Treatment for High Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is the force of the blood pushing against the walls of the arteries. Each time the heart beats, it pumps blood through the arteries. Your blood pressure is at its highest when the heart beats, forcing blood into the arteries. This is called systolic pressure. When the heart is at rest, between beats, your blood pressure falls. This is the diastolic pressure. Blood pressure is always given as two numbers, the systolic and diastolic pressures. Both are important.

The systolic pressure is the first or top number, and the diastolic pressure is the second or bottom number (for example, 120/80). If your blood pressure is 120/80, you say that it is "120 over 80".

It is important to take steps to keep your blood pressure under control. The treatment goal is to keep blood pressure below 140/90, or even lower for people with other conditions, such as diabetes and kidney disease.

Adopting healthy lifestyle habits is an essential and effective first step in both preventing and controlling high blood pressure. However, if lifestyle changes alone are not effective in keeping your pressure controlled, it may be necessary to take blood pressure medications.

The following types of medications are available to treat high blood pressure:

1. Diuretics: Diuretics are sometimes called water pills because they work in the kidney and flush excess water and sodium from the body, lowering blood pressure.

2. Beta-blockers: Beta-blockers reduce nerve impulses to the heart and blood vessels. This makes the heart beat slower and with less force. As a result of these drugs, the blood pressure drops and the heart works less hard.

3. ACE inhibitors: Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors prevent the formation of a hormone called angiotensin II, which normally causes blood vessels to narrow. The ACE inhibitors cause the vessels to relax and blood pressure goes down.

4. Angiotensin antagonists: Angiotensin antagonists shield blood vessels from angiotensin II. As a result, the vessels become wider and blood pressure goes down.

5. Calcium channel blockers (CCBs): CCBs keep calcium from entering the muscle cells of the heart and blood vessels. This causes the blood vessels to relax and pressure goes down.

6. Alpha-blockers: Alpha-blockers reduce nerve impulses to blood vessels, which allows blood to pass more easily, causing the blood pressure to go down.

7. Alpha-beta-blockers: Alpha-beta-blockers work the same way as alpha-blockers but also slow the heartbeat, as beta-blockers do. As a result of using these drugs, less blood is pumped through the vessels and the blood pressure goes down.

8. Nervous system inhibitors: Nervous system inhibitors relax blood vessels by controlling nerve impulses, and this causes the blood vessels to become wider and the blood pressure to go down.

9. Vasodilators: Vasodilators directly open blood vessels by relaxing the muscles in the vessel walls, causing the blood pressure to go down.

To find out if you have high blood pressure consult your doctor and have a blood pressure test. The test is quick and painless.

To determine which life style changes and medications are appropriate, consult your doctor.

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Blood Pressure Basics

There are no hard and fast figures which represent a normal blood pressure. And very often doctors and other experts cannot even decide between them what an ideal blood pressure range is for an adult.

However it is usually agreed that somewhere between 110/70 and 125/80 is considered to be an average blood pressure for a grown person, though someone with naturally low blood pressure may be closer to a range of 100/60

A blood pressure of 140/90 is considered to be high, though as a person gets older, this falls into the more normal range for people.

Blood doesn't circulate in an even stream around the body, but travels in a constant series of spurts. Therefore the pressure peaks in the blood vessels just after a heart beat and then ebbs until the next one. This is a continuous process.

The two blood pressure figures represent the pressures when the forces are at their peak and at their lowest ebb. The stronger the arteries are, the more they resist the force of the blood and the lower the blood pressure.

As a person gets older, and the elasticity of their arteries weakens, the figures tend to rise. However the lower figure should still be under 90 until that person at least reaches their sixties.

Many studies looking at blood pressure in both black and white people have found there is a higher prevalence of hypertension (High blood pressure) in black people than there is in white. This has led to further research in determining whether this is racially determined or just based on socioeconomic and dietary factors.

Some people suffering high blood pressure may find they just can't pinpoint a cause for their problem. They may be fit, have a very healthy lifestyle yet their blood pressure remains consistently high for no apparent reason. This is called Primary or essential high blood pressure. However if the raised blood pressure is due to an underlying medical problem, it is known as Secondary High Blood Pressure.

Nearly one in four people in the Western world have high blood pressure. Many people don't appreciate it is a dangerous condition that can lead to a heart attack kidney failure or stroke if it is left untreated. Yet there are thousands of people unaware they have high blood pressure who are walking around with a lethal time bomb ticking away inside them.

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Main Cause of Insomnia

Well in my opinion the main thing that keeps us tossing and turning at night is worrying about not going to sleep.

Sure there might be other reasons for sleeplessness; chronic pain, restless legs syndrome, partner disturbance, too much coffee...

But at the end of the day you're lying there worrying about how you're going to get through the next day if you don't get to sleep *right now!*

Worry and the stress it causes, are by far the main causes of sleeplessness, and the sad part is, the more we worry, the more wide awake we feel. But what can we do about it?

We have to empty our conscious minds of worrying and stressful thoughts (yeah right! Easier said than done!)

Stress and worry can affect your sleep quite dramatically. It can be an isolated stressful incident which keeps you awake for a few nights, or the stress and worry may be chronic. Once they becomes a habit, certain situations will then always cause you to become stressed.

Worry in particular can become a habit and like any habit, is very difficult to break (just ask us smokers, um... ex smokers out there!) But it can be done. You have to train your mind to either let go of a thought, or replace one thought with another.

If you suffer from insomnia, whether you're having trouble going to sleep or staying asleep, stress could be the cause. Your sleeping problems can then cause more stress which in turn makes it even harder to sleep. How can you stop worrying and stop this vicious cycle?

The most important thing is to try and work out what you are telling yourself when you are worrying about something. We talk to ourselves all the time whether we are aware of it or not. What thoughts are going through your mind that are causing your bad feelin! gs?

For example, you may be sitting in a traffic jam thinking, "I'm going to be late for work if this stupid traffic doesn't start moving soon. Then I'll be rushing around all day trying to get everything done! Which means I probably won't have time to buy a proper lunch and I'll have to grab something quick and greasy! Well there goes the diet ..."

Enough! Why torture yourself with this rubbish? Make it a habit to stop these thoughts as soon as they start. How? Just substitute them with better thoughts! Have a list of thoughts that make you feel good and think about them instead! This will reduce stress significantly and with practice, it will get easier and easier.

If you're having trouble doing this, try doing in in two steps. When you catch yourself worrying, say "STOP!" Picture a big red stop sign right in front of you. Concentrate on this until it breaks you train of worrying thoughts.

Then you can start thinking your pleasant thoughts, a movie you enjoyed, a present from your children, whatever makes you happy!

Your mind is extremely powerful - put it to work for you and not against you!

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Parental Stress

One of the biggest problems with having children is the remarkable fact that they tend to be the source of parental stress. This is, obviously, the unique stress that comes from being a parent and having to worry about the fact that your kids are growing up, learning new things, living their lives their own way, and -- all too often -- figuring out things the hard way. In addition, you have to worry about your kids making the right decisions, staying out of trouble, and just generally turning into human beings just like you. Needless to say, this tends to create a lot of parental stress.

