Hair Loss Remedies Around the Globe

Writen by Jen Carter

In our culture, hair loss remedies come with hefty price tags, painful surgical procedures, ingestion of tablets, and the application of creams. It seems like a whole lots of work just to keep a person happy with their physical appearance. Doesn’t it? But men and women have shed hair since the beginning of time. Being ‘bald’ isn’t a new concept. It makes one wonder what remedies other cultures use to prevent and interrupt the balding process.

Take a glance at some of these historic remedies. They may seem ridiculous to us-just like some of our remedies will seem laughable to someone in the year 2070.

In Victorian America

Can you picture yourself applying cologne, spirit of camphor, and a pigment of cantharides to the roots of your hair each night? This is one concoction that was used to treat hair loss. An additional ‘treatment,’ was the vigorous brushing of hair. Stiff brushes were used to promote soft and shiny hair, while soft hair brushes were believed to promote the growth of hair.

In Ancient Egypt

Oh, boy! The ancient Egyptians had some remedies for hair loss that may appear pretty wacky to us readers. For instance, the Egyptians believed that the application of chopped lettuce (to the bald area) would promote hair growth. Why lettuce, you may ask. Well, to the Egyptians, lettuce was associated with virility.

Another ‘remedy’ the Egyptians swore by was the application of castor oil to the scalp. Because the castor oil didn’t exactly smell pleasant, they often mixed this with sweet almond oil to create a soothing aroma.

In India

How far would you go to re-grow your hair? Indians once believed that by boiling sage leaves in coconut oil, that the liquid’s residue (once applied to hair) would cure balding.

In The Amazon

A banana a day keeps the surgeon away? Get this one: In the South American rainforests, the Taiwano Indians believed that hair loss and scalp problems could be treated with the heated extracts of bananas.

Modern Day North America

As you can see, we’ve come a long way. Or have we? Today our hair loss remedies promise consumers the moon. But are we ever happy with results? If you have a genetic disposition for balding early in life, it’s your choice to try pills, products, and surgical procedures. But ask yourself: will these treatments make you happy? Can one physical alteration make you feel young and virile?

Men that do not have genetic balding traits; who are experiencing hair loss; should take the following into consideration:

About The Author

Jen Carter is staff writer for Inhairit – creator of a male and female hair loss treatment program at http://www.inhairit.com, and has written hundreds of articles and tips about dealing with hair loss . For more hair care tips and articles, visit http://www.inhairit.com

Amended Bitter Orange – Ephedra in Disguise? So Why Do People Still Take It ?

Writen by Jenny Mathers

If you read my last article about bitter orange, it was pretty clear how I felt about the herb. I’d read the available research concerning bitter orange, and while there was some evidence supporting bitter orange, the overall picture did not look good.

So that’s the picture I painted, however, there were some facts that I was unaware of at the time, which I felt you might be interested in if you’re researching bitter orange.

In order to lay these out, I want to answer four questions:

1. What Is Bitter Orange Really ?

2. So does Bitter Orange act similarly to ephedrine ?

3. What about the reports of adverse ill effects of bitter orange ?

4. Is bitter orange safe to use and does it work ?

It’s a bit long, but what the heck !

What Is Bitter Orange Really ?:

The Bitter Orange extract found in popular fat burners, is made from the unripe fruit of the citrus aurantium tree. The fruit is picked when they are a dark green in color, halved, dried and then milled into a powder. This makes the herb Zhi Shi1. Bitter orange is the western name for Zhi Shi.

The bitter orange herb contains five alkaloids (see alkaloid definition5), the most dominant of which is Synephrine (the compound I referred to in my last article), structurally similar to ephedrine. However, while they are similar, they’re not the same.

Both synephrine and ephedrine stimulate the sympathetic nervous system and at a cellular level, affect alpha cell receptors, and to a lesser extent, beta cell receptors6. Ephedrine will affect beta(1), beta(2) and beta(3) cell receptors, however, of the beta-cell receptors, synephrine appears to only affect beta(3) cells, those believed to be responsible for thermogenesis or fat burning affects7. Beta(1) and beta(2) receptors are believed to be responsible for cardiac and pulmonary functions.

So does Bitter Orange act similarly to ephedrine ?

Does it ? While previously, I’ve presented a very black and white view of whether it acts similarly to ephedrine, I am now not so sure.

There is some confusion as to how synephrine affects heart rates and blood pressure. Intravenously injected synephrine will cause increased heart rates and blood pressure, however, orally taken synephrine does not, and synephrine contained in most herbal weight loss supplements are taken orally.

