneously succeed in healing themselves but often further help and training is needed. Chiron the wounded healer is the symbol of this process. Usually it is only the wounded healer who has been healed, who knows the process to heal others.

Transformation of Identity-- During the possession state of trance, the shaman became reciprocally identified with the possessing spirit in a manner analogous to alter switching in Split patients, but Shamen always returned consciously to their main, Soul Personality. They have this ability not to get lost by having already integrated their Personalities which have then become more strong than the average personality. Split people are always lost.

An example of the training given to Shamen is available in a 5000 years old text called, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. In there a meditational methodology for integration with the soul has been extant for millennia. However, always the Guru Shaman who has walked the path was considered essential to the process of soul integration.

As can be seen from this list of correspondences, there is much commonality between the professionally achieved and culturally approved meditative states of the sub-arctic shaman, and the dissociative states of the split patient. Split patients are usually more highly evolved than the average person as their amnesia is starting to slip. They have more psychic ability, more meditative ability, more hypnotizability. Normal people do not have the ability to know that they are split, they think they are perfect. The symptoms of splitness need to be pointed out to normal average people before they can overcome the paradigm of not understanding that they are not yet integrated, they are split too..

This is an Introduction to Split Personality from many works of Psychology and the Shaman as Trained Healer and personality Integrator.. Later I hope to complete the work in 1. The concept of universal dissociation. 2. Multiple personalities, MPD. 3. The Integrated Soul Personality and Energy Enhancement Meditation.

The healer, Shaman, Enlightened through much training, always have the ability to come back to themselves, to re-integrate after helping the integration of a client.

However, the cure for split personality for everyone is integration of the splits by grounding all the negative energy created by traumatic experiences which sustains the splits. As we ground all the negative energy through meditation, so the splits disappear and one integrated soul personality becomes in charge..

Start your integrative Process by learning how to meditate and then speed it up with the advanced techniques of Energy Enhancement based upon the thousands of years old ancient effective techniques of Taoism, The Kundalini Kriyas, The five elemental circulations of the Qi of Chinese Alchemical Taoism, The Guided Meditation of the Emerald tablet of Hermes Trismegistus encapsulated in VITRIOL and The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

Satchidanand, Director of Energy Enhancement, is one of the leading teachers of Meditation!

http://www.energyenhancement.co.uk
http://www.energyenhancement.org

Respect Your Wake/Sleep Cycle

A client recently told me this revealing story about the power of routine.

While in college she knew a young man whom every one admired. He just seemed to do everything right. He excelled at his schoolwork, was liked by everyone, had a pleasing and peaceful energy, had many accomplishments and many connections. She asked him what his secret was. He said he had only one secret to his seemingly boundless and balanced energy ? he went to bed every night at the same time and got up every morning at the same time.

As I write that I can just hear some of your cries of I can?t do that ? it is impossible. And I have too much to do. And all the other assertions about impracticability.

But it is not practical to oppose your biology.

Our bodies are regulated by consistent internal rhythms ? our circadian rhythms. Sleepiness, dreaming, body temperature, hormone secretion, digestion, heart functioning and more are all regulated according to our consistent daily biological rhythms.

Regular wake sleep cycles are key to maintaining your biological rhythms. The single most important thing that you can do to regulate high, clean and balanced energy levels is to have a consistent wake and sleep time.

The key regulator for your circadian rhythms is to go to bed and get up the same time every day.

If you go to bed and get up at odd times your circadian rhythms will become desynchronized and you will feel all kinds of malaise ? fatigue, nausea, irritability, confusion, lack of drive and inspiration- in short low, poor mood and energy.

When you sleep in on the week- ends (or other mornings) to make up a sleep deficit, you let your body slip into what is called free running. Free running is a disruption pattern- your biological clock gets confused and your energy plummets. Essentially, it is like you are living in jet lag. Every extra hour that you sleep in confuses your biological clock by one hour. Resetting your biological clock ? and regaining your energy potential ? takes one day for each hour that you sleep in.

Even if you have gone to bed late the night before it is best to get up at the regular time. Eat breakfast, do some work and then - when your energy levels begin to dip naturally later in the day - take a nap.

The number one rule for maintaining your biological clock- and therefore the quantity and quality of your energy - is rising at the exact same time every morning.