Being a parent isn't easy. After all, you are responsible for raising, instructing, and helping children as they work their way from an infant into adulthood. And even when they go off on their own, you still worry about them as they make their way through the world. Despite the fact that they move on into adulthood, you never stop being a parent and you want to make sure that they are doing okay. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done and it is not easy to let them go. Thus, you find yourself both trying to give them freedom and trying to hang on to them as they go out into the world.

The problem becomes one of both trying to keep a hold of your children and trying to let them be their own people. Thus, in order to allow you children to move on, you need to learn to let them go. That's right, in order to ease parental stress, you need to learn how to be less of a parent. In fact, you need to learn how to let them make their own mistakes. This is very difficult, since you will have to watch them as they go through the process of growing up, largely without your help. This can be very difficult, since you will want to protect them from the world. But the world will show up sometime and you will need to let them learn to deal with it. Needless to say, this will only make parental stress worse for a while, since you will be essentially standing on the sidelines as they make errors that you could have warned them against. Just remember that it will do them good in the long run and they will be better for it.

However, this does not mean that you shouldn't keep an eye on your children. Let's face it, you are still a parent and you need to watch over your children. Trying to cope with parental stress will not be improved by being completely ignorant of your children. Instead, let them be themselves as you try to keep an eye on them. They will find their own way, even if you do not always enjoy the path that they have to go down to get there. Just allow them to be imperfect and they will learn what they need to know in the process.

But when the stress of child-raising gets to be too much, don't be afraid to get help. There are plenty of support groups, books, and websites out there that want to help you through your parental stress. Don't be afraid to give them a try, if for no other reason than to stay informed. Nobody said it was going to be easy, so try to keep your stress under control. Then, by keeping it under control, you can survive a lot of difficult situations and a lot of difficult years and prevent yourself from going crazy with worry.

Just remember that your children will, eventually, become rebellious and they will probably try to act in a way that may shock you. It is well-known that parental stress can be fairly severe during the teenage years, since teenagers are always eager to go their own way. And if that doesn't increase parental stress, nothing will. You will often find yourself on the sideline, trying to figure out what is going on in their heads, but try to remember that you were their age once. Teenagers aren't perfect. Neither are adults. Keep both of those items in mind and you may be able to keep your parental stress to a minimum.

No, parental stress is not easy. No, it is not simple to solve. No, there is no point where you can just let your children go completely. However, by managing your own parental stress, allowing your children to grow up, and understanding that your children need to make their own mistakes sometimes, you can keep your emotions under control and allow your children to be themselves. So, rather than allowing parental stress to take over your life, let parental stress take a backseat to keeping an eye on your children, making sure that they are doing fine, and enjoying the years when they are growing from youth to adulthood and beyond.

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ways to stay calm and reduce stress

Are you looking for more calm satisfying experience with you daily life?

Do you get frustrated with yourself at the end of the day because you've gotten stressed, unfocused or agitated?

Are you tired of getting over emotional and worn out.

Whether you are experiencing one or all of these feelings here are my 5 best tips on reducing the unwanted feelings so that you will feel calm and satisfied with yourself each day.

1. Catch yourself when you exhibit a feeling of behavior that you don't like and change it.
At first you may not notice the feeling until after you have gone through it, that's fine.

Think about how you would rather have felt.

Think about how you would rather have handled yourself. Decide how you want to do it next time.

As you continue with this process each day you will find that you will notice more easily what you are doing throughout the day.

You will begin to catch yourself earlier and earlier as you do this.

Eventually, you will be seeing yourself while you are doing it, then stop yourself.

At some point you will be able to notice before you even begin to feel and react in the undesirable way.

Here is where you will actually begin to change the way you react to the situations in your life and change your behavior.

2. Stay centered all day by refocusing throughout the day.
Develop the habit of paying attention to your mindset as the day goes on.

Several times a day, step away from what you are doing to get re-centered.

Sit down close your eyes and take several long slow deep breaths while imagining the tension washing slowly out of your body.

Notice your breathing getting slower and calmer.

Just think about your breath.

Try to keep from thinking about anything in particular.

It's ok to not be actively thinking for a while!

3. Watch out for your expectations.
You are setting yourself up for failure, upset and frustration when you set too many standards as to how you think things should be.

Think about what leads you to getting upset?

Why does it upset you?

Notice that you decide how many things should be, based on your own outlook and desire.

The things others do that are not to your liking, even the things you do that don't match your expectations.

Ask yourself, really how important is it that they be exactly that way

Ask, who am I to insist that they are that way?

Does it matter that much?

Is it worth getting myself worked up about?

Choose which expectations are really important for you to hold on to and which ones are not.

Holding on to many expectations just complicates your life, with constant judgment.

Simplify your life and reduce the stress!

4. Delegate.
This applies to your personal life as well as at work.

Most of us think of delegating as a workplace skill, but it can apply personally as well.

We are all very busy these days with our activities and duties.

Trying to fit it all in and get it all accomplished can lead to tension.

For various reasons, many of us have developed the habit of thinking we must do it all ourselves.

Take a look at your situation.

Think about it, really, how important is it that everything must be done perfectly to your standards?

Are you sure there are not other people who can assist you. Are the other people in your life pulling their weight?

Many times we get into habitual ruts that don't need to be as they are.

Look at what has been, with the eye of reducing the pressure on yourself.

5. Accept other people as one.
As you think of yourself as different and separate from the rest of mankind, you unknowingly create thinking and behavior that separates you from others.

This kind of separate thinking leads us to think we are superior to others which leads to judgment then selfish thinking and behavior.

We are then having an internal battle with others, which brings on fear, competition and comparison, ending in frustration and anxiety.

Look to discovering how to see yourself as one with all of mankind, not as separate.

Focus on what we have in common rather that the relatively small uniqueness.

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Stress & Self Esteem

THE FINAL STEP
The final step in the model of building self-esteem can be the hardest. Why? Because everything up till now has involved things we could do alone. Reaching out for help, however, means involving other people - which brings with it a whole host of new challenges. Reaching out to someone requires someone you trust to reach out to - not always easy when your self-esteem is low. Not only this, but for those with over-active Inner Critics, it's easy to tell ourselves it's selfish to bother other people with our problems - that we should be able to deal with it on our own - that reaching out for help shows weakness (or is only for those far worse off than we are).

So why reach out? Well, as John Donne so wisely observed back in the 16th Century, 'no man is an island'. However independent we like to see ourselves, none of us are born with all the skills we will ever need. Additionally, other people can provide feedback - offering perspective and helping us to see which thoughts are realistic, and which are totally unfounded. And if that's not enough, support networks can sometimes prevent problems. The seeds that create low self-esteem find their most fertile ground in people who feel isolated and unable to connect.

OVERCOMING INNER OBJECTIONS
Often, the first step in reaching out is dealing with our own objections. If your immediate reaction is 'I couldn't do that', or 'That's all very well, but...', give yourself a moment to just listen. Start a conversation with the part of you that's objecting, and ask it why. Treat it just as you would your Inner Critic. Your initial aim is not to argue - it's just to learn. Once you understand what your internal objections are, th! en you can evaluate and argue with them.