Generally speaking because synephrine stimulates beta(3) cells but not beta(2) and beta(1) cells, it can provide the thermogenic effects without the undesirable cardiac side effects that ephedrine did.

What about the reports of adverse ill effects of bitter orange ?

The American Herbal Products Association has found that there were errors in the reported adverse event reports attributed to the use of bitter orange in September 20043. The association found that numbers reported in the media were in fact duplicates for adverse event reports for ephedrine, and when all was said and done, there was really only one report of an adverse reaction attributed to a bitter orange supplement, where no other ingredient was included in the supplement. In this particular case, it involved a 74 year old woman had been taking prescription medication and two other herbal preparations simultaneously. This one case occurred more than five years ago3.

What about the 55 year old woman reported by Nykamp DL, Fackih MN, Compton AL (2004), who experienced chest pain after consuming a supplement containing bitter orange. Researchers in this case study had commented “Based on the Naranjo probability scale, C. aurantium is possibly associated with this cardiovascular event”4, however, as bitter orange was not the only ingredient in the supplement, it cannot be known whether in this case, that bitter orange was the herb responsible.

Is bitter orange safe to use and does it work ?

Now there are many others, who felt as I did, that bitter orange is another Ephedra waiting to happen, and will have the same consequences. However, when bitter orange is taken in isolation, it does not have adverse side effects.

In fact, when it is combined with other selected herbs, it may have benefits for health and weight loss. Research performed with 20 individuals over six weeks found no adverse reactions occurred when citrus aurantium was combined with caffeine and St. Johns Wort2. They also found that the individuals who were given the supplement (group A) lost an average of 2.9% body fat. “In terms of actual fat loss, group A lost a significant amount (3.1 kg), whereas the control group demonstrated a tendency toward fat loss.” So, this study has demonstrated that there are weight loss benefits involved here, but also the control group who received nothing exhibited a tendency towards fat loss, suggesting that if the study had been extended beyond 6 weeks, the control group would have lost body fat as well.

Conclusions:

2004 was not a great year for bitter orange in the media. It has successfully battled reports of adverse events alleged to be a result of consuming bitter orange. These numbers proved to be incorrect.

While synephrine the main alkaloid of bitter orange, is chemically similar to ephedrine, it is not the same as ephedrine and differs in the way it reacts pharmacologically within the human body.

Although at first look at the research, bitter orange presented with dangers that I wanted to warn against, a more in-depth look has revealed that bitter orange by itself is not dangerous. The citrus aurantium extract standardized for synephrine (3-6%) is accepted as safe7.

But hang on, before you click off this page, to go and find a fat burner with citrus aurantium in it, I do also want to say, that they can’t be used as an alternative to good food and exercise.

Herbal supplements such as those containing bitter orange can be helpful but only when used within a weight loss strategy of balanced eating and exercise, and while they may benefit some, it may not benefit others and only your doctor will be able to make that decision for you6. The results may be slower, but a balanced diet and exercise are the keys to permanent and healthy weight loss. So while bitter orange may be helpful, you can obtain the same results without it. What-ever stage you are at with your health and fitness, diet and exercise are the two most important aspects.

If you do decide you’d like to try a supplement containing bitter orange, please consult your doctor before purchasing a bitter orange product.

Essentially if you consult your doctor about bitter orange, as we say in Australia – you can’t go wrong, mate. Your doctor will be able to refer you to your nearest dietician and will recommend the best weight loss strategy for your situation.

References:

1. Jones, D., “Bitter Orange or Citrus Aurantium: same difference ?”

2. Colker et. al., (1999) Effects of Citrus Aurantium extract, caffeine, and St. John’s Work on body fat loss, lipid levels, and mood states in overweight healthy adults. Curr. Ther. Res. 60, 145 – 153.

3. American Herbal Products (2004) “FDA Spins Numbers on Bitter Orange AERs” Press Release

4. Nykamp DL, Fackih MN, Compton AL. Possible association of acute lateral-wall myocardial infarction and bitter orange supplement. Ann Pharmacother. 2004 May;38(5):812-6. Epub 2004 Mar 16.

5. Definition of Alkaloids – any of hundreds of compounds found in plants with a nitrogen atom connected to two carbon atoms, and often formed in a ring structure. Many commonly known chemicals and drugs are alkaloids, including nicotine, cocaine, quinine, morphine, and ephedrine.

