Six Pack of Spring Break Shape-Up Tips

In order to shape up in a hurry, here's my six-step spring break shape-up plan:

1. Cut down on calories - Losing weight and getting more trim comes down to burning more calories than you consume.

2. Get on an exercise program - Reduce the number of calories you take in and get on an exercise program immediately if you're not on one already.

3. Eat a healthy diet - The types of calories you take in are just as important as your exercise plan.

Take some time to plan a smart, healthy diet and stick to it. Most people who are slightly overweight, or very overweight, can lose 5-10 pounds quickly by simply cutting out empty calories such as soda pop, desserts and white breads and pastas.

Instead, eat natural foods such as fruits and vegetables and whole grain breads and pasta.

4. Eat smaller meals - Instead of eating one or two big meals, space out your meals throughout the day by eating smaller meals. Have healthy snacks such as fruit, carrot sticks and peanut butter sandwiches on hand.

5. Drink lots of water - Water makes up 60 percent of a person's body weight on average and is crucial to healthy functioning of every system in the body.

Even mild dehydration can drain a person's energy and make them feel tired. The Institute of Medicine recommends an average male should drink approximately 3 liters of water a day (about 13 cups), while a female should drink 2.2 liters (nine cups).

This counts any beverage that has water in it, but it's better to drink pure water instead of sugary drinks. Drinking a lot of water will also help you feel fuller and eat less. This is trick No. 1 for models who are trying to stay trim.

6. Perform interval cardio exercises - When exercising, the best way to get a beach body is to perform lots of cardio exercise.

More specifically, do interval workouts when you run on the treadmill or outside, or ride a bike or elliptical machine. Instead of trudging along at the same easy pace for 20 or 30 minutes, when interval training you should exercise near peak level for three minutes, then back off to a moderate pace for one minute, and go hard for the next three minutes.

Repeat this process for 20 minutes or so for an incredible workout. You'll get more benefit in less time. Follow these tips and within a few weeks or a month you'll notice the difference - and feel a lot more confident on the beach or at the swimming pool.

Find all your home fitness equipment needs at AtHomeFitness.com, including Treadmills, Ellipticals, Exercise Bikes, Free Weights and more.

Aaron Dorksen, sports editor of The Daily Record in Wooster, Ohio, has won numerous Associated Press state and national awards. He was voted Ohio AP sports writer of the year in 2006. Dorksen was a scholastic multi-sport athlete and is still a competitive slowpitch softball player, while also remaining an avid weightlifter, cyclist and runner.

How To Lose Abdominal Fat Fast!

How do you lose abdominal fat? This is a rather sought after answer. People slave away at the gym for months at a time, trying to build the perfect six pack, only to realise they will never show until they lose abdominal fat.

Body fat is simply excess calories your body has stored. In order to lose abdominal fat, you need to reduce your body fat percentage. You cant simply spot target areas of your body to lose fat from. You lose and gain fat across your entire body. Fat is simply stored wherever convenient by your body, it is also lost wherever convenient from your body.

Doing endless sit-ups will not help you lose abdominal fat. You need a diet that provides less calories than your body burns (calorie deficient) and also an exercise routine that effectively burns calories that you have already stored (as fat).

The most effective exercise routine to lose abdominal fat is a high intensity, interval workout. People focus too much on aerobic exercise, however, this is not efficient. With high intensity, interval training, you get to train for less time, and burn a lot more fat. The most amazing benefit is that your metabolism is increased, and stays that way for hours after you finish exercising.

There are many ways to train with high intensity intervals. You can do hill runs, interval sprints, or my personal favourite, fartlek.

Fartlek is basically a rather casual interval run. You begin by simply jogging, however, throughout the run, you alternate with highly intense sprints, you then recover by slowing to a jog. This is known as active recover and is very, very effective. You can sprint for as long or as short as your want. I personally like to use trees as my counter. I focus on a tree in the distance and sprint. When I pass it, I slow to a jog, and when I recover, I sprint again.

This level of training is rather difficult, but once you get used to it, it is probably one the most rewarding methods of training. Not only will it help you lose abdominal fat, but you will turbo charge your aerobic and anaerobic conditioning.

As your total body fat percentage starts to drop, you will lose abdominal fat. Your abs will start to be very visible as you lower it to around 10%. Each percentage drop after will increase the visibility.

So, start focusing on your diet, put on your running shoes, and give high intensity interval training a go. It is the only real way to lose abdominal fat.

Would you like to learn how to lose body fat super fast?

Lose Abdominal Fat

How about learning exactly how to build a beautiful, lean, muscular body?

Workout Routines To Build Muscle

Know How to Choose a Hospital

Well, going to a hospital isn't always a planned affair, but there are times when you can choose a medical center for an imminent treatment or a test. It is important for a patient to know what they can do to choose the best hospital suiting their requirements.

Start making a list of your preferred hospitals, which have the provision for treatment of your medical problem. For example, if someone needs an open heart surgery, it might be possible that a smaller hospital doesn't provide that treatment. Sometimes, hospitals are unequipped or don't have specialized doctors to carry out an open heart surgery.

How to choose a good hospital? While choosing a hospital here are a few points that you might want to consider before:

1. Insurance Security: Check whether your health insurance or medi-claim covers that hospital.

2. Distance Dilemma: Is it located at a convenient distance from your residence? You don't want to choose a one which is located very far away. And that the commutation would take long and make it difficult.

3. Doctor Preference: You may have a preference for a doctor. In that case, you'll have to check whether doctor is affiliated with any of the medical centers in question.

4. Company Question: Does the hospital allow an advocate to attend by your bedside 24/7? It is important that you check with the hospital authorities in case you want to look after your dear ones closely.

5. Privacy Prominence: If you require private rooms, does this hospital offers the same? Many medical centers don't offer any private rooms; all they have are general wards. So, in case you require a private room because of your medical condition, ensure that your hospital provides the same.

6. Spick and Span: No we all know medical centers are dangerous because of hospital acquired infections. So make sure that the hospital is clean and comfortable.

7. Safe or Unsafe: Does the hospital have a safe track record? Every state health department has a track record of every hospital. You can review the hospitals on your list and determine which one you'd like to choose.

Don't forget to ask your doctor about their role in treating you at the hospital. Many hospitals have started employing specialists just on hospital's pay-roll and replace your doctor. Ensure if such a thing will happen to you too. Now, whichever hospital you choose and howsoever long you stay; make sure you keep yourself safe.

For booking a doctor according to your choice of hospital, visit http://www.helpingdoc.com. This channel enables you to book free online appointments with specialists anywhere, anytime from independent doctors to hospital doctors.

Juice Cleanse - Do It The Natural Way

The health benefits of Juices are becoming better known by the day. Juices were previously used as a substitute for water to quench your thirst, but today, juices are also associated with dieting and in helping people maintain a healthy life style. People now correctly associate juices with losing weight as well as being a natural and healthy way to detox your body and even help to provide a better skin tone, cleaning the inner as well as the outer portion of your body.

There are several beneficial fruits and vegetables which will help you to maintain your weight. Some of them include apples, carrots, cabbage, kale and many others. Green vegetables are very beneficial such as cabbage, cucumber, and several other forms of eatable grass. They provide you with a good amount of minerals and vitamins which are really beneficial for our body.

Juice cleanse is another name given to detox dieting which depends entirely upon consuming juices while avoiding solid food. It is recommended to use the juice cleanse for only a short period of time. The reason behind it is that on the juice cleanse you will avoid eating solid food which can cause a lot of discrepancies in your body such as weakening of bones, slow digestion and many other side effects, if continued for a long time.The time period which is recommended by the professionals for a juice cleanse is two to three days maximum. This is enough to not only lose weight but to remove toxins from your body which can be harmful.It also adds much needed vitamins and minerals to your body.

It is recommended that you do a juice cleanse during summers or warm months as the need for food is quite less in these months.You should reduce the food intake first before stopping completely for the juice cleanse as this will make it easier for your body to adapt. Drink between thirty two to sixty four ounces of juice each day, as this is considered the optimum amount. Consuming more or less can be harmful. Besides this, make sure you use fresh vegetables and fruits.

When you juice your fruits, make sure that you remove their tops, skins, seeds and toughs. After completing the juice cleanse, start moving towards a healthy diet slowly, but try to take solid foods in less amounts as compared to your old intake.

Discover the amazing all natural detox that just about anyone can use with a few minor ingredients found in most homes. A healthy Juice Cleanse will leave you feeling cleansed and healthy and give you renewed energy in your daily life.

A Home Remedy for Kidney Stones - An All-Natural Way!

A home remedy for kidney stones can be simple and all natural using various ingredients coupled with a change in diet to make it more effective. This is favorable to most stone sufferers because it will not only get rid of their condition but it is safer and cheaper compared to medical surgeries and other medications.