We'd suggest that before you start evaluating, you re-read the previous parts of this article series (see links above). In particular, we suggest you remind your inner objector that:

* You can't give to other people what you don't already have yourself
* True friends prefer we talk to them, rather than pretending that everything's fine
* Recognising the resources you need that you don't currently have, then asking for them, is a sign of good planning, not weakness
* If your objector believes your problem is 'not yet bad enough to involve someone else', how bad do things have to get before it *is* OK to get help? And won't you need even more help when things get to that stage than you do now?

Let's assume that you've spoken with your inner objector, and come to the conclusion that asking for help really does make more sense than trying to go it alone. Where can you go from here?

WHO TO REACH OUT TO
The first, most obvious port of call is among the people you already know. Look at your friends and family. Is there someone you can trust to listen without judging you? Someone you feel comfortable asking for ideas? In an ideal situation, this would be someone who has fairly high self-esteem themselves - someone you can learn from. Although your initial response might be that there's no-one you can think of, we'd encourage you to look hard before assuming you don't know anyone - sometimes support can come from the most unlikely places.

If there's genuinely nobody you feel comfortable trusting in real-life, however, a great alternative is to look for support online. Discussion groups like Yahoo groups, and online journalling communities like Live Journal both have a wide range of communities that exist specifically to share support, encouragement and feedback between members. Most of these allow you to 'lurk' for a while before you need to post - something that can help you build up your trust over time. Additionally, many of the self-help sites that offer self-help res ources (e.g. selfesteem4women.org, uncommon knowledge), also provide discussion forums that allow you to connect with other people with similar problems.

Finally, if neither of these seem like possibilities (or if you've tried both and they're not enough), you may want to consider reaching out to someone who's trained to help - generally a coach or counsellor. Unlike the above two options this will usually involve some kind of payment, although if you're still at school / university, or lucky enough to work in a company with an EAP (Employee Assistance Programme), you may have free counselling available. Your local library or Citizen's Advice Bureau should have suggestions for counsellors / coaches, or you could try online coaching.

It's important to remember that different professionals will have different approaches to helping you work on your self-esteem, and not every approach works for everyone. It's OK if the first person you speak to doesn't feel quite right for you - just keep looking until you find someone you feel comfortable with. Bear in mind that if you're paying someone your hard-earned money, you have a right to feel happy with whatever you're getting in return.

THE FINAL WORD
Whatever you do, the most important thing for you to take from this article is that you don't need to do it alone! And remember too that, although we've explored the three steps to building self-esteem (i.e. Rebutting your inner critic, Nurturing yourself, and Reaching out for help) in order, there's no reason that you can't work on them in a different order (or all at the same time!)

This brings us to the end of our four-part article series on Stress and Self-esteem. If you have any feedback, suggestions, questions or comments about the advice or resources (or you'd like to suggest any websites, groups or products), please contact us on optimumlife@xtra.co.nz. We'll have a new article topic in the next issue - until then, may every day bring you closer to your Optimum Life.

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Causes of Stress

In order to eliminate or at least control stress, it is vital to know and understand the causes of stress. Of course, there are many causes of stress and they are as varied as the people who suffer from stress, but there are a few places to look first. And by learning about these causes of stress, you can figure out where stress is entering your life.

One of the most common, and most complained about, causes of stress is work. However, it is not only the day-to-day tasks and routine pressures of work that can lead to stress. In fact, the mere concern about keeping a job can be a source of stress. Unfortunately, the combined stress of both work itself and the possibility of losing it creates a sort of double-stress in which people feel they have to work even harder in order to keep their jobs, making the stress that much worse.

As well, for those who have not entered the working world yet, school can be a great source of stress. The constant pressure of schoolwork, friends, teachers, tests, quizzes, papers, and everything else can be enough to make anyone feel like they are in trapped in a vice. In addition, the deadlines are all immoveable, so students are constantly under time pressure. And, to make matters worse, there are often several deadlines overlapping each other, intensifying the demands on time. Then, once final exams arrive, there is a lot to re-learn and students need to spend so much time studying that they can barely sleep. Needless to say, losing sleep does not help people who are under stress. Thus, students need to manage stress just as much as people who work.

Another cause of stress is simple family life. Unfortunately, though we hope that our home lives can be sources of relief from daily stress, they can often be sources of stress all their own. For childen as well as parents and spouses, the home can often be its own source of pressure.

For parents, stress can often come from simply worrying about their children. After all, seeing a child grow up, make mistakes, go through school, go to college, play sports, and often learn things to hard way is enough to make a parent tear their hair out. Thus, despite the joy that children can bring, they can also be causes of stress and worry.

Unfortunately, parents can be causes of stress also. Though they often have their childrens' best interests in mind, they can also put a lot of pressure onto their children, causing them to worry not only about school or life, but also how their parents will react when they hear about some new event, success, or error. It is as though there is no place to turn when things go wrong, creating extra stress. No, it is not easy being a parent, but it isn't always easy being a child or a teenager either, since parents can often be causes of stress as much as sources of comfort from it.

On top of that, spouses can also be causes on stress. Let's face it, husbands and wives often have expectations of their significant others and it is not always easy to live up to those expectations. As well, spouses often spend a lot of time avoiding certain arguments simply because they are trying to avoid stress. However, leaving tension in the air while not resolving it can be a cause of stress.

Money is also a major cause of stress, simply for the fact that there never seems to be enough of it. Thus, as the money keeps going out but it never seems to come in enough, stress just keeps mounting. Unfortunately, spouses, children and sometimes parents can often remind us of our shortfalls and they will often increase the stress. Of course, that is to say nothing of the continual reminders from the mortgage or rent, car payments, credit cards and other bills. And, furthermore, it is rather difficult to be philosophical about money stress since attempting to put things into perspective only recalls thoughts about the money that always seems to be missing. Thus, money stress just keeps piling up higher and higher and there never seems to be a way out.

Though this is only a partial list of all the possible causes of stress, these are some of the most common sources. However, no matter where the problem is arising, stress will not make them better. Rather, stress will only make it harder for people to think about their problems and try to solve them. Thus, in order to solve the problems that lead to stress, the best place to start is by managing the stress, then working to solve the problems with a clear and uncluttered mind.

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Helpful Weight Loss Tips

The following 5 helpful weight loss tips could possibly make all the difference to your weight loss plan. Merely stick to these tips and I am sure you will be successful. The first of my 5 helpful weight loss tips is,

1 Drink a glass full of water before every meal Drinking a glass of water before a meal is the first of the 5 helpful weight loss tips. By drinking a glass of water before a meal it will make you to feel fuller quicker, this will diminish your feeling of being hungry. By drinking a lot of water it also washes out particular toxins in your body.

2 Eat more meals per day Eating 5 little meals rather than the usual 3 meals per day, means that you will always be topping up on food instead of letting yourself get very hungry. It is when we feel really hungry that we are more in all probability to give up the diet by reaching for the cookie tin.

3 Have a goal weight you desire to reach This 3rd tip of the 5 helpful weight loss tips is all about setting targets for your self. Having a target weight that you want to accomplish gives you something to aim at. If your target weight means you have to drop a lot of weight, break it down into smaller steps. You could do this by making 7lb one of the smaller steps if you have more than 14lbs to lose. If you only need to lose say 14lbs break it down into 2lb steps.

4 exercise. Exercise is essential; you need to do at a minimum of 10 minutes of vigorous exercise per day. If you have not exercised for many years start off by taking a brisk 10 minute walk each day. You can slowly step-up this until you make it 30 minutes per day.