6. Dharmananda, S., SYNEPHRINE:Is Chih-shih (Zhishi) Toxic? Institute for Traditional Medicine, Portland, Oregon. See the schematic diagram for synephrine at the bottom of the page.

7. Supplement Watch on Synephrine

Other Sites of Interest:

Supplement Watch Newsletter

About The Author

Copyright © 2004 Jenny Mathers All Rights Reserved.

Research resource for fat burning foods and supplements. Fat burning food research information allowing you to take the guess work out of fat burning.

Alpha Lipoic Acid Lotion

Writen by Jimmy Sturo

Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA; thioctic acid; lipoic acid) is a coenzyme that is a very potent antioxidant. A body exposed to free radicals becomes more susceptible to diseases such as diabetes and liver damage. ALA, sometimes called the “universal” antioxidants holds the capacity to neutralize the effects of free radicals in both fatty and water-based environments.

Although ALA is a naturally occuring anti-oxidant in the body, it is also gleaned and made from plant foods like tomatoes, spinach and brocolli, as well as beef, yeast, and kidneys. As is the case with many nutirents available on the market, ALA is not only a health supplement; it is also a cosmetic supplement. Always consult your doctor beforte finding out how much you should be taking.

The prevention and cure by ALA, by virtue of neutralizing free radicals, is worth the credit it has gained in the therapeutic market. An improvement in the skin tone can be achieved by the use of ALA Lotion. ALA fights the free radicals present in the body, and thereby prevents the aging process. The massage of effective ALA Lotion on the body is beneficial. The observed effectiveness is more if applied to highly wet skin, say after taking a bath.

Some short-term scientific studies have proposed its additional advantage of greater absorption from the skin and more potent antioxidant effect, as compared to vitamins C and E. For topical application, Reviva Alpha Lipoic Acid Lotion is available as an anti-aging product. Its other potential ingredients include vitamin C, vitamin E, and DMAE bitartrate.

Alpha Lipoic Acid provides detailed information on alpha lipoic acid, ALA products, ALA research, ALA side effects and more. Alpha Lipoic Acid is affiliated with Uses and Benefits.

A Guide to Supplements for Prostate Health

Writen by Dan Ho

You’ve probably heard it a million times….you should eat more tomatoes for your prostate health because they contain a nutrient called lycopene.

And this is true.

But did you know that there are a broad array of nutrients, whether they be vitamins, minerals, or other antioxidants that have shown to improve or maintain the health of a man’s prostate?

By the time you finish reading this article, you will probably know more about the best prostate health supplements to use than 95% of men out there.

And that’s a good thing to know considering that prostate cancer comes second only to lung cancer for cancer caused deaths in American men!

First, let’s talk about the mineral zinc and prostate health.

Zinc appears to play a crucial role in maintaining good prostate health, but precisely how it does this still isn’t clear.

If you aren’t getting enough zinc, consider using a supplement containing it. But, it’s important to not overdo it.

Believe it or not, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. In fact, although you are probably not aware of it, some antioxidants that normally assist the body by fighting free radicals can generate free radicals themselves if too much is taken.

In fact, one study has even shown that more than 100 mg of zinc per day can actually increase a man’s chances of developing advanced prostate cancer!

Again, this sort of harm from excess can happen for many things not just zinc.

Prostate Health Formulas

Good prostate health formulas should contain something called beta sitosterol. Everyone talks about saw palmetto, but they should be talking about beta sitosterol which is literally many hundreds even thousands of times more powerful and effective than saw palmetto.

Here’s why:

Saw Palmetto supplements are comprised almost entirely of “fatty acids” with only a very small part “sterols.” Even the best Saw Palmetto prostate supplements made from standarized extracts are approximately 85% fatty acids.

What’s important to understand here is that the fatty acids have no therapeutic value. On the contrary, it is the “sterol” component that makes up the active constituents — the part you want.

The active sterol part is the source of saw palmetto’s benefits.

Have you seen studies showing that saw palmetto sometimes works and sometimes doesnt?

In our opinion, this is because saw palmetto isn’t that effective to begin with. It just doesn’t contain enough active constituents, the sterols.

And in those studies where it does seem to work with mixed results, our conjecture is that higher quality saw palmetto was probably used in such studies.

Back to beta sitosterol as one of the best supplements for prostate health. This “sterol” component mentioned above from saw palmetto is in fact beta sitosterol.

In short, beta sitosterol is only the active component part of saw palmetto, which is why several studies have shown beta sitosterol is extremely effective.

Another one of the best supplements for prostate health is corn silk extract.