A home remedy for stones can include the following:

- It could be herbal plants such as basil that strengthens the proper functioning of the kidneys in order to prevent stone formation. Basil juice mixed with honey can be effective in passing the stones when drank regularly for 6 months. Other herbal plants that are known as a good treatment for stones include the pellitory of the wall, buchu, Uva Ursi, rosehips, Alfalfa, Dandelion and Golden Seal.

- Vitamins B6 and other combinations with B-complex supplements is also effective as a home remedy for stone problems.

- Fresh vegetables (particularly celery) are rich in fiber that fight the possible formation of stones in the kidneys. Aside from that, radish leaves that are soaked in water is another home remedy for this kind of condition.

- Fruits (particularly raw apples) are widely used as a cure for any health problems. Grapes on the other hand contain both water and potassium salt - which are two valuable elements in treating stone problems. Other fruits that can be a good remedy for this condition include pomegranate seeds that have the power to dissolve and pass stones out of the body. Watermelon (which is definitely rich in water and potassium) and figs can be all sources of a good natural remedy.

A home remedy for kidney stones can be done with natural ingredients that are available right at home. These are cheaper, effective and better alternatives than expensive medical procedures!

Looking for a 100% guaranteed natural kidney stones treatment? The Kidney Stone Removal Report will help you to get rid of your kidney stone condition naturally - so Click Here and get a natural treatment for your kidney stones today!

Tips for Racing and Running

The First Mile - How Fast To Go

How you set-off is really a matter of personal preference. You may be the hare or you may be the tortoise. Unlike the famous story, I know that both can result in a successful race.

So, to the Half Marathon and my most successful race to date...

I went out about 20% faster than my target pace. This would be race suicide for some people but I felt strong and had two serious runners out front to spur me on. Yes - it was probably the fastest mile of the 13 but I have read studies which show the same 5km runner finishes with a better time when they who go out fastest in the first km - I liked this claim and applied it to a half marathon, which worked for me!

Had I burnt out due to starting too fast, it would have been a different story. I was however overtaken at mile 10 by a runner who adopted more of the tortoise philosophy - a clear demonstration of both approaches working...

The best way for you to be sure of how fast to start your race is to try this out in a timed training session for a set distance. Go out 10-20% faster than your race pace for one session and at race pace in the other, trying to get the best overall time. See which yields the best time - you may be surprised!

Race Nutrition

Pages could be written about this topic alone but given its importance to a successful race, I want to cover some key points.

The most important thing to be said - whatever nutrition you are thinking of for your race, try it out in a training race environment. Not only is it important to try exactly the same nutrition but preferably replicate as many race conditions as you can, including time of day.

The Half Marathon - My race nutrition was....nothing! As Crazzzy as it may sound, I took on no fluid or food during the entire 13.2 mile race. This is not really advisable and only worked for me because I completed the race fairly quickly and got my pre-race nutrition correct. Just for an example, pre-race I made sure I was well hydrated and my energy levels were topped up (by eating my usual pre-race bowl of porridge with banana 3 hours before and drinking 500ml of water/sports drink up to 2 hours before the race).

Race nutrition is specific to the individual. Only you can decide. Of course loose rules can be put in place because we are all human. Dehydration will jeopardise your performance!

Setting Defined Goals

We enter races for a variety of reasons - charity, personal achievement, sacrifice...

These will always be great motivators but as I once read in a book by Sir Ranulph Fiennes, the great thing about races is that they immediately give your training (and maybe even life!) clarity and structure. Once you have entered, you have your defined goal! The race is the primary goal, time and speed of racing would be a sub-category of that goal and the reasons for entering would be your motivators.

It can be a very powerful (and tactical) tool to keep a brief list of your goal, sub-category goals and motivators any time you enter a race. That way you have a constant reminder and easy way of benchmarking your training. So your list may appear:

Goal: Run the London Marathon

Sub-goals: Complete race in under 4 hours / Maintain 7 minute per mile pace for this first 10 miles / Do not stop to walk

Motivations: Running for Charity X... In memory of.../ To improve weight loss and become fitter / To improve confidence

Races can go by like a flash but if you can recall your list during your race, you may be in for a mental boost!

During the Race

Decide before the race whether starting position is important to you and try to ask a marshall how crowded/narrow the start is likely to be. Personally, I have learnt to get myself close to the front because I aim to finish in the top 20% of runners and working my way through slower runners for the first few miles will slow me down! A massive race like the London Marathon of course makes this harder to do.

Once you have settled into your race, you may consider using other competitors as your own pace-makers. This can be very effective but also a bit dangerous. You need to remain controlled should they take you too far out of your comfort zone.

Good luck in any forthcoming event you may have and let me know if you have any great tips from personal experience!

Luke M-Davies - I am fitness enthusiast who has trained for over 14 years and I believe everyone should take ownership of their health and achieve their fitness goals - no excuses! By making healthy living more realistic, and for me that means 'rule free', I know how to stay lean and fit for life not just for summer!

By 'rule free', I do not mean, training without structure or not tracking progress of your gains. Instead, I mean being free from fitness rules that constrict your lifestyle and happiness. Go to LMD Fitness http://www.lmdfitness.com/welcome where I share all of these ideas - please keep reading and commenting because there is so much power in sharing with others, so don't hold back!

The views expressed in this article are my own and are intended for information purposes only. I only speak from personal experience and do not hold any health or fitness qualifications. Before putting into practice any exercise or nutrition tips or plans you should always consult the relevant qualified medical practitioner.

An Overview of the Treatment of Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is not only debilitating, it is also costly. In fact, studies show that $14 billion is spent yearly on Osteoporosis related injuries like bone fractures. It is important then that treatment must be sought out if you or someone you love has been afflicted with this disease.

Although there is no surefire way to treat osteoporosis, there is a lot people can do to alleviate its symptoms, maintain it and slow down its progression so that they may live relatively normal lives. Before you try any of the treatments stated below, make sure you consult a physician or an orthodontist to make sure you wont make yourself worst.

Diet has always been an important factor to a persons well-being, more so a person stricken with Osteoporosis. People with this disease, or even those who are starting to show signs of the disease, are advised to get the recommended daily amount of calcium, which is around 1,000 mgs, depending on a persons weight and build. For those who are lactose intolerant, or simply hate milk, eating salmon, nuts, green leafy vegetables, fruits, and tofu can give you the amount of calcium you need.

A person with Osteoporosis is encouraged to have some form of exercise as inactivity can worsen the disease. However, one must consult the doctor first and not do exercise routines where one is in danger of breaking their bones. Taking a brisk walk everyday can raise.

For those who have already suffered bone loss, medications usually given by doctors include Biphosphonates, which stops the body from slowly breaking down the bone. A new treatment entails injecting the patients body with Parathyroid hormone to encourage the growth of new bone formations.

My name is Darren and I write for the osteoporosis advice site. I recommend that you visit the site for an in depth write up of osteoporosis treatment at the following page: http://www.osteoporosisadvice.com/

How to Protect Your Eyes From a Computer?

The computer has become an essential part of our daily life in recent years. We use computer to surf the internet, get the latest news update and perform other online social networking activities. In our work place, majority of us need a computer to complete our tasks. Our job efficiency is much more depends on the computer and software. These technologies make our life easier and do things faster.

It is a known fact that staring at the computer monitor for a long period of time will put your eyesight in risk. Our eyes muscles will get strain and tired. This will normally lead to discomfort and will cause damage to our eyesight in long-term. So how should we take precaution to avoid this problem?

Expert suggested that we should take at least 5 minutes break after every hour we use the computer. You should look up from your computer and focus at a distant object. This will help to release the strain of your eyes muscles. You should try to make this as a habit and take breaks often.

Another suggestion is to make sure you have proper lighting in the room. There are reports saying poor lighting will cause headaches and result in vision problems. Many people who suffer from weak or poor eyesight are mainly due to poor lighting condition. Therefore, always make sure your computer screens contrast ratio is appropriate and not too bright.

You should also go for a regular eyesight check-up to take precaution. For people who already have vision problem, they are advisable to go for a vision check-up every 6 months to 1 year. This is because our eyesight problems will change over time and we need to continue monitoring our vision condition.

We granted by God with healthy eyesight and it is our responsibility to protect and keep our eyesight from all the harmful risks. So remember to look up from your computer to take a break after your read this article.

Noel is a sports lover who currently reviewing Schwinn Adult Tricycle. You may also check out his new website about Adult Tricycles.

Jogging Versus Sprinting: Which Is Better For You?

Cardio has become synonymous with jogging. You tighten up your running shoes, hit the treadmill or the road and just go until your joints can't handle it anymore or until you're bored. That's how you're supposed to burn calories and lose weight. Isn't it?

It might be time to rethink your exercise regimen.

Endurance training, like jogging or cycling, trigger's the body's natural release of cortisol. This has its benefits, but purely in terms of exercise and muscle growth, cortisol is a hormone that can restrict your body's ability to build muscle.

So what can you do to combat this? Is there a way to improve cardiovascular health, while at the same time not impeding the body's ability to grow muscle, or to even assist in the process?