Mary Ann Copson is the creator of the Evenstar Mood and Energy Management System for Women. With Master's Degrees in Human Development and in Psychology and Counseling, Mary Ann is a Certified Licensed Nutritionist, a Certified Holistic Health Practitioner, a Brain Chemistry Profile Clinician, a Professional Life Coach and Human Development Consultant. For resources about reconnecting to your natural rhythms through better management of your physical, emotional, mental, psychological and spiritual energy visit http://evenstaronline.com

Trouble Sleeping?

Seemingly more and more Americans are having trouble sleeping. This pattern is on the increase. Insomnia can start out with a couple of nights of tossing and turning to a point where you cannot sleep through the night without waking up. I personally have had times when I will lay awake in the middle of the night for an hour or more. During that time I find myself thinking about a lot of things. I often ask myself why I cannot think about all these issues or go through this in-depth analysis during the daylight hours. Another trouble I have is getting to sleep. The obvious challenge to all this is when during the day you lack energy and feel sluggish and inattentive. Sometime I just want to go to bed. Now what is one to do? Why is this happening? We are going to have to look at a number of things.

Repeated loss of sleep can lead to all sorts of problems. Problems such as lack of productivity, emotional problems, problems in relationship, personality changes, mental fatigue, and physical signs of weariness. Not only that, it can lead to severe anxiety. The objective of this article is to share some techniques that you can use to get a good nights sleep. To begin you are going to keep a diary of all the actions you take and the results if any you achieve.

Establish a bedtime routine. Consistency is key here.
Create a comfortable sleeping environment.
Leave the window slightly open in your room for ventilation
Ideal room temperature is 65 to 70 degrees F
Get ear plugs if noises effect your sleeping
Increase your physical activity during the day, Just doing a little extra walking can help
Exercise as much as you can..
The ideal time for exercise is early evening.
Breathing exercises; this helps oxygen flow in the blood.
Relaxing music can lull you to sleep.
Start to relax before you go to sleep.
Preferably do not watch TV shortly before you sleep.
Avoid stimulants in the evening.
In the event you worry a lot, write your worries down on paper
A good old warm bath can do wonders.
Burn your favorite incense.
Drink Chamomile tea a few hours before sleep.
Watch your diet.

We are faced with challenges daily. Be attentive and observant of your activity during the day. Deal as best you can with issues as they arise. Take a little time out, if possible to be by yourself and think things through. Your day is there to be proactive and the evening is there to wind down. The night is there to get sleep. Get it all into prospective. Good sleep means good health.

Sign up for our monthly newsletter at http://www.learningfromdvds.com and get your free e-book on memory, Learn all about your cat at the Cat Guide.

Paul Hegarty is the owner of learningfromdvds.com. A guide to educational DVDs with price comparisons, reviews, and free E-books. Read this month?s e-book on How To Spot A fraudulent Email. Grab your free copy today.

Healing From Within

We become sick because we act
In sickening ways.
Louis Jourard

Modern medicine is based upon the notion of battle. We battle germs and fight for life. As soon as we feel pain or discomfort, we immediately try to change it. We feel we must conquer

This way of being leads to a never-ending struggle. After one illness or problem is conquered, another arises. Usually we expect the doctor to take control and make us well. We relinquish our part in the illness, deny the fact that it is up to us to stop, listen, and discover the lessons the illness has to teach us.

Healing from within brings inner peace with it. It arises from a different orientation towards all the experiences of life. We are taught to stop, pay attention, to respect what is happening ? to see our pain as a messenger. It is as if we were re-focusing a camera, receiving our experience through a different lens.

Pointer 1 See Your Pain As A Messenger Bringing Important News

Dialoguing With Your Pain

Usually there is a deep sense that when pain arises it is because something is wrong. This is a misunderstanding. Pain arises from lack of balance. It contains much needed information, brings many messages along with it. When we see our pain as a messenger and learn how to really listen to it, healing begins in all kinds of ways.

Some would suggest there is no difference between our physical pain, our illness and the emotional, mental or spiritual suffering we are going through.

Illness often comes when we feel defeated and may not want to struggle or live anymore. Some become ill when they are overly exhausted, which is a way of telling themselves it is time to make changes in their lives. Looking at one aspect of our suffering, we are also inevitably, looking at the next. All aspects are interconnected.