Any man who suffers from prostatitis or enlarged prostate gland problems (BPH) knows that their condition is associated with inflammation. One of the symptoms of this sort of inflammation is a weakened flow of the urine stream and dribbling.

Corn silk may be beneficial here because it acts as an anti-inflammatory and as a natural diuretic, and therefore may help to increase urine flow and reduce pain associated with the inflammation of the prostate.

Of course, there is also lycopene mentioned at the start of this article. Lycopene is indeed an important nutrient to be used in quality prostate health formulas — or you can get it from eating foods, like fresh tomatoes.

And, no, ketchup does not count as a fresh tomato food! In fact, even if ketchup did contain any good lycopene content, the benefits would be more than offset by all the horrible high fructose corn syrup in such products.

Lastly, although you can’t get these in prostate health supplements, the US National Cancer Institute did a study which revealed that men who consumed just 1/3 rd of an ounce (that’s not much at all) of onions, scallions, garlic and chives per day were far less likely to have prostate cancer.

Yes, we realize that you can buy garlic supplements and they are often sold in supplements for prostate health. But we don’t believe they are effective because the beneficial compound in garlic, called allicin, is highly volatile, and is only released when the garlic is crushed or chopped, and, most importantly, quickly deteriorates.

This is why, in our opinion, a lot of garlic supplements have been shown to be ineffective because the allicin is not stable whereas fresh garlic works since you are eating it soon after you chop it up.

So when you look at supplements for prostate health, skip the garlic and just eat more of it.

Get more info on prostate health supplements to consider using at: http://www.nutritional-supplement-info.com/prostate-herbs.html

Dutch Doctor Pioneers Remarkable Cancer Cure Based on Extracts Taken from the Human Placenta

Writen by Alister Bredee

Dutch born M.D. William H. Van Ewijk of “Autobiologics” is quick to point out that cancer is not necessarily the killer it is painted out to be. Founder of the “Placenta Research Foundation”, until recently located in the Netherlands; he has pioneered some remarkable anti-cancer treatments based on extracts from a specific part of the human placenta.

Dr. Van Ewijk is of the opinion that cancer is a natural phenomenon and likens it to pregnancy. Because in pregnancy cells multiply and proliferate in much the same way as in that series of diseases we have come to call cancer. However, in the case of the latter this gestation appears “at the wrong time and in the wrong place.” Human Chorionic Gonadotropin or hCG, a hormone of pregnancy, is found, curiously enough at the surface of all cancer cells. As a result it has come to serve as a universal marker for this disease. The link between cancer and pregnancy is by no means new thinking and this is borne out by the older classic oncology textbooks.

The connection between cancer and pregnancy was first muted by Dr. Cohnheim way back in the mid-nineteenth century. At that time it was known as “the theory of embroynal rest”. Dr Beard was a firm advocate of the hypothesis and it remained in medical acceptance well into the twentieth century. William Van Ewijk has taken the ideas of Russian Doctor, Victor Govallo, and developed them still further.

The placenta, a word taken from Greek, is by far the most important organ of pregnancy. It is important because it provides protection and nourishment for the fetus during its stay in the womb. Being similar in constituency to the mother’s white blood cells it acts as a filter for immune cells and other factors that go to bolster resistance against infection and disease. The placenta is also the site for many, many cellular factories that manufacture suppressor lymphocytes another great boon to the immune system.

Dr. Van Ewijk’s treatment protocol involves taking a specific extract from the human placenta. Moreover, he has perfected an innovative product VG-1000. This is an immune system modifier designed to prevent and treat cancer. This non-toxic, organic product acts like a vaccine and unmasks cancerous cells as they mutate into life threatening malignancies.

Ina’s X-rays showed cancerous signs on the liver and was diagnosed with Ardenocarcinoma in 1998. After a Liver de-tox and only 7 doses of the VG-1000 her right sided liver pain subsided and her overall feeling of weakness and malaise reduced. The following year, again following a liver de-tox, she took 2 doses of the remedy per week for 5 weeks. Since 2001 she has been taking 3-5 doses of VG-1000 per month and now lives quite normally without symptoms. She is just one of the many recorded successes Dr. Van Ewijk has had with his amazingly successful ” IET” or “Immuno Embryo Therapy” treatments using extracts of the human placenta. Interested in this subject? Try this link for more of the same.

Alister Bredee is a freelance writer, author, lecturer and trainer and Natural Health Practitioner. See also http://www.pagerankarticles.com.

He lives in Thailand and can be contacted at: alisterbredee@gmail.com.

