Archive for September 22nd, 2009

The advantages of breastfeeding are well documented so many women considering breast augmentation are curious about the effects, especially since many candidates still plan on having children. The most common questions are do the breasts still produce and deliver milk and is the safety of the milk affected by implants?

Breast augmentation, like all surgical procedures, can have side effects. Your ability to safely breastfeed does have a chance of being of affected, but it is more than likely that you will be able to breastfeed normally. There are choices that your surgeon can guide you through that will minimize the possibility of breastfeeding being affected.

Two types of incisions for breast augmentation are around the nipple, and the inframammary incision, which is on the crease on the bottom of the breast. The inframammary incision causes no division of milk glandular tissue or ducts, and reduces the risk of any negative effect on breastfeeding. Incisions around the nipple do divide some of the milk glands, which makes it a little more risky, but breastfeeding has a high chance of being successful with either incision.

There have been numerous studies on the risk of babies breastfeeding from mothers with breast implants, and so far no risks have been found. It is safe for babies to breastfeed after their mother has undergone a breast augmentation procedure.

Many women with breast implants choose not to breast-feed and I suspect this percentage may be higher than that of the general public. I assume that there is a fear that breast-feeding will “ruin” the results of their surgery. While it is true that pregnancy can cause a droop of the breasts this is a natural occurrence in women with or without a previous “boob job”. There was an interesting study about three years ago that suggested pregnancy affected the breasts similarly with or without breast-feeding, even though my experience suggests otherwise I found the study to be interesting.

If you are a woman interested in enhancing the size or shape of your chest but are worried about the ability to breast feed in the future more than likely your choice to have surgery will not have an impact on your future ability to breast feed, though it is a possibility. I suggest speaking with your surgeon about your concerns so the risks can be minimized and you’ll be able to enjoy the results as well as avoid the undesired complications.

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The Line That Separates Yoga From Pilates

There has been numerous confusion when you talk about Yoga and Pilates. Sometimes, these terms are interchanged continually. You have to be aware that these terms are everything but similar. But on the other hand, there are key points that make them nearly identical. Maybe the clearest resemblance between the two is that both of them are geared towards physical and spiritual balance. Both are also widely accepted across cultures from Oriental to Western and their bedrocks have a universality that attract people from all walks of life and ages. However, there will be stark differences between these two disciplines in between their similarities.

Yoga is, of course, the oldest and best proven way of optimizing physical and spiritual health for every individual taking heed to its principles. People who don’t know much about it often have the misconception that it’s merely a form of physical exercise to keep the body fit.

On the other hand, yoga is way beyond that fact. It is a complete package that brings physical and spiritual well being to perfection by means of clear routines and all sorts of meditation to promote practices and conditions causative to achieving a healthy well being. This package can include anything from improving muscle strength and tone to personal hygiene. This is how wide yoga is and its effects are most definitely time-tested.

While there are a lot of exercise routines being promoted all over the media from aerobics to weight training, they’re all recurring in nature. Yoga isn’t and this is what sets it apart from the rest. This oriental discipline is just concerned about focusing on the body by stretching or flexing it to improve blood circulation and, thus, give ample nourishment to the internal organs. Mixed with Prana or life force energy, which is also supplied to the body by doing these routines, the person is expected to enjoy an overall improvement in health that may manifest in a myriad of ways from soothed nerves to improved digestive functions. Aside from stretching and flexing, yoga also espouses the value of proper breathing and relaxation as key to achieving both physical spiritual well-being.

Pilates exercises are basically patterned after yoga where full body control is essential. However, unlike yoga, Pilates needs both a a mat and specialized machines that aim to ultimately improve overall body strength and health. While yoga is all about maintaining that physical and inner peace, Pilates focuses more on perfecting body states and motions so that with proper practice, you achieve better posture, improved muscle strength and tone and generally more graceful body movement.

Because Pilates is a form of yoga, two terms are closely related although not entirely similar. Even the difference between yoga and pilates mats is quite obvious which means a different approach is used for each of the two. Either way, one need not necessarily choose one over the other as it is very possible and, perhaps, healthier to do both.

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Back Pain-Am I At Risk?

Are there such a things as risk factors for back pain? And, if there are, what can I do to keep myself healthy and well? Your chiropractor can help answer these questions and more.

One primary risk factor relates to exercise. Everyone has heard, “if you don’t use it, you lose it”. If you are not exercising regularly, your back muscles are deconditioned and much more susceptible to injury – the strains and sprains we’re accustomed to calling “back pain”.

Muscles get stronger when they’re required to do work. Also exercise helps “train” the soft tissues around a joint – the ligaments and tendons – these supporting structures “learn” how to withstand mechanical stresses and loads without becoming injured. Basically, when you exercise – when you do any kind of exercise – your body gets “smarter” and you’re less likely to get those annoying back problems.1

A related risk factor is weak abdominal muscles. When you were a kid, at some point one of your gym teachers probably told you to “suck in your stomach”. Actually, it turns out that was pretty good advice. Your abdominal muscles support the muscles of your lower back. If your abdominals are weak or if you’re not using them – letting them hang out and droop instead of keeping them activated – your body weight has to be held up by the muscles of your lower back. They’re not designed to do that – they’re designed to move your spine around. And eventually, these lower back muscles will give way under the excess strain. The result is a very painful lower back injury.