In some cases, for full healing to take place, a person may have to make deep changes in his life. It is important to stop and wonder specifically what the pain is saying to you, to dialogue with the pain, ask fundamental questions of it: What do you want from me? Why are you here now?

No matter what we are feeling there is only one pain and it manifests itself in various ways. If we do not address it in one mode, often it will come in another. It can come physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually.

In whatever form this pain arises, it is extremely empowering to turn directly to our suffering and interact with it. This requires turning around. Instead of tensing up, we learn how to pause and understand there is a lesson here we have to learn. As we do this, we often discover that the pain comes holding a gift in its hands.

Pointer 2 Pain Often Comes Holding A Gift In Its Hands

Each Illness Has Its Own Story

Illness often comes when we feel defeated. We may not wish to struggle anymore. Some people become ill when they are overly exhausted. The illness is the only way they can give themselves permission to stop, rest, and make much needed changes in their lives. Each illness has it's own story. The same is true with psychological or emotional symptoms that grow strong, demanding our attention.

When someone is in physical pain and suddenly understands what is troubling them emotionally, the physical pain often startlingly subsides. For full healing to take place it may be essential to make changes in one's total life. Cancer can be suppressed for many years, and then it returns. When it reappears we must ask, Why now? What is going on in my total life?

Sitting In The Middle Of Trouble

During the practice of Zen, students engaged in zazen (Zen meditation), sometimes sit for many hours on the cushion without moving. Sometimes incredible pain arises.

As they continue to do this practice, they gradually become stronger than the pain. They learn to see that most of the pain simply comes from resistance to what's going on. It comes from refusing this very moment.

When we stop fighting, we experience joy. Once we start fighting again, we are cramped into agony.

Pointer 3

The Best Way Out Is The Way In

The Best Way Out

The best way out is the way in.

Eido Roshi

The best way out is to make friends with the pain. Fighting intensifies it. If we can relax into it for a little while and explore, many new possibilities arise.

Natural healing is always available in all situations, but it can be cut off by fighting and by fear. When we let go and enter the flow of what?s going on at the moment, we became available to our greater source of energy, guidance and help.

Brenda Shoshanna, Ph.D, is a psychologist, speaker and well known author who is a long term Zen practitioner. This article is from her new book Living By Zen, (Timeless Truths For Everyday Life) http://www.livingbyzen.com The relationship expert on i.village, she is also the author of of Zen Miracles (Finding Peace In An Insane World,) Zen And The Art Of Falling In Love, (Simon and Schuster) and many other books. You may contact her at topspeaker@yahoo.com. Her personal website is.http://www..brendashoshanna.com

Detoxing The Natural Way

Why detox you ask? Well for thousands of years man has known that detoxifying the body is a useful means of restoring both mental, spiritual and physical wellbeing. The original way to detox the body was to simply go without food. In Western culture, most are familiar with the biblical recount of Jesus spending forty days and nights in the desert fasting. This theme of fasting for mental and spiritual clarity is quite pronounced throughout the bible, but in more recent times the principle has been adapted and refined. In fact many now argue that due to the environmental conditions that humans now exist in, the old ways simply aren't enough.

Today we have a range of produts, diets and information available to assist us with removing the toxins from our body. Some detox programs still rely on simply water and fasting, while others outline specific diets which tend to be mostly raw food. Basically the aim of any detox program is not for the food, or lack there of to do the work, but to engineer an environment for the body to undertake its natural processes of healing. When we detox, what we are trying to do is stop cramming toxins into our body, which in turn allows the body to start booting out the accumulated junk. Think of it as a spring clean for the body.

Often people end up with side-effects from a detox program, thus highlighting the importance of medical consultation an supervision when undergoing a diet change. Sometimes these side-effects are enough to put people off a detox program, but often the worse the reaction, the more pertinent the detox is for the body. The important thing to remember is that not all things that are good for the body are going to feel nice. Sometimes it has to hurt if it is to heal! Most people that complete a detox program will tell you that a little gas and a few headaches is a small price to pay for the increase in health and wellbeing that many receive.

For more information on how to detox, visit http://www.detox247.com

The author is a regular contributer to http://www.detox247.com and permission to reproduce this work is give only on the basis that all links remain intact and active.