Think about how the human body evolved (or was created, if you're into that sort of thing). People were designed to both walk and sprint. Seldom does jogging occur with any other species in nature. Animals walk to migrate and sprint to hunt or flee.

While jogging can release cortisol into the body, sprinting can naturally release much more beneficial hormones in terms of muscle-building: testosterone and human growth hormone (HGH). Yes, both men and women have the ability to generate testosterone and HGH, albeit at very different levels. No, these aren't the synthetic substances that athletes get banned for. These are naturally occurring hormones that help to build muscle, slow aging, build stronger bones, etc.

Not only does sprinting shoot your testosterone and HGH levels way up, but it can keep them up for a few hours after your workout. This keeps your body burning fat long after your workout is done.

Also, jogging, like walking, will severely neglect your body's fast twitch muscle fibers, while emphasizing the slow-twitch variety. What's the difference? Fast-twitch fibers are used for explosive, powerful movements, while slow-twitch fibers are the source of muscle stamina. In terms of appearance, athletes who focus on training that emphasizes the slow-twitch fibers tend to have long, slender muscles, while those whose training relies on fast-twitch fibers tend to be bulkier.

Now, should you completely eliminate jogging from your workout routine? Not necessarily. I would recommend about a 70/30 percent split between sprinting and jogging, respectively. This will ensure that both muscle fiber types are being utilized, and that you will be developing both power and endurance as you train.

Check out EpicFit20.com for all of your free online personal fitness training needs, or visit our Free Blog for more free fitness and health articles, updated daily!

-A G @ EpicFit20.com

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Beginning Your Weight Training Program

So youve finally set your heart on beginning your weight training program. Dont just plunge into it, though. A lot of people are so gung ho at starting that they do so without proper preparation. This could lead to some false starts that could burn you out and turn you off from working out. That would be a waste. Making sure that you are well prepared for what you will be committing yourself to will ensure that you can follow through for the long haul.

One of the first things you should do is to have clear cut goals for your program. List down what it is that you want to achieve. Are you targeting a certain weight for yourself? Would that mean having to lose weight or gain weight? Is there a certain way you want your body to look like? Do you want to bulk up your muscles or do you want them toned, long and lean? This is very important for you to determine because the weight training regimen you choose will be determined by your specific goals. Consult a professional to ensure that the program you will be doing is compatible with your goals.

Once you have the correct program, you should not just go through it. You should also diligently monitor your progress by taking regular measurements and recording this in a workout journal. This means accurately measuring your chest, waist, biceps, hips, and thighs just before you begin your program and every day before you do your workout. It would also help to assess your body objectively in front of a mirror. Before the program, note down the areas of your body you want to improve on. Every day, note down any changes you observe. Your measurements and your visual observations will guide you in assessing how well your regimen is working. Any improvements you see will also help motivate you to do even better.

Aside from the actual exercises, your workout regimen also includes proper patterns of eating and sleeping. You should learn what food to avoid and what food to add to your diet to supplement your efforts. Make sure you dont eat too late after your workouts. This ensures that your muscles are well fed. Keep in mind that during a workout, you are tearing up muscle fibers. Your body needs the proper nutrients to repair these muscles. This is also why you need to sleep well for at least eight hours every night. Muscle repair and growth happen mostly while the body is in deep sleep.

If you are well prepared for your weight training program, the chances of your sticking to it for the long term are increased. So are the chances of your reaping the hard earned fruits of your labor.

Over at the FitnessArmory.com, you can let our expert advice on fitness and equipment reviews help you create the perfect home gym but without all the huge costs. We have the exclusive reviews on all your favorite brands and models to help you get in shape, get healthy and look great. Recent product reviews include: Garmin Forerunner 405 Watch, Garmin Forerunner 405CX Watch. We invite you to stop by or drop us a line if you have any questions or need help with your fitness equipment selections.

Cranberry Juice and It's Benefits

Cranberry juice has many benefits and has long been known to be an effective relief for urinary tract infections in particular. Although this is sometimes rumoured to be an old wives tale, there is a valid reason why this particular juice has this almost medicinal effect. Cystitis is one of the most common urinary tract infections that occurs in women and this is caused by bacteria entering the urinary tract and bladder.

Cranberry Juice Removes Bacteria

When someone has a UTI, this causes bacteria to cling to the sides of the bladder - the bacteria that causes these infections is E Coli. The good thing about cranberry juice, and the reason why it helps, is that it has a substance in it that will stop the bacteria from clinging on and if the bacteria cannot do this then it will not be able to multiply so quickly, and subsequently this will stop the infection from increasing.

When you have a UTI it is advisable to drink as much cranberry as possible, as well as drinking a lot of water to flush out the infection. However, sometimes the infections can be too much for the juice to have a sufficient effect on and you will need to see your doctor to get some antibiotics prescribed. Antibiotics should clear up the infection pretty quickly.

If you suffer from recurrent UTIs and you have seen your doctor about this then it can be worth either drinking cranberry juice on a daily basis to keep the infections at bay, or else to take cranberry tablets. Tablets contain concentrated cranberry and can be taken as part of your daily vitamin regime.

When drinking cranberry juice though, it is worth being aware of how much sugar is contained in each serving of juice. The amount of sugar is high and can be more than a lot of other carbonated drinks that you might expect to contain more. For this reason it is worth considering drinking more of a low sugar or light juice so that you do not have an excessive sugar intake. Light or low sugar juice can contain about a third of the sugar than standard cranberry juices and of course cranberry capsules are even better.

If you want to make your own cranberry juice and you have a good cheap sauce of cranberries available to you then this can be a good option. In this way you can control the amount of sugar that you add to the juice and can even use calorie free sweeteners or those made from natural products to the juice.

Find out how to make your own cranberry juice plus get more information on the benefits at the cranberry juice website.

New Insights to Reversing Diabetes

Diabetes is defined as one of three diseases where victims have high blood sugar levels. Millions of people around the world suffer from this condition. There are a number of symptoms related to diabetes. Some of these serve as warning signs that the condition exists. Tingling limbs, fainting spells, and numbness are some of the common symptoms that people experience.

Many have struggled with these symptoms prior to being diagnosed with diabetes. It is very important to take note of abnormal symptoms and relaying them to your healthcare provider. Early diagnosis usually provides a better prognosis where this disease is involved. Lets take a look at the three types of diabetes and their affects.

Type 1 diabetes

This form of this disease is an auto-immune disorder. Type 1 sufferers have the insulin in their bodies destroyed by their immune systems. The condition itself is often referred to as juvenile-onset diabetes. This particular form of the disease accounts for 10-15% of total sufferers. Although this can occur at any age, it is most common for those under the age of 40. The affects of this form is triggered through environmental issues. Things like viruses, chemicals, or dietary choices can lead to symptoms. People with Type 1 diabetes inject themselves a number of times daily with insulin.

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of this disease. It affects 85-90% of all sufferers of this condition. It is different in several ways from Type 1. This particular version is often referred to as late-onset diabetes. Sufferers experience insulin resistance, as well as, some form of insulin deficiency. This form of the disease is genetic in its origin, but may also be affected by environmental issues. Things like high blood pressure, obesity, and poor dietary habits can trigger Type 2. This condition is treated through the loss of weight, dietary changes, and in some cases with medication. More serious conditions can develop if this condition is not handled effectively.

Gestational diabetes

This is a form of the disease that is developed by pregnant women alone. It affects 5.5-8.8% of all pregnancies. During this time period women develop this condition. In many cases, this is due to heredity, obesity, and the ethnic group that they belong to. This form of the disease is commonly characterized by its carbohydrate intolerance component. In fact, it is often referred to as such. Most women return to normal after their pregnancies. These are women, however, who have a good chance of developing the condition permanently. Treatments of gestational diabetes factors in both the mother and the child shes carrying.

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Living With Fibromyalgia and Heat - What to Do in the Summer Time

The summer sun can make the healthiest person wilt really fast but whenever you add fibromyalgia to that mix, your aches and pains will probably go into overdrive. Of course, there are also some fibromyalgia patients who find the heat to be a great relief. However, even these people can suffer if they are not comfortable. Too much heat and sun can make your fibromyalgia knots cry out for relief.

Combating Dehydration

A major problem that exists in the summertime is dehydration. Combine the summer heat with the medications and supplements that fibromyalgia patients take and your muscles will be crying out for nourishment. Add to this the sweating because of the heat and this only makes things even worse. So, if you are outside and begin to feel lightheaded, go inside and drink a glass of water. This is especially important for those who have fibromyalgia because you can get dehydrated even quicker. You may not even know when this happens because the most common sign is a headache, which most fibromyalgia patients already suffer from on a regular basis anyway.

Throughout the summer you should be drinking as much water as possible (a gallon per day is recommended). For those who dont like drinking water, try to add some lemon or lime to create a refreshing flavor without adding any calories. Try to avoid drinking tea (this is a diuretic that will quickly pass through you) or soda (too much sugar or high fructose corn syrup). If you still cant stand the taste of plain water and dont want to add lemon or lime to it, then try vitamin water or flavored water. Whenever you are looking to purchase one of these, make sure to take a look at the label so that you can avoid those that are high in sugar or high fructose corn syrup.