How to Become a Bodybuilding Champion – The Art of Focusing!

Writen by Greg Ryan

Tiger Woods is the only one I know who has the ability to stop his down swing on a dime when it just does not feel right to go through with it. How does he do it? Over the years I have been able to teach myself one of the most important elements in making the most out of my workouts. What is it? It’s the ability to tune everyone, everything and every sound out in a blink of an eye.

We see it played out in movies where a baseball pitcher blocks out all the roaring fans and only concentrates on the catcher’s mitt in silence. This is the keen ability to focus with lazar like power.

One of the main reasons I became a champion bodybuilder at very young age is because I have mastered this technique. Today, I walk into a gym, step on a treadmill, or go out for a walk and the only thing I am aware of is the task at hand. I block every one and every thing out. No it is not always easy, but it is very effective.

This is not a technique you can read about in an anatomy book, it will take practice on your part. It is a discipline within itself.

Here are some general workout rules that have helped me master the art of focus during my workouts;

1. Go through your workout in your mind first before you even get to the gym.

2. Take a water bottle – eliminate all excess wasted time.

3. NO cell phones during a workout – This goes without saying.

4. Visual the muscle that is moving the weight.

5. Work the room just like a social gathering.

6. Keep a flow into your workouts.

7. Practice every single workout – over and over and over again.

If you want to get the most from your workouts you need to work smarter rather than harder. Focusing on the task at hand in a lazar like fashion may be the key to you being a champion in your own right.

START LOSING WEIGHT THE RIGHT WAY FOR GOOD TODAY! click here http://www.resolutions.bz Discover the common sense way to lose weight with out dieting that the doctor’s DON’T want you to know. Greg Ryan is a best selling author, former employee of Kathy Smith, and high profile fitness expert.

An overview of Dietary Supplements

Writen by Jack Smith

How many times have you almost clicked on that pop-up Internet ad to buy a supplement that promises to give you relief from your agonizing asthma symptoms or one that will endow your skin with a healthy glow? There is a lot of interest and debate on the health benefits of dietary supplements. Do we actually know what the term dietary supplement means and are their benefits to health scientifically proven?

What are dietary supplements?
In the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, the U.S. Congress defined dietary supplements as products that are taken orally, and contain a dietary ingredient, like vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, and substances such as enzymes, organ tissues, glandulars, and metabolites all of which aims to supplement the diet. Dietary supplements, also called nutritional supplements, can also be extracts or concentrates and can come in forms such as tablets, capsules, softgels, gelcaps, liquids and even powders. The Act specifically states that dietary supplements must be labeled as such and must not be sold as a replacement for a conventional food or as the sole item for a meal.

Are supplements essential to good health?
While we more often than not question the efficacy of a medication, we seldom probe the benefits of a vitamin or a mineral supplement. What is important to know is that no matter how expensive or popular a vitamin supplement is it cannot replace a diet that is rich in natural nutrients. They are a safeguard against deficiency but everyone need not take them. If you’re eating a healthy diet (consuming between 1600 – 2800 calories), with lots of fruit, vegetables, grains and fiber, plenty of fluids in the form of water and other beverages, eating fortified foods, you may not add supplements. However, if you are at risk for a nutritional deficiency, you may need to take them. People who are more likely to need a supplement are those who consume less than 1200 calories a day, elderly people, strict vegetarians, people who are lactose intolerant, pregnant women, smokers and alcoholics, people who are recuperating from an illness and people who don’t consume a variety of foods.

Jack Smith writes about various topics. This article is free to re-print as long as nothing is changed, all links remained intact, the bio remains in full and the rel=”nofollow” tag is not added to any of the links. Thank-you – Please visit the discount vitamin store and this nutrition website.

Health: Mental Fitness

Writen by Michael Russell

To avoid being ourselves a part of the general social problem of mental health, we each must follow a personal mental fitness programme just as we follow our physical health programme. In this way we can anticipate a comfortable future for ourselves and contribute to a healthier society in general.

Many people have to learn to adjust to physical disabilities and physical disease and often can still lead relatively comfortable lives but mental diseases are even more difficult. They have a powerful negative effect upon our total well-being as well as upon everybody around us and frequently one patient will require several helpers. Without mental health life can become unbearable.

We know that there are certain habits and practices which will give us good physical health but how do we know what to do to keep ourselves mentally healthy? Where can we learn to follow a mental health programme?