It is recommended that you need 30 - 60 minutes of strenuous activity each day to remain healthy. Also try adding weight-bearing exercises at least 2 times a week. This will serve to burn some of the unwanted calories.

The added bonus is that you will serve to step-up your metabolism so that even when you stop exercising your body will still be burning calories a lot faster than it was earlier.

5 Eat slowly. The last of the 5 helpful weight loss tips is all to do with eating your food slowly. It requires 20 minutes for your stomach to signal your brain that you are no longer hungry; if you eat too fast, there is a bigger chance of eating too much. Set your fork down in between each forkfull and only pick it up again when you have swallowed all the food you had in your mouth.

Sticking To these 5 helpful weight loss tips could make all the difference to your weight loss efforts.

If you adopt a natural healthy eating program you will not go far wrong. If you are someone that requires a more structured plan to observe there are many weight loss programs on the internet to select from.

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The Types Of Yoga

There are quite a few "types" of yoga. A traditional physical and mental discipline originating in India, yoga?has been practiced for centuries, and is a series of postures and positions, synchronized with your breathing, designed to elevate mind, body and soul. Ultimately, as you progress through the various levels, the result will be a more developed,?focused mind, enhanced fitness and, if you are a spiritual person, a stronger connection with the universe! However, with all of the?different styles of yoga, it's often difficult for future practitioners to know exactly where to begin or which type is most appropriate for them.

Popular Types of Yoga

In spite of the fact that?there are about 10 main types, they really only differ with respect to their individual emphasis of the styles versus the poses or postures:

1. Hatha (Ananda): Arguably the most appropriate?style for beginners, this style is characterized by a slower pace, personal affirmations, and self-control.
2. Power Yoga (Ashtanga): This is a more advanced, faster pace of yoga, as the name "Power Yoga" suggests.
3. Anusara: This is a "heart-oriented" style that makes good use of the "tools of yoga". These classes are somewhat intense but still accessible by all skill levels.
4. Iyengar: This is one of the types of yoga that require much more stamina. It is characterized by a great attention to detail and an emphasis?on bodily alignment. Stamina is required?for this style, as poses are often held for an extended amount of time...not the smartest place for you to begin your yoga practice.
5. Integral: Another great style for beginners to begin with. This style balances attention to meditation, poses and breathing. Integral is a more general style like Hatha that will allow you to "taste test" the areas of concentration of the other styles.
6. Bikram (Hot Yoga): This is the hottest of the types of yoga! It's called Hot Yoga because it's practiced in a room temperature of around 100 degree! This allows cleansing sweat to flow and muscles to loosen.This is not a good place for beginners to start
7. Kundalini: Uses breath control and breathe/movement coordination to expell?bad energy. Beginners welcome.
8. Kripalu: A perfect style of yoga for beginners. This style focuses on breathing and moving at your own individual pace.
9. Sivananda: One of the largest schools of yoga, this style take a more holistic approach, including diet, relaxation and thinking. For those of you seeking?guidance in areas beyond just fitness, this is one of the best?types of yoga.
10. Svaroopa: You won't break a sweat here. This style is more about raising your consciousness. This is appropriate for beginners, but not if your focus is better fitness.

This is not supposed to be a definitive list, but it should be a good place for you to start as you pursue the highly beneficial practice of yoga!

If you truly wish to succeed at being in the best shape of your life, then you must visit the world's best resource. Go to Next Level Yoga immediately, to see how easily it can be done with at home workouts!

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Things You Need To Know To Build Muscle

Certainly there is a lot to be learned if you want to know how build muscle and weight training. However, just like almost every other subject there are certain principals that make up the foundation of all that there is to be learned. Thing of it like a huge tree. There are the leaves, the twigs, the branches, the trunk and the roots. The entire tree is dependent upon the roots. It is like its foundation. The leaves certainly serve their purpose but it can hardly be said that they are the most important part of the tree. We believe that if you can get the foundational principals in place with regard to your muscle building efforts you will never have a problem growing again. What we want to give you in this short article is roots and a lot of the trunk of the tree.

There are three primary aspects to the root of the tree and all of them are absolutely necessary to body build muscle. Miss out on one of these and you will significantly decrease your results. Sometimes we feel like a broken record when we talk about this but because so many people are making their biggest and most consistent mistakes at this foundational level we are compelled to keep on preaching the same sermon. We'll start, as usual, by just giving'em to you straight and simple and then we'll take a little bit of time to expound. They are 1) Nutrition 2) Training 3) Rest. Sound too simple to be true? Simple maybe but not necessarily easy. If you find training easy then, in our opinion, your not training like you should be. Eating properly is not always the easiest task in the processed age in which we live either. Let's expound a bit more and start getting you pointed in a direction that will definitely lead you to build muscle quick.

Nutrition is so necessary we can't stress this point enough. Let us tell you, if you want to stack on massive amounts of lean muscle you are going to have to get a second job; eating like a horse. Let us give you some point form rules to obey if you want to stack it on.

1) 16 times your body weight in calories per day (eg. 200lb man = 3200 calories per day). If you find you are gaining more than 2 lbs per week dial it back by 200 - 250 calories per day until you are gaining 1 - 2 lbs per week. Anymore than this and your stacking on some fat along with the muscle you are building. If you are gaining less than 1 lb per week up your calories by 200 - 250 per day until you are gaining 1 - 2 lbs per week. Contrary to many supposed muscle building "know it all's" out there today, your body is quite capable of building and developing 15 - 25 lbs of muscle in about 16 weeks naturally. This is especially true for the more novice gym warrior. It is mistakes made or false direction given pertaining to these foundational areas that compromise people's ability to hit these kinds of numbers.

2) 3 - 4 grams of carbohydrates per day per pound of body weight. Contrary to the low carb hype and fad that is popular today, being sure to include a healthy amount of carbohydrates in your diet is necessary for maximizing results. Carbohydrates not only provide your body with the energy necessary to really kick some butt in the gym, they also allow your body to better utilize the protein in your diet for muscle repair and development. Try consuming simple carbs from whole grains. Oatmeal and whole grain breads should become a staple in your daily diet.

3) 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight is all that is necessary. This probably seems low in comparison to many of the claims of supposed "know it all's" but any more is simply unnecessary. Your body is incapable of processing and utilizing more protein than this so you are just wasting your money on expensive lean protein to go beyond this point. Egg whites are a very highly beneficial source from which to get your protein. We also recommend cottage cheese. Not only is it's protein levels high it is a slow digesting and absorbing protein which makes it a great choice for a bedtime snack. It's benefits will last throughout the night while your body is repairing and growing as you sleep.

4) Eat plenty of essential fats. It is not common knowledge that eating the right kinds of fat is very necessary to building massive amount of lean muscle. Extra virgin cold pressed olive oil, flax seed oil, hemp oil, extra virgin cold pressed coconut oil and fish oils are incredible sources of essential fats your body needs for proper health and developing muscle.

5) Always eat a big breakfast. You will short change yourself for the entire day if you compromise your first meal of the day. It should be the biggest meal of the day.

6) Never go more than 3 hours without eating a meal. You'll need to eat when your not hungry yet. You'll need to eat when you don't feel like it. You'll need to eat when it is very inconvenient to do so. You need to turn your body into a nutrient absorbing machine.