Avoid Getting A Sunburn

While getting enough sun is important for the Vitamin D it provides (this fights off depression and helps you be somewhat active, which is good since part of the fibromyalgia pain is due to lack of blood circulation), you dont want to get a sunburn so make sure to use sun block.

Wear Loose-Weave Clothing

It is also a good idea to wear loose-weave clothing such as drawstring pants and pull over shirts. Make sure that your clothes are both cool and comfortable as this will help keep you cooler.

Darius has been writing online for a while now and has a lot of different interests. You can learn more by going to Fibromyalgia Diagnosis and Fibromyalgia Diet

Steps for Starting a Home Healthcare Agency From the Ground Up

Whether you are considering starting a home healthcare agency or are in the process, the following steps will guide you in the right direction and inform you of what to expect through the application process. All in all, it takes approximately nine months to become government approved as a home healthcare agency.

Although starting an agency is lengthy, it is not difficult when you break down the process step-by-step.

1. Set clear objectives. First start by deciding what type of provider you want to be and what payer source(s) you want to work with. Be clear on your objectives and mission statement.

2. Know your competition. Research their target market, marketing strategies, web presence, social media tactics, company culture, physician referrals, demographics, company size and policies and procedures.

3. Devise a business plan. Write a 1-year, 3-year and 5-year business plan. A solid business plan can help you secure a business loan. Also, it keeps you on track throughout the process.

4. Get insurance. Sign up for insurance including workers' compensation insurance, liability insurance and a surety bond.

5. Establish a formal business. Set up a business entity that will best fit your needs. For example, you can choose from a sole proprietor, partnership, limited liability, S corporation and C corporation. Register a business name from the county and obtain a Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

6. Apply for a Medicare ID. Apply for a Submitter ID and password from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). A Submitter ID identifies your organization to the HIPAA Eligibility Transaction System (HETS). You need a Submitter ID to access Direct Data Entry (DDE).

7. Find a business location. Your office should have room for five to ten employees and be in a city that has a growing need for elder care.

8. Establish policies and procedures. Write policies and procedures related to new client admissions, plan of care, scheduling, employee records, payroll, orientation, training and billing.

9. Build brand awareness. Create your website and marketing material. Many agencies use the same stock photos of nurses and stethoscopes. Stand out from the crowd by arranging your own photo shoot or by using original concepts and ideas. A free-lance graphic artist can help you create your brand identity.

10. Hire staff. Initially you will need a licensed nurse and a superstar administrator. Once your agency gets off the ground, you will want to consider hiring an accountant, marketing coordinator and additional licensed nurses.

11. Outreach to the community. Contact local physicians, hospitals, senior centers and rehab outpatient centers for prospective clients. Initially, you need to recruit ten patients. Seven of those ten must be active at all times.

12. Research software. Demo different home healthcare software systems. The main features to evaluate include billing, scheduling, accounting, point of care, human resources and web-based.

13. Get a license. Obtain an Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) license. As part of the process, one of the following organizations will evaluate your business practice: Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC), Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP) or The Joint Commission (JC).

14. Enroll with Medicare. Once you have your AHCA license, enroll with Medicare and Medicaid by completing the 855A form. The approval response can take up to four months.

15. Test. Take the Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) test. It verifies your ability to send claims electronically amongst other things. Allot approximately six months to become OASIS approved.

16. Schedule a survey. ACHC, CHAP or JC will come out again to evaluate your business. Once they approve your agency, you will receive a Medicare Provider ID.

17. Enroll with EDI. Complete the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Enrollment Package to get a Submitter ID. It will either start with GC or SP. This process takes up to two months.

From the moment you begin the process until the government approves your agency, you must maintain at least $100,000 in your business account at all times. Other expenses to consider are salaries, rent, overhead costs and supplies. It is not until your company is approved as a home healthcare agency that you can submit claims for payment. Therefore, you need funds to manage your business without pay for at least nine months, possibly longer.

It is important to always be ready for an audit. The government wants to see that you have all your policies and procedures in a binder and that the data on your patients is thorough and complete.

Once you make it through the process of becoming approved as a home healthcare agency you are on your way to maintaining a very successful business!

Want to find the best home healthcare software? Start with Igea by Indura Systems. Since 2003, Indura Systems has been providing agencies with software solutions to enhance operational efficiency.

Social Anxiety - Easy Tips On How To Overcome Social Anxiety

There are number of benefits you able to enjoy once you overcome social anxiety such as knowing more friends, more job opportunities or starting a new healthy relationship. To enjoy the benefits, you have to first know how to overcome social anxiety.

This article gives you two easy tips to overcome social anxiety. You need to understand, result does not happen instantly, you have to be patient and dedication to see the result.

#1. Relax Yourself

Think of all sort of way that you find it best to relax yourself, take a deep breath, meditation or anything, anything that will help to relax your mind. Meditation is a real good way to overcome anxiety and panic attacks as it helps to calm and ease our mind.

#2. Stay On, Do Not Leave

During a party or a meeting, you will want to leave the place instantly when you feel nervous and anxious with too people around you. You will not able to overcome social anxiety if you just leave the place without trying to stay.

Stop thinking and expecting what is going to happen, just stay, thing is not as negative as what you always expect. You will eventually find it is enjoyable to meet people; interaction is going to help you to overcome your social anxiety.

Remember to try this out whenever you are in a party or a meeting, stay there for at least 20 minutes. You can attach to someone who you know if you feel nervous or uneasy with strangers then slowly converse with others.

Be patient about it, problem will get worse if you rush into it. Start practicing it to overcome your social anxiety. Good luck.

Vannas Lee is a anxiety and panic attacks enthusiast who owns http://www.One-Step-Information.com

She has helped people to successfully overcome anxiety and panic attacks through her valuable information.

She has recently developed a free report showing you 10 different techniques to overcome anxiety and panic attacks. To learn how to overcome anxiety and panic attacks without wasting your time and money, visit http://www.One-Step-Information.com

Love and Weight Loss

Most of my old friends can tell you that I used to be the eternal optimist. I was always a "glass half full" kind of girl. After gaining weight and failing at so many diets, my optimism slowly faded away, I became self confident about the way I looked and I had developed low self esteem. It wasnt until I decided to focus on me, and not everyone else around me, that I began to think more positive and lose weight.

I started by taking that scary naked look in the mirror. I didnt like what I saw at first, but I stood there naked, for about 15 minutes. I looked at my hair, my neck, my breast, my stomach and my thighs and I began to cry. How did I let my body get this way? I am my own worst critic and that was a long critical 10 minutes in front of the mirror. Then the light bulb went off and I realized that I did this, not anyone else and I knew I had the power to change my life. The lyrics to the Whitney Houston song "Greatest Love of All" came to mind. Learning to love yourself; it is the greatest love of all.

I tapped into my self love and started to see myself in a different light. I believed that I could lose this weight and get back to being the positive, "glass half full" girl that I used to be. I spent the last 5 minutes in front of the mirror smiling and being thankful for a chance to get my body back in shape. As I put my clothes back on I began to be thankful that I still had clothes that fit. Then I was thankful for being able to walk on my own two feet, and that I had two arms that worked and the list goes on.

I didnt feel like the positive thinking was helping at first until I found out that there have been numerous studies showing that over weight people who believe they will lose weight, have been more successful at losing weight and keeping it off. The studies also showed that the confident weight loss participants lost more weight than their negative dieting partners. Arlene K. Unger, PhD, a Wellness Coach at The Center for Empowerment in Dana Point, CA says that "The basis of a positive attitude in a weight loss regime is the belief that no matter what, I will succeed. This is what supports positive behavior change and discourages negative habits." Knowing that I will succeed has helped me change my bad habits and live a healthier life style.

Maya Angelou says "If you dont like something, change it. If you cant change it, change your attitude. Dont complain." She is absolutely right. It wasnt until I stopped complaining about my weight and made up my mind to change my life style that I started to see positive results. I began to believe that I could lose this weight and I started working toward my goals. It is really a life style change. If you change your mind, then you can change your life.

Felicia B. White is a photographer, writer and poet. A graduate of he Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale, Felicia moved to Georgia with hopes of becoming a product photographer when life took over and she became a hospitality project manager instead. After finding a good church home Felicia has started writing songs and poetry and dusting off her photography equipment and is back in the creative world again. Shes currently writing for a few well know web sites and is using her photography skills to take pictures for her articles. Felicia is very passionate about helping others through her writing and is ready to embark on a new chapter in her life. Check out some of the helpful free weight loss tips that she has written about at http://healthylivingdietplans.com

Understanding Gout

A lot of people suffer from joint pains of varying kinds these days, and it is often found that a majority of them seek medical assistance only when the pain becomes unbearable. If you happen to be one such person who has been going unmindfully behind all sorts of natural remedies for your joint pain, it would be wise to consult a doctor because you could be suffering from gout. It is important that one has a basic understanding of gout so that it becomes easier to manage the symptoms in a more effective manner.