Mental Health Rules

If the rules and requirements for physical health and fitness are well known to be associated with hygiene, posture, nutrition, pure water, exercise, relaxation, sleep and rest, sunshine, fresh air and the need for a clean, natural environment, it seems reasonable that we can follow the same principles regarding our minds. And if we apply these rules with the same enthusiasm we give to physical fitness, we can surely expect good results to follow.

So to maintain mental health we need a clear, uncluttered mind, positive attitudes, nourishing or enriching thoughts and ideas, ample exercise to keep our minds strong and flexible, sufficient rest and sleep for restoration of our mental energies and a wholesome mental environment.

Our mental environment is as important for our minds as the physical environment is for our bodies. Our minds can only thrive in surroundings which are congenial and free of disturbing and negative thoughts and influences.

Basically then, the rules when defined, are seen to be simple, requiring only a degree of self discipline in order to put them into effect. The key to success is in the application of the principles. Then we can expect to retain our intelligent grasp on life, keep our full mental faculties unimpaired and retain a joy in living to the end of our days.

We may see others exercising for physical health and admire what they are doing but we will never know the benefits they feel until we follow suit and do the same. We each must make our own effort and this is just the same regarding mental fitness. Those who are getting good results are already following the mental health rules.

Concept Of Mental Health

To motivate us we have to have a concept to inspire us. So, just as we know how we feel when our body is in a healthy state, we need to consider what constitutes an ideal healthy mental state. These signs of good mental function and expression are recognized in a person who has balance and stability, mental strength, rationality, self-confidence, will power, vitality, mental creativity, compassion, developed talents, generosity, fearlessness, love and kindness. We refer to the ideal when we are assessing our own qualities.

Our general concept also anticipates that such a person would be cheerful rather than morose, calm instead of confused, ethical and law abiding, truthful, fair minded and self controlled. Perhaps, we would also naturally anticipate that such an individual would have a good sense of humour as well as a capacity for logical thought and common sense. They would also possess a degree of self confidence which would allow them to feel secure and therefore kindly disposed towards others rather than expressing defensive behaviour and negative traits of personality.

Any healthy minded person is intelligent and creative with a keen intellect, capable of generating new thoughts and expressing a wholesome enthusiasm for life. This latter quality is perhaps of most importance. But we need to build up a clear picture of our own as to what we are aiming for in our efforts to achieve and maintain mental health.

Above all, we wish to live untroubled and at peace within the inner world of our own mind.

Thoughts And Feelings Are Entwined

The human psyche however, is a blend of both thinking and feeling. Our nature comprises a partnership or co-operation between emotions and thought. Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish the difference between thought and feeling when they are blended, or even confused. But they are certainly aspects of our nature which function on different planes. Sometimes thought and feeling run parallel, sometimes not. For instance we can have happy thoughts and entertain similar joyful feelings or can have pleasant thoughts yet can experience a feeling of foreboding. Our happiest moments however, come from a positive and harmonious blending of both aspects of our psyche. So we must be sure that our thoughts and our feelings work together.

We require discipline and self-control to establish physical health and we require application of the same when we are ensuring the health of our emotional state. As our emotions have a strong influence upon our thinking we must remain positive to ensure that negative emotions have no chance to endanger the plans our mind sets for our life goals. Rather, we depend upon our strong and happy emotions to give impetus to those goals.

There is no point in spending mental energy for a cause only to have its success undermined wayward emotions. And equally it is not satisfactory to have strong positive emotions seeking expression but that are denied by our own fear or negative thinking.

Mind Must Master The Emotions

Following the natural fluctuations and difficulties between thoughts and emotions experienced in adolescence, it is fundamental to our character and well being that in maturity, our thoughts assume the responsibility of leadership over our emotions. So when conflicts arise, as can often occur, the mind can be responsible for employing the emotions in such a way as to result in happy, positive outcomes.

The mind must assume the powerful role of benign Director of our lives, encouraging our best emotions and subduing the negative. This is the starting point for mental fitness. Good teamwork between a positive mind and balanced emotions results in an ideal state to undertake mental fitness disciplines, just as a physical fitness exercise programme is a pleasant experience when the body is willing. Conflict between mind and emotions generally results in indecision, depression or in emotional storms which temporarily damage any determined intent of the mind.

Most psychological tensions are based on this disparity between what our mind aims for and what our emotions desire. They must become co-operatively harnessed to a single purpose or at least oriented in the same direction.

Get to know your emotional moods and energy and learn to be happy and to expand your capacity to experience positive emotions, the greatest of which is love. But let your emotional nature be directed under the leadership of your thought.