7) Lastly, you should try downing a fast absorbing protein shake 20 minutes before you train and then eat a meal immediately after you train. Like we said, simple but not necessarily easy. Chances are your biggest challenges will be in the area of proper nutrition. This is where most people fail and where most people make the biggest and most consistent mistakes.

Let's talk about training for minute. Depending upon how you train you will achieve different results. The level of intensity, the amount of weight you lift, the number of reps you do, how long your training sessions last, the kinds of exercises you do all impact the kind of results you get from you training efforts. Following the outline that we began above, let's go through some basic rules that will help you create a training program that will force your body to respond with tremendous gains.

1) High weight and low reps. You should find out what your maximum lift ability is for each exercise that you bring into your workout routine and then take 80% of that amount for your reps (eg. 200lbs max = 160lbs for reps). This should put you into a zone where you can do 4 - 6 reps of each exercise.

2) Multi-muscle group exercises. Squats, dead lifts, clean and presses, clean and jerks, dips, rows, bench presses, military presses and chin / pull ups are the kinds of exercises we mean. Exercises that incorporate multiple muscle groups into one movement. This does some very important things. First it trains your muscles to work together. This makes for a much more functional strength. That is the benefits of your training are much more usable in every day life from work to play. It also builds a more explosive strength. It is the kinds of exercises that gymnasts and Olympic and competition weight lifters use to train. Finally, this will get your workouts done quicker.

3) Your training should take no more than 35 minutes and you should only be training 3 time per week with at least one rest day in between workouts. Your bodies muscles develop and grow during rest and not during training. You must allow time for your body to recover.

4) To help get in, get done and get out of the gym faster we like to utilize super sets. Try combining exercises that work different muscle groups in your super sets (eg. squats and chin ups). Do three super sets with very little rest in between sets. After a super set is complete take a couple minutes to recover and then start your next super set. 3 or 4 super set exercise combinations is all you need to do, especially if you are more of a novice to muscle building.

Lastly is rest. Let me communicate its importance with a short story. There was a trainer that put out a challenge to pro body builders. He told them that if they flew to his gym and stayed in a hotel he will help them grow their arms by 1 full inch in one week (an incredible claim). If he can't help them do this he will fund their entire trip. The gym was in a pretty nice area of the U.S. so either you were gonna get a free vacation or an extra inch on your arms out of the deal. There wasn't a ton but a good number of pro body builders took the trainer up on his offer and flew to his gym. When they landed he met them at his gym measured their arms and sent them back to there hotels. One day, two days, three days go by and the trainer didn't have these guys do a thing in the gym. They of course became super anxious because they were missing there precious gym time. If I remember correctly it was 5 or 6 days of waiting for this crazy trainer to get back in touch with them. Finally the trainer brought all of the guys into the gym, not for a workout but to measure their arms. A whole week of sitting around their hotel rooms had gone by but guess what, every one of their arms had grown an inch. This wise and not to mention witty trainer knew that these guys were probably not getting near the amount of rest time they needed to maximize the benefits of all their time in the gym. He simply forced them to rest and allowed their bodies to do the rest.

Now we wouldn't recommend that you take a week off because you're probably not a pro body builder and therefore did not spend nearly the time in the gym that these guys did before this happened. It does prove however how important rest time is if you want to maximize the benefits of your hard work in the gym. These guy's bodies were just waiting to explode with growth. They just needed the recovery time to do so.

Well, what you do with this now is your choice. It really is a simple plan. With a little bit of hard work and dedication added to it you will achieve more than you ever thought possible in a lot less time than you ever imagined. Eat like a horse, train hard and get your rest. You'll grow, we promise.

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Defeat Weight Loss Plateaus

Lost on the high plateau

That might make a great title for a spaghetti western. (By the way how did spaghetti and cowboy films get stuck together?) But it is really miserable when you are so tired of your diet that you are 6 inches from scarfing down the contents of the nearest fridge and yet when you step on the scales or measure your body fat the numbers are the same they have been over the last couple of weeks. Traditional wisdom says, press on this is not the time to quit. Well, your response is to grab that traditional wisdom slap it on some bread with mayo and shoot it down the ole' pie-hole. The good news is that there is a simpler way to shed weight for those who have struggled with losing weight in the past and for those who are planning on shedding some pounds now.

Troglodyte DNA causes weight loss plateauing.

Our bodies are very stingy when it comes storing fat. The body doesn't see fat the way we do as ugly and unhealthy, it sees fat as its protection against the famine that it is sure is coming. You see, our bodies do not realize that we are living in times of comparative plenty, they still are operating under the assumptions our DNA had as cave dwellers. Back then it was important that our DNA instructed the body to convert any excess food into fat and tuck it away in its fat cells because you could never be sure when you would be able to club your next mammoth and the body needed stored fat to survive those lean times. As a result our bodies will quickly adapt to a reduced calorie cycle. i.e. Low calorie dieting. The metabolism slows as the our caloric intake falls because our DNA signals starvation to the hypothalamus.

Calorie Cycling To The Rescue!

Calorie cycling is a way to get us of the weight loss plateau. According to our DNA, losing weight is a high crime against our bodies, so we need to keep the fact that we are about to lose weight a secret. It takes the body a few days to catch on to our nefarious plan to reduce its fat stores so we have a chance to hide our plans by cycling our caloric intake with a calorie cycling plan. But does calorie cycling work?

Does calorie cycling work better than other diets?

I am not going to make the claim that it is superior to all other diet plans, but it definitely works better than all of the traditional low calorie programs when it comes to weight loss plateaus. Remember rule one: The body adapts to patterns of behaviour. If you are repeating actions over and over to change your body in anyway, your body will adapt to that pattern and then plateau. That means it will stop changing in the way you want it to for a drawn out periods of time no matter how faithful you are at following your routine. This is really discouraging! But when we cycle through different sets of mini-programs we can keep the body from adapting and stopping on a weight loss plateau.

Every Other Day Dieting

If you cycling your eating plan every other day or so you can keep your resting metabolism high, you will not become bored with a routine and you will lose weight rapidly. Some calorie cycling plans are better than others and I would encourage you to use the one that includes foods you'd normally think of as "no no's" when on a diet. This makes the whole dieting process a lot more fun. When you know that you have only a day or two before you can cycle your routine.

A New You Off The Plateau

Just imagine what you will look like 4 weeks from now while actually enjoying calorie cycling weight loss. If you keep that imagination before you, you will easily follow your calorie cycling weight loss plan to a new you.

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Improve Bad Eyesight

Like many people online today, I love social networking and have met some really amazing people through these types of sites. I was online the other day and ran across a lady that was heading to the doctor for a checkup because she was having some vision problems. I sent her a little note to let her know that I had found an eBook that explained how you could improve bad eyesight naturally. I thought she might want to check it out. To say the least, she was very skeptical.

I was too when I first came across this book because there is so much junk being offered online today. If I purchased everything I have ever run across that I thought might be good, I would be broke and homeless by now. But, I have been wearing reading glasses for almost ten years and if I could avoid having to wear them permanently, which of course is definitely the next step, than I thought it might be worth it. I especially will purchase products when I know they have a money back guarantee.