Gout, a form of rheumatoid arthritis, mainly affects males in comparison to females. While menopausal women are more prone to gout, children or teenagers rarely contract it. With a whole lot of symptoms which resemble rheumatoid arthritis, gout attacks can leave the patient in a much disturbed condition both physically as well as emotionally. One of the factors which people need to understand about gout is that it is largely incurable. Once a patient is diagnosed with gout, there is every chance that it keeps recurring, especially if left untreated, leading to other complications as well.

To understand gout effectively, one needs to know its various symptoms. Gout, very commonly attacks the big toe joint of the feet, as well as other smaller joints of the body like the ankles, knees, fingers, wrist, elbows, etc. A person afflicted with gout may have symptoms ranging from swelling, heat, redness, burning sensation, and excruciating pain in the inflamed joint along with fever and chills. The duration of a gout attack can be anywhere from a week to ten days.

A proper understanding of gout would be incomplete without knowing its causes. The cause of gout depends on various factors like diet, body weight, lifestyle, food habits, alcohol intake, etc of a person. For example, if a person is a heavy drinker or is obese due to excess of rich diet and an inactive lifestyle, the chances of his developing gout is on the higher side. If at all the person suffers from gout, all these factors may increase his chances of getting recurrent gout attacks too.

Gout is basically caused due to the unhealthy buildup of uric acid in the body. A normal level of uric acid, which is the byproduct of a chemical reaction in our body, is filtered out due to the functions of the kidney. But when the level of uric acid becomes very high, the kidneys are helpless to eliminate it and hence it starts accumulating in the joints of the body in the form of needle like crystals, causing inflammation.

It is to be understood that gout, although cannot be cured fully, can be managed to a great extent by sticking on to a sensible lifestyle and diet. Avoid food which are high in purines like seafood, meat, alcohol, etc in your diet and opt for fresh fruits and vegetables along with low-fat dairy products. Do seek medical attention and go by the doctors advice promptly.

Gout can be managed effectively without affecting your daily routine. You just need to understand the basics of Gout so that you can take necessary steps to reduce its recurrence to a great extent. For more information on Gout, do visit us at www.gout.ca.

Weight Loss Tips - Enjoy Your Winter Workouts

The cold, dark and miserable winter mornings dont exactly inspire you to leap out of bed and start working out. The lack of daylight and freezing temperatures make long lazy lie-ins and relaxing in front of the fire the order of the day, but what about those workouts. You have to resist the urge to cut back on your exercising and keep the momentum you have built up going. Exercise can be a great way to warm up and banish those winter blues.

You can always chose to do all your winter exercise sessions but it would be a real shame to miss out on those fresh and crisp winter days. It is always easier to warm up when exercising than it is to try and cool yourself down. When you workout in the winter it is more important than ever that you warm up properly. Rather than just stretching your muscles, warm up with a brisk walk and keep increasing your pace until you feel fully warmed up. If you are exercising outside, it may be a good idea to warm up inside first, if your muscles are not warmed up fully before exercising then your chance of injury is greater. Start slowly and gradually build up your intensity.

If you are going to brave the winter conditions and exercise outside, then you need to kit yourself out properly. You need to wear several layers of clothes, with the first being something thin that wont stick too much to your skin. Your second layer should be heavier such as a sweatshirt or fleece that will keep your body nice and warm. Your final layer needs to be something that will protect you from all elements of weather such as wind and rain, such as a waterproof jacket. If you get to warm then you can always remove a layer or unzip it. A hat and gloves is also a good idea.

If you are determined to exercise inside for the whole winter, then try to vary your workouts to starve of boredom and loss of interest. Vary your cardio activities and mix it up with some strength training. Try and find a new group activity to take up for the winter such as spinning or aerobics. You could always start your routine indoors before finishing up outdoors or vice versa. A good run on a crisp winters day will really blow the cobwebs away and can be very exhilarating.

Dont abandon your exercise regime during the winter, embrace the cold snap and you will emerge in spring feeling better than ever.

Would you like to learn how to lose weight fast and keep it off? Maybe you are looking to lose the beer belly or lose weight after pregnancy then I can help. My online weight loss resource offers the best weight loss programs available today which all come with a full money back guarantee. Learn the secrets to rapid safe weight loss and change your relationship with food forever. Take the first steps today risk free to losing weight and feeling great. You can also sign up for free weight loss tips.

Basics of Emergency Kit Preparation

Emergency situations may suddenly occur at any time and this is why people should be prepared at all times. Who are the people that should prepare for emergency circumstances? Literally, everyone should be ready. Commercial establishments, government offices, stores, hospitals, and school institutions should also be ready once calamities strike. Drills should be conducted once a year to assess the emergency preparedness of people in companies, schools and government offices.

Emergency readiness means you should have the right equipment and tools. No one will ever know when the next earthquake, flood, or fire will happen, so it is best that you have the necessary means of survival during such situations, which means you should have an emergency survival kit. This kit should include the following:

• Flashlight
• Portable radio
• Batteries
• First-aid kit
• Candles and matches
• Non-perishable food (canned goods)
• Can opener
• Bottled water
• Sleeping bags
• OTC medications

Part of being prepared is to ensure that you have all of your personal documents secured. Store your birth certificate, marriage contract, identification cards, and other private papers in a sealed plastic bag. It is easy to retrieve them this way. If you live in flood prone areas, you have to make sure to keep these important documents in waterproof cases.

Experts suggest that your emergency kit should be placed in a bag that you can easily pull out immediately when in need. You can also add other items into the kit that you think are too important to live without.

An emergency kit is not something you can keep for a long time. In the case of the canned goods, check their expiry dates and consume them before their expiration. The other items in the kit should be replaced every year.

Everyone living with you should know where to locate the emergency kit, so, it should be kept in a place where it can easily be retrieved, because you will not have much time in case an emergency occurs. You will need to escape immediately, so you should be able to grab the kit without delay. Otherwise, the whole preparation will be pointless.

Careful consideration of the kinds of food to be included in the kit is important for people with food allergies or special conditions. For instance, people who constantly have migraines may not include chocolates and other foods that contain MSG in the kit. Those with diabetes or hypoglycemia may not include sugary foods.

Some people should also have maintenance medications. This is very important. Those taking medications for hypertension, heart disease, cancer, and other conditions should keep an adequate supply of them in their emergency kit. The medications need to properly be consumed before their expiry date and replaced if needed.

Food, water and medications are perhaps the most important things that need to be included in emergency kits as they may not be readily available after a severe flood or strong earthquake, when stores cannot serve people. Preparation is necessary because living conditions usually become terrible after tragedies and there will probably be no supplies available as stores might have been damaged in such disasters.

Preparing emergency kits is just one aspect of emergency preparedness. People need to be aware that there is no place on Earth that is completely safe. So, people should be prepared all the time. Most people not ready therefore, not knowing what to do when actual tragedies happen, which makes situations even worse.

For more information about Emergency Preparedness, visit our website http://www.emergencypreparednesshelp.net/.

Diabetes - How To Reverse And Cure It Naturally

Diabetes is the biggest epidemic of our generation. With the direction that food is heading - artificially processed and high in sugar - more and more people are finding themselves diagnosed with diabetes. Diabetes can be a very scary disease because of the complications that it can cause down the road as the disease progresses. There are however, adjustments that you can make in your lifestyle now that can reverse the effects of diabetes and even cure yourself of it.

Diabetes is caused because your body does not produce enough insulin. This causes the sugar levels in your blood stream to skyrocket. People have to insert artificial insulin into their body in order to break down the sugar in their blood to a manageable level. The solution then, is to train your body to produce more insulin on its own and in the mean time add insulin to your daily ingestion.

There are a few foods that can break down the glucose and fructose levels in your blood stream, mimicking the job that insulin does. Onions and garlic are two options. Eating reasonable amounts of these each day will help to keep the sugar level in your blood to a more reasonable level. They dont need to be cooked in any particular way, and can even be eaten raw. These are just two of the more popular choices.

Another option is to ingest foods that contain insulin themselves. Some spices, like cinnamon, contain insulin. Eating regular amounts of cinnamon can add an insulin supplement to your daily routine, helping your bodys ability to naturally break down the sugar level in your body. Another food that is high in insulin is melon juice and some other citrus juices. Drinking these, like eating cinnamon, will add insulin to your body to make up for your inability to produce enough insulin.

Because of the severity of diabetes, it is always a good idea to consult with a certified physician before trying anything. The tips mentioned above are not harmful in any way and help your body in other ways besides with just diabetes. If youre interested in learning more tips about how to cure diabetes and reverse its effects, visit the websites below.

http://alivewithdiabetes.com/

Passing Kidney Stones

If you are reading this article then you are probably searching for information on passing kidney stones. In this article I will give you some expert advice on how to treat this condition naturally.

The advantages of knowing how to pass stones naturally are endless. Natural home remedies which cure the condition are very cheap and often have absolutely no side effects, the success rates of this natural treatment are also very high.