There are many easy-to-do exercises for your abdominal muscles. The key is to actually do them – and do them after you are finished doing the rest of whatever exercises you’ve scheduled for that day. How often? Three times a week is plenty. Abdominal routines are quick – no more than 10 minutes. And, remember to use your abdominal muscles throughout the day. Imagine your abdominals are being pulled in and lifted up. This is not a “tightening” – your thought should be “activate”. Your body will know what to do, once you’ve started adding consistent abdominal training to your exercise routine.

Risk factors for back pain may also be found in your personal and family medical history.2,3 During your initial visit your chiropractor will ask you about accidents and surgeries you have experienced, and discuss any important elements in your family history. For example, surgery to remove an inflamed galllbladder or appendix or to repair a hernia may result in weakened abdominal muscles. A motor vehicle accident or a fall from a height may have caused injuries that healed with soft tissue scarring.

Learning about potential risk factors and taking appropriate action will help ensure a stronger, more flexible, and healthier lower back.

1Jones MA, et al. Recurrent non-specific low-back pain in adolescents- the role of exercise. Ergonomics 50(10):1680-1688, 2007 2Cherniack M, et al. Clinical and psychological correlates of lumbar motion abnormalities in low back disorders. Spine J 1)4):290-298, 2001 3Plouvier S, et al. Biomechanical strains and low back disorders. Occup Environ Med 2007 (in press)

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ADA Diet Info

Good nourishment and sensible eating habits is extremely significant for a diabetic. The Yankee Diabetes association endorses the ADA diet to all diabetics across the nation. The ADA diet serves as a guideline to help ensure that you are eating healthy and consuming the required vitamins and minerals that the body needs.

Suggestions – The ADA recommends that a diabetic person eat foods daily from the four major food groups.By following these axioms, you’ll ensure that your body receives all the nutriments that it needs in order to function to the best of its capability. Some of these nutriments include: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals.

Carbs provide energy for the body. Sadly there are good carbohydrates and bad carbs. Good carbohydrates include items like : beans, lentils, whole grains, and cereals. When the body breaks carbohydrates down, sugar is produced ; therefore watch your carbohydrate intake.

Proteins are another source of energy for the body and are critical for the body’s expansion. Proteins have the ability to help maintain level blood glucose results. This is why whenever one has a low blood glucose level, eating a carbohydrate and a protein is recommended. The carbohydrate provides the body with the sugar which causes the blood glucose level to rise while the protein guarantees the level stays there and doesn’t drop back down.

High fiber foods and low glycemic index foods are very healthy for diabetics and are highly recommended in the ADA diet. High fiber foods includes : beans, whole grains, peas, and so on. High fiber foods help to reduce high blood glucose levels as well as high blood-fat levels. The ADA diet does make allowance for you to have fat in your diet, but in the right proportions. Avoid – The ADA diet requires that you keep away from foods that are high in fat. Pick meats that are lean and have low fat content. Use olive oil or flax seed oil for cooking. Take away the skin of chicken before eating. Skim or reduced fat milk is always recommended rather than whole milk.

Low sodium content in your diet is also commended. Keep away from foods that are high in salt and restrict your salt usage during cooking. Learn to read nutrition labels as there are hidden sources of salt in foods such as canned soups. Naturally, sugar intake should be totally removed in the suggested ADA diet. This implies elimination of table sugar, sugar coated cereals, canned soda, syrup, etc should not be consumed. Alcoholic beverages should also be dumped in the ADA diet. Since alcohol acts like sugar in your blood stream, alcoholic beverages are not an excellent idea.

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Overview: Garmin FR60

Garmins’ FR60 is the company’s newest heart monitor, and it’s likely to sell very well on the heels of the popular Garmin 305. Garmin refused to rest on its laurels, but created an even better heart monitor watch. The Garmin FR60 has numerous features to help you make your workout more effective. You can benefit from the Garmin FR60 whether you are an average person or a professional athlete, and whether you prefer running on the road or doing exercise routines at home or in a gymnasium. It is the perfect accessory for the fitness enthusiasts out there.

Features and Functions – Garmin FR60

The Garmin FR60 has the ability to display everything from calories burnt up during workouts to the most basic heart rate. It comes with a sleek design and places a lot of focus on the comfort of the user. It tracks heart rate, gives time, lap times and averages, calories and energy burnt up and so much more. When paired with a wireless foot pod, the FR60 will track speed and distance. ANT+ technology is another new feature that allows the watch to go wireless with other devices. It also comes with a water resistant depth of fifty meters.