Just Follow The Rules

Once we know the role of the mind and its natural duty is to direct our emotions, we can accept the responsibility and feel confident that we can cope with any of our own rebellious moods and emotions. We are then free to follow the mental health rules: We need to keep a clear, uncluttered mind; maintain positive optimistic attitudes; entertain enriching thoughts and ideas; give exercise to our minds to keep them both strong and flexible; ensure we have sufficient rest and sleep for restoration of our mental energies; and provide ourselves with a wholesome mental environment.

Become Free Of Stress

Stress is said to be the most common symptom of mental disease. It is difficult to avoid exaggerated responses and to remain un-phased by extremes in others and remain calm and rational at all times. A person who can do so earns our admiration and we should try to follow instead of reacting quickly according to our old habits.

Negative moods and conditions of stress and tension in others cause us to react quickly as stress is infectious unless we keep a hold on our responses just as we have to learn to handle our own stress to avoid affecting others in a negative way.

We all experience minor symptoms of mental disturbance or anxiety on occasion and it is best that we learn to deal with stressful situations as they arise.

There are many ways to deal with stress – from learning the art of relaxation and meditation, yoga, tai-chi , taking up a hobby or a sport, deep breathing, herbal tonics and supplements, therapeutic massage and so on. But remember to be kind to yourself and be sure that you are caring for yourself as you should, enjoying a natural lifestyle of your choice, developing your inherent talents and creating a life which is according to your own plan. Then you will be so happy that there is no room for inner stress.

If you should suffer anxiety which is not due to obvious factors, it may be advisable to seek the counsel of a professional psychologist who can help you to regain perspective or advise you appropriately.

Stress is just another way of saying something is wrong in our lives, whether it is within ourselves, our circumstances or in regard to wrong decisions and choices. Each of us inwardly holds the key to what is causing our unhappiness. Each of us has the capacity to correct what is wrong if we are honest with ourselves and are prepared to make changes.

The simplest way of relieving nervous tension is by practising relaxation and meditation, But there are many simple and natural ways of relieving stress through self-help methods.

It is important that you avoid taking drugs or medication for stress unless you are under the care of a psychiatrist.

I Think I Have an Eating Disorder and Want to Stop

Writen by S.A. Smith

An eating disorder is a life threatening condition that often requires professional assistance and support to overcome. If you think you have an eating disorder it is critical that you seek out the help and support you need to overcome your condition.

Beating an eating disorder can prove very rewarding and open new avenues of opportunity you never dreamed of. You will no longer be tied down by food and your emotional as well as physical health and well being will improve substantially. Often the first step to improving your health is to understand the causes of eating disorders.

HOW DO I KNOW I HAVE AN EATING DISORDER?

There are many signs and symptoms that are indicative of an eating disorder.

Consider asking yourself the following questions:

- Do you obsess about food and eating?

- Do you deny yourself food at times even when you feel hungry?

- Do you often withdraw from social activities involving eating?

- Do you often feel fat even if you are not fat or overweight?

- Do you exercise excessively after meals or to the point of pain or injury?

- Do you purge (vomit) after eating?

- Do you regularly use laxatives or diuretics to control your weight?

- Do you often eat large volumes of food uncontrollably?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, you may have an eating disorder.

ANOREXIA AND BULIMIA

Anorexia is a type of eating disorder that is often characterized by starving oneself thin. People who are anorexic often do not allow themselves to eat more than 500 or less calories per day.

Bulimics tend to eat large quantities of food and then purge them, through vomiting or laxative use.

Both anorexics and bulimics may exercise excessively. There are other types of eating disorders as well including binge eating disorder where you consume large quantities of food over and over again but don’t necessarily purge.

WHERE TO GO FOR HELP

If you feel you may have an eating disorder it is vital that you seek help. Recognizing that you may have a problem is actually the first step toward recovery.

The good news is you can eat a healthy and well balanced diet that doesn’t require that you follow a strict or rigid routine. A flexible diet will help you remain fit and a normal weight. A nutritionist or dietician can help you develop a healthy and well balanced meal plan that is easy to follow and will help boost your spirits.

Eating disorders often result from distorted thinking about yourself, your body image and the way others perceive you. Part of recovering from an eating disorder requires that you recognize that your body isn’t related to your identity and that the two are actually separate. You may need professional help distinguishing between the two and identifying the triggers that are causing you to engage in distorted eating patterns.

Many eating disorders are simply a way to mask your emotional pain. If you have an eating disorder, don’t keep it a secret. Talk to friends or family members or seek assistance from your healthcare provider or an online support community. There are numerous groups online that can help you work through your emotional pain and start your journey toward healing.