How Anyone Can Train for a Walking Marathon

A marathon sounds intimidating, but that only makes the possibility of completing one all the more attractive, and impressive. You don't have to be an athlete to train for, and complete, a marathon. You can even be overweight, out-of-shape, and an all-around couch potato. All you need is determination and the will to stick to your training program.

Facts about a Walking Marathon

A marathon is 26.2 miles, and often are reserved for runners. However, many marathons and half-marathons (13 miles) are beginning to welcome walkers as well. Check for events in your area that allow walkers to participate.

First Steps

You've probably heard you should check with your doctor before starting a fitness program, and that advice is especially important when training for such a long distance event. Walking long distances can put enormous amounts of strain on your body, particularly if you're relatively out-of shape. It's important to talk with your doctor about your exercise program and any health concerns you have before beginning.

After getting your doctor's approval, you'll need comfortable shoes and clothes. Don't skimp on shoes ? this is not the time to pick up a pair at your local discount store. You need a shoe that fits well and that provides good support and that is designed for walking. Try the shoe on in the afternoon, when your feet are probably their largest of the day, and wear the same types of socks you'll be walking in.

When you're still walking short distances, you should be able to wear sports socks and clothing for your walks. As your distance increases, however, you'll want to invest in some socks designed to prevent blisters. On your long walk days, you may want to carry blister tape along with you just in case. Many walkers have good results with lubricants designed for runners. Keeping areas of your feet that are prone to blisters lubricated will help prevent blistering.

As for clothing, if you walk in particularly hot or cold weather, you'll need to take care not to overheat or get too cold. Visit a sporting goods store to purchase moisture wicking clothing that is suitable for your climate.

Finally, you'll need a pedometer. You can get a simple one that only counts steps for around $5-10, or you can pay as much as $50 or more for a more complex model. Regardless of the one you choose, you'll need to track your distance each walking day.

How Far is Too Far?

Even if you're out-of-shape, you'll be able to follow a marathon training program if you allow yourself time to work up to the longer distances. For your first walking week, plan on walking five days at a comfortable distance each day. Many walkers plan on resting one weekend day and one week day. Your weekend walking day will eventually become your long-distance walking day.

Let's say you're able to do only one mile comfortably for the first week. Your second week might look like this.

Monday: 1 mile

Tuesday: 1 mile

Wednesday: 1 mile

Thursday: Rest

Friday: 1 mile

Saturday: 1.5 to 2 miles

Sunday: Rest

You'll gradually increase your weekday walks and your weekend walk until you're walking approximately three to six miles on weekdays and up to 18 to 20 miles on your long distance day.

Avoiding Injury

The most important thing you can do to avoid injury is to increase your distance gradually. Once you've established what distance you're initially comfortable walking, you should increase your weekly distance by no more than 10 percent at a time. So if you complete five miles your first week, on your second week you should complete no more than five and a half miles. The next week, you'll complete no more than six miles, and so on.

Gradually increase your distance until you're walking about thirty miles per week. If you experience any physical discomfort, you should decrease your distance temporarily and visit your doctor if it continues.

Another technique for avoiding injury is allowing yourself time to stretch, warm up, and cool down. Stretching your muscles will prevent injury, as will beginning your walks at a slower pace and slowly increasing your speed until you've reached your walking pace. Slowing at the end of your walk will help your body adjust to the reduction in effort and aid in reducing muscle soreness.

Other Tips for Success

Stay well hydrated while walking. This is especially important in warm weather and on your long distance days, but you should develop a habit of carrying some water with you.

On your long distance days, take a high-quality snack along. Nuts and raisins are easy to carry and provide a quick energy boost for those long walks.

Consider walking a half-marathon (about thirteen miles) when you're able to walk ten miles relatively easily on your long distance days. Most marathons and half-marathons have time limits, so later in your training you'll need to consider your speed as well as your distance to ensure that you can finish within the time allotted. It will give you an opportunity to see how your body reacts to the demands of a marathon, and you'll have the experience and success to continue to motivate you through your training.

The Big Day

Reduce the length of your walks two to three weeks before the date of the marathon or half-marathon. Your weekday walks should fall to three or four miles each, and your weekend walks should be reduced to twelve miles or so each for a full marathon. Your body will need time to rest before attempting the full distance.