So I read through the book and was very impressed. I feel almost embarrassed when I find things like this that make so much sense and I just had no idea that this is all it took to naturally improve my bad eyesight.

After reading the book in its entirety, it suggested that you only do the exercises that you enjoy the most to help improve your eyesight. These are the exercises I have chosen to do on a daily basis:

1. Each morning when I'm brushing my teeth, I splash cold water on my eyes.

2. I have a timer at my desk and set it for every hour. When the timer goes off, I stop what I'm doing and I either get up and move around or just look away from my work and glance around the room. Taking a five to ten minute break every hour will help your eyesight.

3. Before I eat my dinner, I do the swinging exercise
standing in front of my window.

4. Before I turn in for the night, I put a dark cloth over my eyes and totally relax them before going to sleep.

I will admit that I was not as consistent in the beginning but am on a regular schedule now. I am seeing some vast improvement since implementing these exercises. I don't have to wear my glasses to read everything now. I also use to wear them when I drove at night because there was a haze around all of the lights. I no longer am wearing them at night and there is no more haze.

We are all born skeptics until proven wrong and I'm so thankful that I was proven wrong in this case. With each new day, my eyesight is improving more and more and my future is looking brighter.

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Eye Exercises

1. Rapid Re-Focus

This involves you changing focus between a distant and nearby object at a rapid rate. Concentrating on fully focusing the eye at each point. You can best achieve thiis by holding a pencil or your finger in fornt of you to create the 'close point'.

2. Rotations

These are incredibly effective if done correctly. Too many people simply rotate the eyes without properly ensuring their position at each point. SO to ensure the greatest benefit you need to start by looking up as far as you can without moving your head. Then look left as far as possible keeping the head still. Follow by looking down to the max and then to the right. The key here is making sure you eye reaches the full range of it's movement.

3. Close & Let Go

A great way to relax any muscle is to contract them hard for a set time and releasing them. This can work for muscles in the vicinity of those you contract to. So if you scrunch your eye lids closed and really squeeze them together hard for a count of 5 seconds then let go. This will cause a deep relaxation of the eye socket and lens muscles.

4. Look Up

This is great for relaxing the eyes and can also help you sleep. You simply need to look straight up keeping your head still. Look straight up and strain as hard as possible as if you're trying to look up into the top of your head. You're eyes will become heavy after about 20 seconds. Repeat this at least 5 times or until your eyes are too tired to continue.

These 4 are just a small sample as there's been many created and refined since they were first developed by a Dr Bates - an opthalmogist practicing in the 1800's. They've now been updated by modern techniques in eye care and restoration.

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mprove Your Eyesight at Home

People from all over the world suffer from bad vision. And the easiest ways to fix it are to get a pair of glasses or contact lenses. But you do not need to wear those glasses or contacts any longer. There are things you can start doing at home that will allow you to see clearer. And no you do not need to go see an optometrist anymore because you are capable of naturally correcting your vision. All you need to do is start following a few easy tips.

First of all you need to get your eyes healthy if you want them to start working better for you. And the quickest way to do this is to eat better. If you eat more junk food than healthy food then there is your problem. You need to start putting better food into your body. It is very important for your overall health and the health of your eyes. One more thing you need to begin doing is getting a good night sleep
each night. You need to let your eyes rest. And the only way you can do this is get a good amount of sleep every night. We all need about seven to eight hours each and every night.

So if you want to lose those nerdy glasses and uncomfortable contacts then you need to start following these tips. They will help you get those results you are looking for. Instead of living your life with something you do not want, you should start doing something that will help change that.

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Low Level Laser Treatment

The field of low level laser therapy is one of the newest ones in the medical and scientific timeline, having emerged in the mid-60s, just a few years after the first laser was successfully tested in 1960 by American physicist Theodore Maiman. But the concept of using light to treat medical ailments is a lot older than that, the earliest 20th century example being the studies of Nobel Prize winning scientist Niels Finsen. In 1903, Finsen studied the effects of ultraviolet radiation in the killing of bacteria on cutaneous tuberculosis.

For the most part, though, pre-laser studies into the clinical uses of light focused on light’s thermal destructive powers. It wasn’t until the laser was invented that focus shifted somewhat towards the non-destructive benefits of light emission, which is at the basis of the low level laser therapy field.

The Pros

Low level laser therapy began with the experiments of Endre Mester, who proved the positive effects of low level laser light in the stimulation of tissue repair, placing his emphasis on the potential for healing diabetic ulcers.

Since then, further studies have shown low level laser therapy to be beneficial in the treatment of neck pain, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and other musculatory problems.

Low level laser therapy is painless and non-invasive. Also, all studies conducted have shown low level laser therapy to have no adverse side-effects, which have made it a popular alternative to more drastic treatments or medication.

The Cons

Because it’s a new medical field, low level laser treatment studies vary a lot in the ways that they are conducted. As a result, many of the claims of such studies are often undermined by the fact that the methodology used for the research was not up to par with scientific standards. Thus, there are a lot of companies out there who advertise low level laser treatments that have yet to be officially proven to work and accepted by the larger clinical and medical community, and might thus be falsely presented.

The FDA, though it has officially approved a variety of low level laser treatments, still considers the field as experimental, due to an insufficient number of trials and evidence. However, companies who specialize in low level laser therapy are working to conduct proper scientific studies in hopes advancing the legitimacy of their field.

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Healthy Diet Plan for Kids

Kids-Healthy Diet is a Must!
Childhood obesity has really become a serious health problem in the United States. The problems related to obesity can result in even more life-threatening health problems later on in life. The trouble with trying to have a healthy diet plan for kids is that the majority of adults don't eat healthy themselves and so they are setting a bad example. The same foods that constitute a healthy diet for adults can do the same for kids, particularly adolescents.

How Do You Get a Teenager to Have a Healthy Diet?
Health really becomes an issue as people age. However, having a good diet as a kid has long-term benefits. Experts have said that if a child follows a healthy diet this can aid in preventing diseases and can keep your kids from being obese. In fact, obesity is constantly increasing because of the increasing popularity of fast foods. America is mostly fat! Bad eating habits will not only have a harmful effect upon your health, but it will also affect your kid's well being. Instructing your children about good nutritional habits starts at an early age and it should start at home.

It's a great accomplishment for any parent to have healthy children. Raising a child is among the greatest duties and parents have to be extremely careful at all the times. Ideally, weight loss diets are suggested only to adults. But since there are severe cases of premature obesity, it has now become an alternative for moderating weight and health risks amongst children. If you are a mom and you don't have any thought about what foods to serve to your kids, then you need to develop a healthy eating plan that will certainly help you give your children all the nutrients that they need. Supplying healthy foods should be the main focus of a healthy eating plan.

Do You Know What Diets for Kids are Safe and Work Well?
You and I both know that the media is full of fad diets or weight loss plans encouraged and followed by Hollywood celebrities. What diets and/or foods will allow us to provide a healthy diet plan for kids? This is the question that all parents need to ask themselves and then they must educate themselves so that they can provide the answer.

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Healthy Weight Loss Diet Plan

There are plenty of healthy weight loss
diet plans out there. Well, actually some of them aren’t that healthy at all, but those that are can really help you get down to a good weight for your body type, gender, and age. But, there is more to being slender and healthy than just going on a diet.