If you doctor has diagnosed you with the condition, then your doctor will probably recommend that you take medication or even have surgery. However you should consider the costs involved in this treatment as well as the risks and side effects of taking medication and undergoing surgery.

More people than ever before are now turning to natural cures for the condition. If you are sufferer of this condition then you will already be aware of how painful this condition is and how much of an impact this can have on your daily life.

The extreme pain develops as a result of the stones around your kidneys. The purpose of the kidneys is to excrete waste material from our body and if these stones are too big to be excreted then this function is unable to be carried out, which results in the extreme pain.

Passing kidney stones successfully requires you to increase your intake of water, you should aim to drink at least 2 litres of water daily. This will help the kidneys function better and help them to excrete the stones through your body.

Research has also suggested that phosphoric acid can also help in passing kidney stones. Grape juice contains a high amount of phosphoric acid and this helps to dissolve the stones so that they can be excreted through the body.

Do you want to know how to cure kidney stones naturally?

Visit the link below;-

http://hubpages.com/hub/Treating-Kidney-Stones-How-To-Treat-Kidney-Stones-Naturally

Medical Call Centers: Calling Services for a Hospital

The inner workings of a hospital are of an intricate nature. Everything going on inside should be played out according to the book in order to ensure that it runs smoothly. It is quite important that this be done because aside from just the reputation of the hospital being on the line, even the very lives of their patients are at risk, all based upon how the hospital functions. From the management of equipment to ensure that it functions correctly and does not fail, all down to the taking down even minute information on what is going, everything must be kept precise when in a hospital setting. That is why it is important to keep all records and files, information on patients both new and old, in check when it comes to how a hospital runs.

With that in mind, medical call centers could be one of the best solutions to helping out a hospital with keeping their records in check, allowing them to employ a work force that does not have to be part of the team within the hospital. Because a hospital can only employ a certain number of staff and have to utilize all of the space within their facility to the fullest, they really cannot afford to have their own in-house call centers. But through the services of a medical call center, they can have the luxury of employing a team of callers to do all the needed calls to keep the flow of information steady. They can make use of these teams to handle patient follow-up calls in order to remind patients of pending medical appointments, or even for just checking-up on patients at regular intervals.

That being said, medical call centers can also function for the purpose of telemarketing. On that note, medical telemarketing can be a great way for hospitals to look for investors. Utilizing the information gathering skills of telemarketers and their respective medical call centers could truly play out to the advantage for hospitals. As time stretches onward, hospitals will eventually need to find new investors, those who want to sponsor programs so that the hospital can start new drug trials, purchase new equipment, or open new departments, even for research and development. Although a hospital looks like it makes a lot of money in the process of taking care of patients, the fact is that it also spends a lot of the money it makes to keep it running. The influence of private investors can really help uplift a hospital's situation and give it the opportunity to get the needed funding which can be used for their intended purposes. Making contact with outside investors is an important part of how private hospitals, and even government-funded ones, can gain resources. In this way, medical call centers are flexible helpers to hospitals that need it.

But aside from just hospitals, medical call centers and medical telemarketing can also be utilized by companies that market to hospitals! Medical telemarketing can serve a wide array of companies within the medical industry, one such function being lead generation for medical leads. Medical telemarketing is the way to go when you need calling services within the medical industry.

Lito Smith aids organizations within the health industry regarding their b2b lead generation and appointment setting campaigns.

Lito invites you to visit http://www.healthleadsplus.com for more information about getting quality health leads.

 

Varicose Veins: What You Need to Know Now

Introduction

Im finding the older I get the more outdated my so-called medical assumptions have become. Take, for instance, varicose veins. When I was growing up and sliding my slender, teen-aged toes into blinding white, go-go boots, a la Nancy Sinatra, my knowledge of and my reflections upon varicose veins were limited. Sure, Id seen them - dark blue or purple veins, bulging like cords - on gams of all sizes and shapes on parents. And, somewhere, in my head I reached this conclusion:

Varicose veins happen; they exist - like death and taxes. You cant really do anything about them, except wear long pants and go swimming at night.

But, after a friend of mine went through a successful procedure for this condition and I did some research, my medical assumptions - like Nancys boots - took a much-needed hike. So, if you want to flaunt your legs again, heres what you need to know now.

Condition can be Treatable

After some basic research, I spoke with Edward Mackay, MD, RVT, RPVI, a Vein Specialist in Tampa, Florida, and co-director of the International Vein Congress (IVC). My first question was: "Are varicose veins always treatable?"

"Yes, to some degree," Mackay replied. "Treatments for this type of condition are extremely common." And even more heartening, he said, "Nowadays, most procedures can be administered in an office setting and, depending on the treatment, the recovery time can be a matter of days with minimal or no scarring."

Causes

According to Mackay, "Genetics are the largest cause of varicose veins. They run in the family and appear as you age."

So, yes, you may be able to actually blame one or both of your parents for this condition. Longevity weakens your veins and their valves capacity to pump blood, causing blood to pool in your veins, creating varicose veins and their younger siblings, spider veins (the smaller, inflated blue and purple veins near the surface of your skin).

Another primary cause is pregnancy. However, varicose veins resulting from weight gain due to pregnancy and the necessary circulatory change that sends blood to the fetus usually disappear on their own several months following delivery.

Risk Factors

In addition to genetics, there are other factors that can increase your risk of developing this condition. These include:

• Obesity. Extra weight on your frame creates added pressure for your veins.


• Gender. Females are more likely to develop varicose veins, possibly due to hormonal changes such as those involving pregnancy.


• Age. Normal wear and tear on your veins and valves can start to appear in your 30s.


• Lack of movement. A sedentary lifestyle or standing for long periods of time can keep your blood from flowing as well as when you are moving around and changing positions.

Symptoms

Varicose veins most often appear in your feet and legs, but they can also occur in your thighs and ankles. They may or may not be painful. If painful, the symptoms manifest themselves with:

• Itching around your veins


• Burning, throbbing, muscle cramping or swelling in your lower legs


• Increased pain after sitting or standing for long periods of time


• Skin ulcers and swelling around your ankles


• Fatigue

Possible Complications

Complications can include, as noted earlier, ulcers near your ankles or varicose veins. These are typically painful and youll want to seek medical advice. Varicose veins can sometimes, although rarely, result in blood clots which may appear as severe swelling. If sudden swelling appears, again, seek medical care quickly.

Self-Care

There are several things you can to do prevent varicose veins or keep them from worsening. These include:

• Exercising regularly


• Wearing compression stockings (Yes, theyre still around.)


• Elevating your legs for short periods several times a day


• Avoiding high heels


• Changing your sitting or standing position regularly


• Losing excess weight


• Sticking to a low-salt, high fiber diet

When to Seek Treatment

If your veins dont visibly improve and any pain persists, its time to see your doctor.

Treatment Options Available

There are several treatment options available. "The most common treatments are sclerotherapy and the catheter-assisted procedures which include the RF laser and endovenous procedures," says Mackay.

Heres a quick description of the typical procedures:

• Sclerotherapy. In this outpatient procedure, your doctor injects a solution that scars and closes small- and/or medium-sized varicose veins.


• Ambulatory phlebectomy. Tiny incisions (needle-like punctures) are used to remove smaller varicose veins. This procedure is used for surface veins and is similar to vein stripping.


• Laser surgery. Lasers are utilized to close off smaller varicose veins. No incisions or needles are required and the veins slowly fade and disappear.


• Catheter-assisted procedures, more specifically, endovenous laser therapy and RF (radiofrequency ablation) procedures. A catheter or thin tube is inserted into larger varicose veins and the tip of the catheter is heated. When the catheter is removed, the heat causes the vein to collapse and seal shut.


• Endoscopic vein surgery. This is utilized in severe cases where skin ulcers are involved. Using a camera inserted in your leg, your doctor will close and remove veins through a series of small incisions. (This treatment is not used extensively as this can be done less invasively via other procedures.)


• Vein stripping. With this procedure, longer varicose veins are removed through small incisions in a typically outpatient procedure. (This treatment is rarely used in favor of less invasive procedures with reduced recovery times.)

Factors Determining Treatment

What are the factors in determining the correct procedure?

Per Mackay, "In terms of endovenous and RF laser, a doctor may recommend one procedure over another due to anatomy, that is, the length and depth of the vein and whether it is torturous (has many bends and turns) or straight. For surface veins, the size of the veins and the patients preference typically determine whether sclerotherapy or a phlebectomy will be utilized."

Latest Developments

When asked about new trends, Mackay said, "The intravenous (sclerotherapy) and catheter-assisted treatments have exploded on the scene as the main techniques for treating this condition. They are done in the office under local anesthesia and are less invasive. Depending on how severe the condition is, patients can be back to their normal activities within days.

"The catheter-assisted procedures are so effective they are looking at them in terms of applications for blood clots. Typically, patients are given a blood thinner and the body is left to treat itself. With these new procedures, we would be able to break up blood clots in deep veins sooner, reducing the risk of possible long-term problems."