Don't eat anything unusual the day before or the day of the marathon. You run the risk of having something disagree with you, and stomach problems will almost certainly prevent your finishing the event. Instead, eat a healthy meal that includes protein and complex carbohydrates. Chicken, fish, and whole grains are good choices.

If the race offers sports drinks and water, try alternating between the two at hydrating stations. Too much of the sports drinks can cause stomach upset, but a little will help to keep your energy up.

Carry some snacks, runner's lubricant and blister tape along with you. Don't buy brand new shoes for the event ? this is not the time to break them in. Your shoes should be relatively new, but you should have walked two or three weeks in them to ensure that they'll be comfortable and not cause any chafing.

Remember that you've trained and planned for this day for weeks, or even months. The marathon will be a challenge, but it's one that you can overcome.

This article was written by Jacob Mabille, sponsored by Health Guidance.

Fat Burning Foods

Are there any foods that burn body fat? If yes, how is it possible? It should be possible to lose weight by simply eating such foods. What are these foods?

The fat burning foods are foods that burn more calories than the calorie content of the foods itself. There are certain foods which actually burn more fat than the calorie content of the food itself. These fat burning foods or so called negative calorie foods are natural plant foods.

Fruits rich in vitamin C like limes, lemons, oranges, grapefruit and tangerines have fat burning properties. Some of the other fat burning foods are asparagus, beet root, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, apple, blueberries, and watermelon. It you eat these fat burning foods and do some exercise, it will boost your metabolism and burn calories at a faster rate for several hours even after exercise.

A recent research reports that calcium in dairy products can boost weight loss by increasing fat breakdown in fat cells. If you compare a dairy-rich versus a dairy-poor diet you can nearly double the rate of weight and fat loss with the same level of calorie restriction.

Not eating enough will slow your metabolism and deteriorating your health. Note that in order to lose weight you have to burn more calories than you consume. This can be done by eating negative calorie foods. This will help your body burning up the excessive stored fat.

Copyright P. Mehta 2004, www.FatFreeKitchen.com

[Please note that this article is not a subsitute for medical advise. You have permission to publish this article in your web sites, ezines or electronic publication, as long as the piece is used in its entirety including the resource box, all hyperlinks (clickable) and references and copyright info.

-------------------------------------------------------

This article has been written by http://www.FatFreeKitchen.com.

For more information, visit Fat Burning Foods.

http://www.FatFreeKitchen.com/weightloss/fat-burning-foods.html

--------------------------------------------------------

Recognizing Anxiety Disorder Symptoms

Social anxiety disorder is a very serious mental illness that affects many more people than most imagine. Due to the nature of the problem most people who do suffer find themselves unable to talk to anyone about it. A difficulty facing social circumstances, confrontation or challenges are the most common problems that are associated with social anxiety disorder but there are a number of symptoms you should be looking for. If someone you know has, or your suspect they have, social anxiety disorder then you should take them to a psychiatrist.

Anxiety causing situations may cause anxiety disorder symptoms that are similar to those of a panic attack, however the two illnesses are very different and should be treated differently to one another. Blushing, sweating, trembling, tense muscles and other physical reactions are common anxiety disorder symptoms.

An unwillingness to leave the house or even to have visitors round to their house can lead to both physical and mental symptoms. People with anxiety disorder struggle to attend school or work and some may even find it very difficult to go to shops or other places where they are likely to come into contact with other people or groups of people.

Any anxiety is much greater than you would normally expect in certain situations. Everybody is nervous or anxious about certain things but anxiety disorder symptoms are much greater.

If a person has extreme fear of social situations this is the first sign and one of the most obvious of anxiety disorder symptoms. It can be difficult to spot if the patient has become well versed at hiding the problems.

John Mancini has been writing about Anxiety Disorder online and offline for a long time. Visit http://stop-anxiety-disorders.net or http://anxiety-disorders-info.info to read more about matters like generalized anxiety disorder and anxiety disorder symptoms.

How to Eat Healthily

We all know the importance of eating healthy foods for their vitamin and mineral content. However, in recent years, scientists have discovered that there are hundreds of substances in food that have healing and disease prevention properties.