S.A. Smith is a freelance writer, correspondent, and contributing editor of the Anorexia Bulimia Help resource site which publishes helpful news, tips, and articles for families and individuals coping with anorexia, bulimia, or other eating disorders.

How to Take a Sauna

Writen by Reggie Andersen

With the recent popularity of far infrared saunas and steam saunas comes the necessity of learning to use them properly and safely. Listed below are the traditional steps the Finns would take in order to benefit fully from their cleansing saunas. And the Finns should know, as roughly one in five inhabitants possesses a sauna.

It should be stated that one should consult their health care practitioner before embarking on any kind of sauna program, though it’s interesting that sauna usage doesn’t seem to harm the five million plus Finns and many others who know how to take a sauna correctly.

How to Take a Sauna – Traditional Finnish Style

1. First of all one should disrobe completely before entering. It is also important to remove watches, rings and all other jewelry because the heat of the sauna may distort the metal and burn the flesh that wears it.

Contact lenses and glasses should also be removed, as should dental plates and the like. It is common to wear kick-off sandals to walk into the sauna though these are usually left on the floor and never used when on the benches. In the old country, sandals were not used, but instead a bowel of water is placed inside the sauna on the floor and the feet are dipped in this as one enters.

2. Hikoilu – When entering the sauna for the first stage, it is important to remember that there will be at least two levels of benches – the high bench is always the hotter, and the corner of the room diagonally opposite the stove is always the hottest.

This stage is a dry heat where the outside cares of your life can be discarded and the mind and body refreshed. By tradition hikoilu is invariably a period of silence and lasts about 10 to 20 minutes.

3. Vilvoittelu – When a heavy sweat has been reached – one can hear the perspiration dripping down to the floor – this next phase of “vilvoittelu” has been reached and one can then leave the sauna. Traditionally users have sought a cool place of any kind like a swim in the lake or pool, maybe a cold shower, a roll in the snow, or just a bucket of very cold water. Some people simply sit down in the cool outside air.

Instinct will tell you when the correct time comes to return to the hot room, usually when the heartbeat returns to the regular rhythm. Both the heat and the cold produce a slight increase in the rate of the heart beat, but this adjusts quickly to normal in healthy people. If there is a pounding or feeling of faintness, the person must leave the heated room and sit quietly. Drinking water with electrolytes would prove helpful also as well as fresh fruit juice.

4. Vihtominen loylyssa – This is the second session inside the hot sauna room. Traditionally birch twigs were heated in a bowel of warm water near the stove and the bathers sitting on the benches would use them to beat their bodies back and front to release the oil from the leaves and to open the skin’s pores.

Perhaps in modern situations, a dry skin brush would prove helpful before one’s sauna session to open up the pores and remove dead skin cells. This third stage lasts about 10 minutes followed by a second cooling off before proceeding to the next step.

5. Peseytyminen – One brings a bucket of cold water, soap and scrubbing brushes into the sauna and scrubs the body. Traditionally, people would pair off to scrub each other’s backs.

6. Huuhtelu – This is a longer session outside, rolling in the snow, a long swim or a washing with shower or buckets in the coldest water available.

7. Jalkilammittely – A fairly short warm up in the sauna which is usually followed by another short swim, dip or shower. Always finish with the cold, but not for a long exposure.

8. Jaahdyttely ja kuivattelu – This is an air bath for cooling and relaxation. Generally, except in harsh winters, one dries with a towel only the hair and back of the neck; after a good sauna the body can dry itself and adjust naturally to any temperatue without difficulties or harm.

The Finns really know how to take a sauna, you say? You may notice that a sauna is far from being another steam bath. The idea is that enough water is used to keep the hot, dry air from drying eyes and mucous membranes, but this depends upon the host. In Northern Finland, it was a social status symbol to be a man who could take a lot of hot steam and smile about it.

Today this information about how to take a sauna may sound old-fashioned or impractical but in a few localities it still works and works well. The same principle of cleansing impurities from the skin can be found in aromatherapy portable steam saunas that come in convenient home or office structures like these: Portable Steam Saunas

Also, far infrared saunas have become popularity because of their ability to penetrate deep into the sweat and sebaceous glands to remove toxins. Some of the higher quality models are discussed here: Far Infrared Saunas

For those who merely wish to read about the efficacy of far infrared sauna therapy a free guide to sauna usage is available online: How to Take A Sauna