In any event, with varicose veins, like any other ailment, be sure to find out the latest information. Because, just like footwear trends, treatments for medical ills continue to evolve... and improve.

Copyright (c) 2011 Linda R. Prior

Linda R. Prior is a freelance writer in Tampa, Florida, with over 25 years of writing experience. She writes on medical and business topics.

Is It Possible To Eat Healthily During The Holidays?

Trying to follow a healthy eating plan during holiday periods can be challenging for even the most determined of us. There are so many tantalising and tempting treats on offer to whet our appetites and weaken our willpower and determination to lose those unwanted pounds. We will be exposed to rich foods and tempting seasonal treats at parties, family dinners, cocktail parties or barbeques. With all this fattening food and drink, how on earth are we going to resist temptation and stick to a healthy eating plan?

Many of us do not even attempt to try. We may just resign ourselves to the inevitable, and enjoy the food and drink without a second thought. Others of us may feel guilty but feel that we will regain focus and make a fresh start after the New Year. It is not surprising that many of us gain weight during the holiday period.

This does not necessarily have to be the case. We should try to focus on the creation of a healthy balance between the pleasure and enjoyment of the holidays, and maintaining, or even losing a little weight. Perhaps the tips below may help achieve this healthy balance:

#1 - Allocate Healthy Eating Days

During the holiday season, there are only certain days when we will be expected to attend family dinners, parties or special functions. Taking this into consideration, we should focus on not over indulging everyday. In fact we should try not to over indulge at all where possible.

We could try to eat healthily on the majority of the days, unless we are attending a party or special function, when we can allow ourselves to indulge in modest portions of our favourite foods. At other times we should try to eat small, nutritious and healthily balanced meals.

#2 - Do Not Over indulge

Many of us use the excuse of the holiday season to over indulge and eat to almost bursting point. Have we eaten so much that we feel bloated and uncomfortable? Or so much that we could not manage to eat another morsel? If we have got to this point, then we have over indulged, which is sure to result in weight gain. We can enjoy a little indulgence without going overboard and over indulging.

Rather than over eating, we can still enjoy our holiday meals if we eat smaller portions of our favourite high calorie dishes combined with larger portions of healthier options such as fruit, vegetables and salads.

#3 - Bring Your Own Creation

Perhaps we have a favourite healthy dish that we would like to share with others. Why not offer to bring a healthy dish of our own creation to a party or family dinner? It may be a favourite healthy dish, which many others wanting a healthy option may enjoy too. Other people at the gathering could be of the same mind as ourselves, and would appreciate a healthy alternative to rich high calorie foods.

We can easily balance our eating and enjoyment during the holiday season with little effort. Simply by forward planning and maintaining focus, we can easily enjoy some of our favourite, delicious foods without jeopardising our weight loss goals and we may even lose one or two pounds in the process.

"Theres no reason you should be embarrassed about your weight problem. click here. to get the information you need to effectively start your dieting regime. If youre ready to read more about how tips to burn stomach fat can help you with your weight loss, visit our burn calories page and download the free 7 Dieting Mistakes Report.

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Flaunt Your Beautiful Skin by Removing Unwanted Hair

The most precious asset for almost every female is their beautiful skins. But, despite their efforts to take proper skin care, they encounter with unwanted hairs, which can become quite an embarrassment for them. In most cultures, if ladies have heavy facial hair, they are not considered feminine enough to be preferred for marriages. This common notion about females has made them take certain initiatives to opt for methods that can help them remove unwanted hair and enhance their looks. Facial hairs are not only embarrassing, but also difficult to get rid of. Most ladies spend hours and caboodle of money after hair removal products, but they do not get any satisfactory results. Keeping this problem in mind many skincare companies have introduced certain products that can help in inhibiting the growth of unwanted hair by sitting at one corner of your home. Ultra Hair Away is one such method that can inhibit unwanted hair growth and leave you with smooth and supple skin.

Most women feel odd because of having strange assortments of stray hairs all over their faces, which can lower their self-esteem and confidence. So, take down a pen and paper and jot down the below steps in order to be the proud owner of a vivacious looking skin:

Waxing- This method can provide you a long-term solution. This is the reason why it is essential to wax before appearing in public. It can not only help you flaunt your beautiful skin, but also make you feel special and accepted in the public. Though it can be a little painful, by the time you will start realising the pain, it gets over.

Bleaching- Most women have fine yet dark facial hairs that become quite visible and embarrassing. But, if you do not have to time to visit parlour you can hide this hair with the help of facial bleach as it lightens the area by making it look fresh.

Hair No More spray- There are various products available on the market that can help in preventing the regrowth of unwanted hairs. Hair No More spray is one such method that can not only slow hair growth, but also reduce it from growing back in heavy quantity. It can help in saturating your hair follicles with its clear topical solution. This solution can help in suffocating the hair root, and weakening hair growth.

Laser hair removal- One of the new revolutions in modern science, laser therapy, can help in removing hair without causing any inconvenience to your skin. It uses low-level laser beam that can directly get into the hair follicle and destroys the hair roots with its heat. This treatment is comparatively painless and can provide you with best hair removal solutions.

Hair minimising creams- Whenever you opt for hair removal creams, it can be better to do a small patch test first in order to check whether those creams suit your skin or not. Sometimes, certain creams can cause irritation and make it appear dark. Hair No More cream is one of the methods that ensure to remove hair without any skin discomfort.

Sometimes hair loss can make you feel confident. This is the reason why removing unwanted hair is very important. Learn more essential methods like Ultra Hair Away, Hair No More Cream etc to get rid of unwanted hair and get smooth and supple skin.

Lifestyle Changes Are Helpful For Depression

Anyone can feel down from time to time and this is perfectly natural. However, when you have depression, you have to look for effective ways to overcome it or the condition can develop into a more serious disorder. Is overcoming depression hard? The answer to this question depends on you completely. Provided that you use the right guidance and have the willpower to get better, you will enjoy the desired results. Here are the things that you need to do.

1) Understand the causes of your condition

You are feeling down. You find it difficult to do daily activities. You are not interested in meeting your friends and in doing the things you love to do. You may feel hopeless and worthless. What has caused all these changes?

You have to ask yourself this question so that you can begin overcoming depression. Usually, this condition does not come out of the blue. It results from continuous stress, problems at work or at home or a deep emotional disturbance of some sort. In general, the causes of this condition are strictly individual, so you have to look for them yourself.

Provided that you can identify the causes of depression, you can work to overcome them.

2) Make positive lifestyle changes

This is a major step for overcoming depression. The question is what these changes have to be.

As a start, you need to reduce the stress in your life. Time management is one of the most widely recommended methods. It allows you to get organized and work more effectively without getting stressed out. Work delegation is another great option. You can delegate some work to colleagues. You can also have the kids help more around the house. There are many great relaxation techniques you can try from deep breathing to aromatherapy and yoga.

You need to make life changes that will bring you greater satisfaction. This is essential for overcoming depression. Studies show that people get the highest level of satisfaction when they help others. You can readily try making such a positive change by starting to work for a charity or by doing voluntary work for a non-governmental organization.

Sometimes, more drastic changes are necessary to bring satisfaction. You may want to consider changing your career for instance.

It is important for you to improve your diet, to do more exercise and to get more sleep. These may not seem like major treatments, but these changes will definitely help you feel better.

3) Seek professional help and support

You may be asking yourself why you need to do this, since youre already taking steps to overcome the condition. Firstly, it is always a good idea to take precautionary measures, even if your condition is not serious. More importantly, if the above-mentioned steps do not produce results, you will definitely need professional help.

Usually, undergoing some therapy and joining a support group are simple and effective methods that produce excellent results.

Now you know what you have to do for overcoming depression. Dont let the condition take over. Act now!

Please note: The content provided in this article is for general informational purposes only. Consult with a medical professional for any medical advice.

Anyone suffering from depression knows how devastating this illness can be when left untreated. Our website on treating depression offers resources to help you understand the complexities of this condition as well as information on available forms of medications and treatment options for overcoming depression.

Six Pack Abs - Get The Abs You Want Just By Eating Food

Almost everywhere you simply turn, somebodys offering a subsequent solution to getting six pack abs. A few of these so labeled secrets have some degree of reliability, although some, not really. Deciphering which method might be the very best to getting six pack abs is going to be very important in reaching the objective.

The greatest place you have to give attention to any time endeavoring to get a washboard midsection will likely be with your diet program. Should your diet not be in range, ones abdomen will clearly show it. Initially, be sure you are obtaining sufficient proteins. Not only is proteins the crucial element you need to create muscular tissue, it is going to offer you the best feeling of fullness when compared with taking in simply carbs. Proteins is definitely more "expensive" when compared with every other macronutrient and therefore your body can melt off much more calories digesting healthy proteins when compared with carbohydrate food in addition to excess fat.