So why, if there are foods that will heal many of our common ailments, have we not heard more about them? Maybe it's because, just as we've become a fast food society, we've also become a fast cure society. We're always looking for the easy way to cure and prevent diseases by just popping a pill.

Just look at the increasing number of ads on TV and in magazines for drugs. Often the side effects are worse than the disease they're meant to prevent or cure!

Wouldn't it be better to use natural remedies? Remedies with no side effects, to cure and prevent diseases? Of course it would! That's why I decided to write this article. Here's to a healthier life!.

Perhaps as a child you were told by your mom to eat all your carrots because they were good for your eyes? As you grew up, you may have cynically been told by others that this was just an old wives tale. Guess what, recent studies have shown that Mom was right! Foods can prevent eye disease, heart disease, arthritis and much more.

Some Basic Science:

In recent years scientists have discovered that foods contain phytochemicals, which is a fancy name for naturally occurring chemicals. This is not the same as nutrients, which we all know are the substances necessary for sustaining life.

Phytochemicals have properties that can aid in disease prevention and cures. Scientists have identified thousands of these chemicals in the foods we eat and a single serving of fruit or vegetables can contain as many as one hundred different phytochemicals.

The most commonly known phytochemicals are the antioxidants. Antioxidants protect our cells from damage by toxic substances and free radicals (a by-product produced by our bodies which converts oxygen into energy). Free radicals can damage cells in our bodies which can lead to disease. Antioxidants protect the body from oxidation and reduce the risk of acquiring many common ailments.

The full article is a big one and covers:

Fruits and Vegetables Healing Properties Of Fruits Healing Properties Of Vegetables Seeds, Nuts, Oils and Fish Healing Properties Of Seeds, Nuts, Oils and Fish Grains Healing Properties Of Grains Healing Properties Of Beans and Lentils Healing Properties Of Herbs and Spices Healing Teas Other Healing Foods

Hit the link below to continue reading it.

Edwina Hanson has made available the entire article at Eat Healthy Foods

Air Purifiers: An Investigation of the Types and Their Benefits

Considering the amount of irritants that are present in the air today, those who suffer from allergies and other breathing disorders are challenged to find effective ways to clean the air that they breathe within their home environment.

Not so many years ago, this simply meant making sure that the house was dusted regularly and that pets were bathed and brushed ? outdoors ? as often as possible, in order to cut down on the most common allergy inducing factors. Today, there?s far more at stake, when we consider the types of contaminants that are present in our environment as a result of pollution. Bigger challenges, then, require better tools for providing a solution ? enter, the air purifier.

The cleaning of the air within your home can be accomplished in a variety of different ways. A simple, straightforward air cleaner is designed to reduce the dust build-up within the home, offering the benefits of cleaner air and less need to perform common household chores, such as dusting. These are electronic in nature and use a basic filtering system that?s designed to draw in, clean and re-circulate the air.

Air purifiers are a bit more complex, in that they are specifically designed to eliminate pollutants such as pollen and other airborne irritants, in addition to the dust that the air cleaner removes from the environment.

These purifiers are available in a number of sizes, including the portable version. In this case, the air is drawn to the bottom of the cleaner and is then pushed upward through an aluminum mesh filter. This is where the pollutants are trapped before the air is moved on to the next phase of the process.

An electronic cleaning cell (two-stage) is the next stop for the airflow, which ionizes dust particles that are invisible to the naked eye and cleans them from the air. From there, the air is diverted to an activated charcoal filter which deodorizes any odors that may remain before the air is re-circulated.

An electronic air purifier should be placed in an area where the highest amount of family traffic takes place, though it can be installed in any room of the home. Complete with a two-speed fan that can typically clean an area of up to 300 cubic feet when on the highest setting, this type of air purifier would be ideal for a room that measured 20? x 30?.

As economical as it is useful, an electronic air purifier doesn?t require any special wiring, and uses less electricity than that of a 100-watt light bulb.

The electric air cleaner is utilized by placing it in the central duct system, and cleans the air through the process of electrostatic precipitation. Basically, this just means that when the furnace blows smoke and other contaminants into the air, they are forced into a filter, then a charging station that provides charges from tungsten wires.