It is possible to maintain any weight you are at just by balancing out the calories you take in with the calories you burn off. If you take in 1,200 calories per day, which is often considered the minimum number of calories to safely maintain the average female body, then you need burn of 1,200 calories just to maintain your weight. The more calories you burn off, the more you will lose.

A healthy weight loss diet plan is one that includes both nutritious and low-calorie food as well as a plan to get you moving. Most of us don’t get enough activity – we park in the closest parking spot, we take the elevator instead of the stairs, and we have someone else walk the dog.

The biggest change you can make for yourself is to get out and do something. Exercise is fun! You don’t have to spend hours on the treadmill to burn calories. Go for a walk in the park, take the kids to the mall, learn a new sport, or even go dancing. There are plenty of things out there that you can do, enjoy, and will help you burn off those calories.

When choosing any kind of a healthy weight loss diet plan, choose one that allows you enough calories and encourages you to be active. Not only will activity help you shed pounds, but it will do wonders for your psychological well-being, and you might even make a few new friends along the way.

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Nutrients For Healthy Weight

A healthy weight is not just about getting exercise and eating right. Providing the body with proper nutrients also counts. Minerals and vitamins are crucial for cellular functioning. This includes many aspects concerning the body’s response to carbohydrates, fats and protein, which is essential to shaking off fat.

Nutrients For Achieving Healthy Weight Loss Numbers

To succeed in losing weight long-term, there are a number of key nutrientsthat can make the process easier. Consider the list below.

·Magnesium – Eating whole grains, nuts, fruits and vegetables are good for the heart and aids in diabetes prevention, but an important component of this kind of diet is magnesium.

One study had people eating magnesium-rich foods, protecting them from experiencing metabolic syndrome – a set of risk factors tied to diabetes and cardiovascular disease that includes low HDL cholesterol levels, raised blood sugar levels, high blood presser, abdominal obesity and elevated triglycerides.

·Omega 3 – Many studies say overweight individuals following weight-loss programs that feature exercise have better cholesterol and blood sugar levels control when their low-fat diet contains omega-3 fatty acids-rich fish. Those who are not big fans of such fish can opt for fish oil capsules, a bottle of hemp oil or a bottle of flax.

·Chromium picolinate – This is a micro-mineral that decreases craving for sweets and lessens hunger pangs. Chromium picolinate helps with fat and carbohydrate metabolism, aiding in managing proper weight. It lowers elevated cholesterol and blood pressure as it promotes the healthy functions of growth hormones.

·Calcium – Calcium helps with blood pressure regulation and strengthens bones for better osteoporosis prevention. Recent studies show that adequate calcium in the diet also aids in dropping weight. Calcium in the fat cells has a say in controlling how fat gets stored and its breakdown in the body. More calcium in fat cells means more fat burned.

·Vitamin D – This vitamin is important to properly absorb calcium. It was recently lauded for aiding in the prevention of several chronic diseases like multiple sclerosis, hypertension, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and some cancers.

However, many people are low on Vitamin D, with women getting less than one-third of their 200 IU daily need. Blame sunscreen for most of this general deficiency as it does not let skin convert sunlight to vitamin D. Another reason could be that naturally-high vitamin D sources are limited to cod liver oil and certain fish-types. To get sufficient Vitamin D, drink fortified skim milk daily.


Shedding off pounds does not stop with exercise and proper diet. It is also equally important to pay attention to the nutrients one obtains from eating certain types off food. Staying healthy calls for regular exercise coupled with a nutritious diet.

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benefits of eating an egg

Eggs are one of the oldest foods known to mankind and their high nutritional value and relatively cheap cost have made it into one of the most eaten foods in the world.

In the last decade, egg has gotten a bad reputation due to the high amounts of cholesterol in the yolk, and every day more individuals are opting to eat egg whites only or egg substitute products.

But interestingly enough, the majority of nutrients in an egg are found in the yolk, including one nutrient that helps prevent the oxidation of the cholesterol in the yolk. This nutrient is lost when the egg is cooked at high temperatures such as frying. Without this nutrient, the cholesterol in the egg’s yolk oxidizes, meaning it turns into the bad cholesterol that sticks to veins and arteries, clogging them up.

A raw egg has more nutrients than a cooked egg because many different nutrients are heat sensitive and disappear with the cooking process.

But eating raw egg doesn’t guarantee that it will be good for us.

In the last two decades, traditional egg faros have been replaced by giant warehouses that use deplorable methods for raising their hens. These hens are fed animal remains and are given antibiotics and hormones. The result of this is a super hen that lays as many as 16 eggs in a single day when the normal amount is one egg per day. These eggs are full of hormones and antibiotics but have very little nutritional value.

Because of this unhealthy way of producing eggs, anyone who is interested in benefiting from an egg’s nutritional value must always look for “Certified Organic” eggs. This guarantees that the eggs will come from hens that were not caged, were fed a vegetarian diet and were not treated with antibiotics and hormones.

Recent studies have proven that a healthy
adult can eat as many as two eggs per day without having an increase in his or her cholesterol level. In addition to this, recent research shows that certain nutrients found in the egg’s yolk help fight migraine headaches and repair the brain.

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Relationship between vision and mind

Vision is a powerful technique which relies on the fact that all mental activity is accompanied by corresponding physical rehearsal. Thus if you imagine that you are speaking, or even if you frame your thoughts in terms of words rather than abstractions, there are minute but measurable movements of the vocal apparatus; if you imagine you are clenching or unclenching your fist, all the muscles involved undergo fractional changes of tension. When you see with your mind's eye, the real eyes respond in a similar way, except that, as the eyes are even more intimately related to the mind than, say, the muscles of the arm, the changes are likely to be more pronounced. The advantage of mental seeing is that the mind's eye has no refractive error and forms a model for the real eyes to emulate

According to the Bates hypothesis, faulty vision can arise as one result of emotional difficulties, among which may be a subconscious desire not to see. As far as refractive error is concerned, this desire not to see can be compared to the desire not to walk or talk shown in certain kinds of hysterical illness. The brain is able to block the responses of the body so that walking or talking-or focusing-do indeed become more difficult, or even impossible.

The brain can also block the visual process in another way, by erecting a barrier of some sort between the unconscious and the conscious mind, so that, even if the eyes are performing well, the signals are obstructed or degraded before being allowed to reach the consciousness.

It is helpful to think of this barrier in symbolic terms, as being made of some substance which can vary in consistence according to the subconscious wishes of the brain. When vision is perfect the substance of the barrier is perfectly fluid and the signals pass through it freely, but as vision deteriorates the substance becomes more and more glutinous, slowing down the passage of signals or preventing it altogether.

There are two distinct ways in which the brain can block the visual process. The first is by interfering with the mechanics of vision; the second is by altering the 'consistency' of the barrier between the unconscious and the conscious mind.

The brain and the eyes work closely as a team. The eyes have to first capture an image and focus on the shape, size, and colors. The mind needs to interpret that information which is seen and then store it for recall later. Images that we see daily take mere seconds to interpret and remember. New images take a little bit longer. The more focused the eyes are on an image the more strong the memory will become. When looking at new object, pay attention to the lines around it, the borders, colors, size, shape, and anything else that will make recall easier later. Of course, the more relaxed the eyes are the quicker the mind can process and memorize new objects.