Subsequent, do not be frightened regarding fat which arises from primarily monounsaturated and also polyunsaturated fat for example olive oils, seafood oils, the variety of almonds, purely natural peanut butter and avocado. While it can be a fact in which body fat increases ones own calories extremely fast, always keep the levels around 20-30% to acquire a six pack easily. Pretty strong but subtle point here is of which fat molecules assists in maintaining your insulin levels stability, which usually, as soon as high enough will be able to cause body fat to increase by itself.

The prevailing concern with regard to the fact that once your body system needs some of those carbohydrates it will definitely pull them upwards in the muscular tissue. Additionally, the consumption of carbs during this time period will even help with muscle tissue healing as well as maintenance, so that indicates a smaller amount rest time from going to the gym.

In case getting six pack abs quickly is your aim than every meal make sure you include things like 1-2 cups of uncooked vegetables to manage insulin levels, strengthen ingestion of ones necessary proteins and also take the proper vitamins, fiber content and antioxidants.

Thus, should you be seeking to get 6 pack abs inside the approaching many weeks, have a very good hard look into what you eat. That is the big formula that ought not to be ignored if youre to succeed.

Recent reports have shown those individuals that eat right and build muscles with healthy fats and proteins succeeded in getting six pack abs, Click here to learn the advanced techniques that enabled thousands of people to do it.

Get A Deep Voice - Things You Can Do To Get A Deep Voice

There are many people in the world today who want to get a deep voice. If you are still a teenager, and think your voice is not that deep, I will want to advice that you just wait for some time and eventually your voice will break when it will break and then naturally deepen. However if you have already long passed puberty, and your voice still sounds squeaky and high-pitched, then maybe you will need to perform some few exercises to naturally deepen your tone and make it more appealing and sexy to listen to.

There are many things you can do to get a deep voice. However when you read around the net for this kind of information, you might see some tips which have nasty side effects, such as smoking, drinking and screaming. While these things might give you a deeper voice tone, they might leave you with some other side effects; so the best advice will be to stay away from such practices.

So what are the best and most safe things you can do to get a deep voice? Well this will highly deepen on various individuals as what worked for A might not necessary work for B. However the quality of your voice has a lot to do with your neck muscles and the way you train your voice box.

Here are some few things you can do to naturally deepen the sound of your voice and make it more attractive to listen to: Baritone Tip, Relax Throat Muscles, Perform the Hello Exercise, Sing in the Shower, Refrain from Yelling, Use your Diaphragm when you talk, and try to talk form your stomach/chest, not your head/nose. This will make your voice deeper and sexier.

As you might already know, there are many more tips and tricks for getting a deeper voice. There are also deep voice training guides that sell online and some of them do work. So if the above tips dont work for you, for some reason, then you can try out some of these guides and hopefully your voice quality will improve and you will gain that self confidence that you currently dont have.

Just remember that getting a deep voice doesnt happen overnight! You have to give it time to work and you have to be patient, no matter what methods you are using, it will always take some time for you to start noticing results on your voice quality.

Are your interested in discovering some few, down-to-earth Voice Box and Vocal Cord Exercises you can do for only 3 to 5 minutes daily, which will totally transform your voice tone and make it deeper, stronger and really sexy? If yes, then I advise you get a copy of the Deep Voice Mastery Guide.

Click here: Deep Voice Mastery review, to read more about this natural voice training guide, and see how it has been helping 1000s of people around the world to naturally deepen their voice.

The Pros and Cons of a Treadmill Workout

Treadmills have become must-have gym equipment for many professional athletes and weight conscious individuals. These athletes spend hours jogging or running on these fitness machines, in order to keep fit for their respective trades. The fitness machines have also gained wide popularity in home and professional gyms, and it is important to know about the pros and cons of owning one of these machines before buying one.

The advantages of workouts using treadmills

 

• Different users can use the same equipment at different schedules .It is adjustable which makes it easy for you to increase or reduce the height of the hand bars to fit your height requirements.

• Some advanced models are equipped with computerized gadgets that can keep track of your heart rate and breathing rate. They can also calculate the approximate distance you have covered while on the equipment.

• Treadmills are easy to use with a simple set of instructions which makes it preferable for many people for home and office use.

• The cushioning on the equipment is excellent. It safeguards your joints and leg muscles from the shock waves that originate from the impact of your feet on the conveyor belt.

• It allows you to work out at your own pace. Most models of this work out equipment allow you to walk, jog or run on the conveyor belt which moves at the same pace as your feet. Once you increase pace so does the conveyor belt in the counter clockwise direction. Treadmills are a great choice for people with health problems to keep fit.

• They provide you with a great way to work out. You can even watch your favorite television show on a screen mounted on the wall of your work out area.

 

Disadvantages of working out using treadmills

 

• They tend to take up a lot of space; you are compelled to designate a certain spot for the machine, if you choose to buy one for use at home. The more complex the machine the bigger it is, so if you want a multi-functional machine you have assign more room for it. They also tend to be bulky and moving them around can be quite an uphill task.

• They tend to be noisy. The motors that propel the conveyor belt produce some noise and vibrations. These can cause disturbance especially in areas where silence is of essence.

• Repair and maintenance of this equipment requires the expertise of a professional which tends to be expensive.

• The cost of acquiring one of these workout machines especially one with advanced features is quite expensive. The average price is about 2000 dollars.

• Working out on a treadmill tends to get boring with time. Some people would rather jog around the neighborhood or park while enjoying the sceneries.

 

The benefits of owning one of these fitness machines outweighs the shortcomings and if you are serious about getting fit and giving your health a boost then you should give the treadmill some serious consideration.

Orbus Leisure offers a fantastic range of Cheap Treadmills. View their Treadmills today.

 

The Best Magnetic Therapy Depends on Many Factors

Alternative medicine is becoming more popular now as people choose to find new ways to treat medical conditions. One such form that is becoming very popular is magnetic therapy. With this form of therapy, you expose the body to powerful earth magnets in small doses. When you go to buy these magnets, you will see that they are not only more attractive than they were in the past, but they are also easier to use. One can choose to buy a magnetic necklace or bracelet and manufacturers are now even producing magnetic mattresses. Its all a matter of choosing The Best Magnetic Therapy for your needs.

Magnetic therapy has been around for quite some time now. It has been used since Ancient Greece when many believed that the body had its own magnetic field. The Greeks believed that these fields could be positively affected during exposure to magnetic stones. Overall health and well being would improve when this occurred. Research has now shown that they were correct. Not only can it improve blood circulation, it may also relieve stress and reduce fatigue. It is also believed to help cure many diseases such as arthritis and cancer.

Many companies promise The Best Magnetic Therapy. Again, this will depend on your needs. Look for a company which uses rare earth magnets which are specially made as this type of magnet will improve metabolism and blood flow while increasing your energy levels. Bracelets are often the preferred choice as they are convenient and attractive, but some do prefer necklaces for the same reasons. If your sleeping habits are an issue, you may choose to go with a magnetic mattress.

Again, The Best Magnetic Therapy will depend in some part on what you are trying to accomplish. It has been a helpful tool in treating many conditions for centuries now and technology keeps improving on it. Thankfully these magnets are easily available in many forms so you can enjoy the benefits in more ways than one. No one form will work for everyone and many choose to use a combination of products for the best results. Base your choices on your personal preferences as well as your needs. Be sure to consult a doctor before trying any though as you would with any alternative form of treatment.

Karla Zacarkim owns and operates http://www.thebestmagnetictherapy.com, The Best Magnetic Therapy

Easy Weight Loss Meal Plan

When you are looking to lose weight you must have an effective weight loss meal plan. Although there are many diets out there that you can try they all have one common goal. That goal is to help you lose weight. In this article I will share with you some easy to follow tactics that you can use while following your weight loss meal plan.

Eat High Quality Protein

Eating high quality proteins are essential in your weight loss meal plan. The reason for this is because protein helps in the reduction of blood fats and it also helps the body to maintain lean tissue. Protein also helps dieters remain satisfied in between meals while allowing the dieter to keep burning fat. So as you can see, eating protein is important in your diet. But so are carbs...

2 Types of Carbs- One Good, One Bad

Lets keep this simple... simple carbs are bad and complex carbs are good. Complex carbs are broken down into glucose, then glucose is converted into glycogen. After glycogen is produced, any excess glycogen is turned into fat. This is why its important to keep complex carbs in your diet because they break down easier than simple carbs.

Water, Water and More Water

Water helps speed up your metabolism and also plays a role in reducing your appetite. The ingestion of water is one of the most important parts of your diet in general. A diet plan for weight loss will need water in order to be effective.

Eat Often

Its important to eat as often as possible. The more often you eat, the faster your metabolism will get. By eating often you are telling your body that you will give it the energy it needs and in turn your body will not store calories as fat. Your body will also release any excess fat which will allow you to lose weight much quicker.

Use these tips in order to have an effective weight loss meal plan. If you do you will see results.

Having the right Weight Loss Meal Plan can literally help you lose weight and remain healthy faster than you can imagine. Now you can learn how to get in shape by eating right with this simple Weight Loss Meal Plan