Timex T5G971 Heart Monitor Watch Review

The Timex T5G971 is a very popular heart monitor watch today. On Amazon.com, it has received high praise as a very good heart monitor. It offers a ton of options to be used. It can be used for guys and girls and is very trendy. All this offers you a chance to get the blood moving even more in your heart. Similar to the FR60, it can be used for top athletes and regular people looking to shed some pounds and get fit.

Timex T5G971 Functions and Features

The features of the T5G971 heart monitor are impressive. Not only can it be used as a regular watch for everyday use, its water resistant to a depth of 165 feet and the battery won’t need replacing for 2 years. The chest strap will allow you to isolate various heart zones. It is able to review your workout by providing average heart rate and beats at the time of the activity.

The Garmin FR60 and the T5G971 Timex Heart Rate Monitor are equipped with equally exceptional features and functions. It is difficult to select one over the other. The user should base their selection on their individual needs, but they should feel comfortable selecting either unit because they both will get you through your fitness and weight loss goals.

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Thrush is actually caused by a fungus or yeast called Candida Albicans. Yeast is present in many animals in normal circumstances and because of this a natural treatment for thrush can offer a very effective remedy.

Likely parts of the body to suffer from thrush include the groin, mouth and any area that is moist and warm.

Itching, burning, soreness, swelling and pain are just some of the common symptoms of thrush. To fight these symptoms, thrush patients are leaning more and more on ways to cure thrush naturally.

Usually, upon initial checkups, patients are instructed to use conventional medications and treatments, as in topical ointments or suppositories. However, most of these medications lack results and offer only a temporary treatment for thrush.

An extra problem with conventional medicines is that over the long term they tend to kill off the good bacteria as well as the yeast.

Simple measures such as regulating your sugar intake and eating a sensible diet will go a long way to easing your symptoms.

The good news is that a natural treatment for thrush is much more commonly found than before. Not only are they safe and free from harmful side-effects, they are ideal for long-term use.

Since all thrush remedies aim to control the population of the infectious yeast, anti-parasitic herbs such as wormwood and antimicrobial ingredients such as grapefruit seed extract are used as ingredients of some topical concoctions.

Virgin coconut oil is a very effective medicine to use against harmful yeasts and because of this it is particularly effective in medicines for infants.

Tea tree oil is another good ingredient and is taken both orally and locally applied to affected areas of skin.

Natural herb-based oils such as oregano and clove oils are also suited for adults to cure thrush naturally. Use its full antifungal strength by topically applying it on the skin.

Most natural treatments have as their main purpose an increase in the level of good bacteria. It is these that provide the ongoing defence against yeast overgrowth thus enabling the long term cure.

You may be interested to know that eating generous quantities of fruit can help to turn your body more alkaline. This in itself is a good weapon in providing a long term defence against yeast problems.

It is my hope that this article has illustrated to you several ways in which you can effect an all natural treatment for thrush infections that you find worthy of pursuing.

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Teeth Whitening at Home

Having bad teeth isn’t something many people enjoy. When your teeth are yellow they seem to take away the beauty of your face and you will probably notice that people will stare at your teeth when they talk to you instead of looking into your eyes. Yellow teeth don’t do anyone any good, so what can you do about it? You brush your teeth everyday and that’s about it, but what you don’t know is that you can do teeth whitening at home if you want to.

Contrary to what many people believe, it’s not necessary to go for laser treatment just so that you can have white teeth, just as it’s not necessary to spend a lot of money. Instead, you can simply go to your local pharmacy in order to get a suitable treatment product, considering that such products are available over-the-counter. Of course, different treatments will vary in terms of effectiveness, price, and of course the products features.

As you can well imagine, tooth whitening is far more affordable when done at home. Additionally, you can do it at your own pace without having to be concerned that others are watching. In addition to the regular whitening gel used by dentists, one can also get a product known as “White Light” which is specifically designed for those who want to bleach they teeth at home.

This product has gained a solid reputation with regards to its effectiveness which is largely due it using a combination of light and gel. Working together, the light and gel are able to remove many surface stains and also to lighten stains which have become embedded in your teeth. In fact, this product is the ideal for removing most stains such as those caused by smoking, caffeine, red wine, and etc.

Another distinctive advantage of White Light is that it can be used anywhere and at any time. In other words, you can use it to whiten your teeth whenever you feel it may be necessary, and because the product uses the selfsame ingredient used by dentists, there’s no reason for you to be concerned about it damaging your teeth.

Most people would agree that the reason why White Light is so good is because you stand to benefit from it in the same way you would benefit from laser treatment, but without you having to even leave your home.

It will also work out cheaper for you because then you will have the White Light forever so you could use it whenever you feel the need, where as if you went to the dentist to get your teeth whitened you will have to go back to them and pay again.

Whitening your teeth at home is without a doubt better than having them done elsewhere, not to mention the fact that you can use White Light on other members of the household as well. Lastly but not least, it’s crucial for you to follow the instructions provided so if they tell you to do your teeth daily for the next 30 days, then you should do exactly that, without missing out a few days in between. Remember, the instructions have been included for a reason so that you can enjoy the best possible results.

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