From there, any remaining particles are forced into a collection area, where they?re trapped and washed away by the cleaning process. Charcoal filters are in position to eliminate any leftover odors from the air, which is then forced out into the home for re-circulation.

Depending upon the design of your home, your economic constraints and the level of allergies that your family members possess, there?s a system that will work for you. Once the air in your home is properly cleaned and purified, you?ll all be breathing much easier.

Copyright 2005 Mike Spencer

Considering the amount of irritants that are present in the air today, it?s hardly surprising that more people are suffering with breathing problems and allergies. But when it comes to finding an effective air purifier it?s literally a jungle out there. 1st For Air Purifiers reviews the different types of air filtration systems and explains the benefits of each. Arm yourself with the facts about air purification systems here: http://www.1st-for-air-purifiers.com

Why the Low GI Diet is the Key to Your Weight Loss Goals!

Losing weight is one of the hardest goals Americans annually seek to accomplish. The weight loss industry is huge and incorporates every type of fad diet, pill, cream, and lotion possible. Instead of falling prey to one of these ?lose weight quickly? fads, entrust your weight loss into something that will guarantee you results: a low GI diet.

This diet is certainly nothing new and does not require purchase of any expensive diet foods that are usually packed with preservatives. A low GI diet is much more than a typical diet?it is truly a change in your lifestyle, health, and overall well being.

What does GI Stand for Anyway?

The ?GI? in GI diet stands for Glycemic Index. The Glycemic Index is based on the carbohydrate content of food and how quickly those carbohydrates affect your blood glucose level. Foods with a high Glycemic Index are quickly digested and turned into sugar. It is no surprise that these foods usually lack necessary vitamins or nutrients and contain needless calories and fats. Foods with a high Glycemic Index (foods ranking 70 or greater on the scale) include:

* Foods high in sugar or glucose
* Baked or mashed potatoes
* White Rice
* Regular (not whole grain) bread
* Cookies, cakes, muffins, doughnuts
* Junk foods

A Little Thought and Preparation Make a Big Difference

The method of food preparation also affects the Glycemic Index. Foods that are cooked or pre-cooked have a higher GI. For example, instant oatmeal or grits have a higher Glycemic Index than the same foods cooked in a more traditional manner. Due to this reason, individuals who are on a low GI diet tend to put more thought into foods consumed and tend to consume less pre-cooked, pre-packaged foods filled with preservatives or additives.

It?s All About Choices

By choosing to consume foods with a low Glycemic Index, you are making a conscious effort to consume foods that are nutritious and good for you. This diet is also critical for individuals with diabetes or other conditions that make it necessary to monitor their blood sugar levels. Make the conscious commitment to embark on a low GI diet and create a healthy lifestyle.

What foods are classified as low GI? You will certainly be surprised with the incredibly long list of options available to individuals currently pursuing a low GI diet! These low GI (55 or less) foods include:

* Most fruits (apples, pears, oranges, berries, etc.)
* High fiber grains (bran, whole grain wheat?s)
* Pastas
* Whole milk
* Low-fat yogurt
* Lentils
* Whole grain cereals (Special K, All Bran, etc)

These foods are readily incorporated into a daily diet and intermixed with foods that have a medium rank on the Glycemic Index between 56 and 69. These foods should be eaten sparingly, thoroughly mixed with the low GI foods. Such medium GI foods include:

* Boiled potatoes
* Dried fruits (raisins and apricots)
* Ice Cream
* Shortbread cookies

Where?s the Meat?

If you are wondering where fresh meat, eggs, cheese, and vegetables rank on the Glycemic Index, it is because these foods do not contain carbohydrates. For this reason, they are deemed suitable to consume and still abide by the guidelines of the low GI diet. Whether you are a bona fide meat eater or a staunch vegetarian, you are sure to succeed on this great diet.

A low GI diet is excellent for any individual wishing to lose weight without giving up the foods they love. This diet will allow you to joyfully consume beloved breads and perfect pastas without guilt! If you find yourself wanting a lifestyle change and are ready to lose weight, you?ll definitely want to look for more in-depth information on the easily adaptable GI diet.

Wesley Atkins is a fitness and nutrition coach and author of the Low GI Diet Breakthrough ebook. For free tips, weight loss information, or to find out more about his book, visit: http://www.lowgidietbreakthrough.com.