Concentrating too hard or focusing on images that doesn’t interest us causes unneeded strain and it will be difficult to remember them later. In order to maximize the memory, the image must first be viewed in a calm and relaxed manner. Below is a short exercise to try in order to get the mind and eyes to relax and work together properly.

First find a comfortable position, this could be sitting in your favorite chair or lying on the floor. Whichever your preference, make sure the spine is straight and the hands are relaxed at your side. Next, close your eyes and picture the number 5 down to 0 in your mind. Exhaling, really see the 5 in your mind. Let the eyes follow the black lines of the 5 and really picture the number. Relax and exhale completely by letting all the air out of your lungs until you naturally take the next breath.

Allow the lungs to fill completely with air and then picture the number 4. Again, picture the number completely while you exhale. Really see the lines, the black color, the shape; don’t stop picturing the number until all the air has left your lungs and the next breath comes naturally. Do this all the way down to 0.

In time you should be able to visualize images in the mind more clearly and feel more relaxed in the processed.

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improving eye exercise programs

Customers should be wary of eye exercise programs such as the widespread See Clearly Method, who claimed that they can eliminate or reduce your need for eyewear. Because of these invalidated claims, all sales of See Clearly Method kits were prohibited and the company was punished to pay $200,000 as a compensation to consumers who had bought the kits. The recently published Power Vision Program by American Vision Institute is another eye exercise program that indicates natural vision improvement. Actually, researches have showed that these simple exercises can not help you throw away your glasses for vision errors such as myopia.

Focusing errors such as farsightedness and nearsightedness involve the irregular ways that your eyes refract lights, which are caused by too short and too long eyeballs respectively. And presbyopia is caused because that aging lens starts to lose elasticity and can not adjust focus at different distances. Eye exercises just provide up-and-down and back-and-forth movements for your lens, which have no relation with the above eye anatomy. These exercises will never change your eyeball shape, your cornea and irregular surface. They also can not restore your lens to its youthful elasticity.

Eye exercises help your eyes function and adapt and certain vision therapy can be used to avoid amblyopia on children. However, no evidence shows that these exercises can alter the eye’s basic anatomy, which determines people’s refractive errors. And no evidence has been found that visual training improves vision loss by macular degeneration, glaucoma and so on.

The ever prevailing program of See Clearly Method charged about $350 retail for each kit. Its website claimed that the vision plan was a safe and healthy alternative to eyeglasses and contacts. But later the website disclaimed that the product’s vision improvement effect will vary among different people. However, aftermath investigation and details showed that the See Clearly Method had no solid scientific basis.

While deluxe version of See Clearly Method contained a CD-ROM, its basic versions only included some videotapes and audiotapes. The program told people to do 30 minutes of exercises every day, in order to strengthen and enhance muscle flexibility that manages the eye’s focusing power. The program also provided some booster techniques and the component of “Visualization”. The vision improvement and glasses elimination from See Clearly Method had never been supported by any clinical study. The practice conducted by the program’s creators was deliberately controlled.

In fact, eye exercise programs occupy an obscure space between medical science and fold remedy, which are dismissed by most optometrists and ophthalmologists. There are still other companies that sell similar eye training programs, some of which even claim to be FDA-approved.

People who want to buy self-improvement eye exercise programs should be careful about their vision claims. Professional advices from ECPs are always helpful. The best way is to keep your expectations in check and your money in your wallet.

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Laser Vision Correction

What most people might not realize is that there are several different types of laser vision corrective surgery
. While most of the types of Lasik and other laser vision correction
surgeries are similar, there are some slight differences that are important to note.

The first type of laser vision correction is PRK, or photorefractive keratectomy
. PRK was the first type of laser vision correction, invented in the early 1980s. PRK works much the same way as Lasik, but improvement and recovery may take longer than Lasik. More discomfort may be experienced with PRK as, with this procedure, deeper layers of the cornea are exposed.

There is one major difference between Lasik and PRK. With Lasik, a flap is made at the front of the eye using a microkeratome that is put back in its place after the laser vision correction is finished. With PRK, the laser completely removes this outer layer of the cornea.

One of the other types of laser vision correction goes by a few different names. Custom Lasik, wavefront Lasik, and wavefront-guided Lasik are all the same method of taking Lasik technology a step further. With custom Lasik, a 3-D map is created showing how well an eye processes images and is used to guide the laser to repair any irregularities. This type of laser vision correction is said to produce an outcome of better vision with fewer risks than traditional Lasik.

Epi-Lasik is a type of laser vision correction that is just slightly different that traditional Lasik. Instead of using the thin blade of the microkeratome to create the flap at the front of the eye, a blunt plastic tool called an epithelial separator is used. The epithelial separator is used to displace the flap instead of using alcohol, which is used in some laser vision corrective surgeries and can kill epithelial cells.

Lasek is a type of laser vision correction that should not be confused with Lasik. Lasek differs from Lasik in that, instead of using a microkeratome to cut the flap at the front of the eye, a very fine blade called a trephine is used. After the flap is cut, an alcohol solution is applied to loosen the edges to allow for an easier flap removal.

A fifth type of laser vision correction is IntraLace Lasik. IntraLace Lasik is a blade-free method of laser vision corrective surgery. With traditional Lasik, a microkeratome is used to create a flap in the cornea, and then a cold beam laser is used to reshape the cornea to repair vision. With InraLace Lasik, two lasers are used to complete the procedure. A second laser is used to create the flap, instead of using a blade. The same type of laser used with traditional Lasik is then used to reshape the cornea.

There are several types of laser vision correction available today, with some new techniques that are still considered to be experimental. Different surgeons prefer some methods over others, and the best technique for the individual patient should be considered. Each type of laser vision correction has its own benefits and risks involved so care should be taken to choose the best one for a specific condition. Concerns and questions should be fully addressed during pre-surgical counseling to ensure the best decision is made.

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Sun and Your Eyesight

You probably know that if you stay in the sun all day with no sunscreen or UV-blocking clothing, you will be burnt. Most people also know that if they do this for years, they may have a lovely suntan, but their skin will be damaged and will eventually develop patches of discoloration, wrinkles, and a leathery texture.

Do you also know that the eyes can be sunburnt? If you expose your eyes to too much sunshine for too many years, they can be permanently damaged in ways that will impair your eyesight. Ultraviolet light can be kept from causing eye damage if you:

* Stay out of the sun; or
* Wear polarized and well-designed sunglasses

But most of us love being outdoors on a sunny day; and many people wear low-quality sunglasses if they wear any at all.

If you wear a shady hat, you are protecting yourself partially but not fully. UV rays are reflected off many surfaces, such as snow, water, and cement and will enter your eyes from beneath your hat. However, good sunglasses plus a hat will protect you well. The best sunglasses have polarized lenses and frames with protection at the sides and top.

Three Types of UV Rays

* UVA rays – These have the lowest energy but can travel through the cornea (clear front part of the eye) to the lens and retina (“camera film” at the back of the eye) and damage your eyesight.
* UVB rays – These have higher energy but are partially filtered by the earth’s ozone layer. They stimulate the skin to produce more melanin (pigment), thus giving you a suntan; but in higher doses they contribute to cancer formation on the skin, growths on the eyes, and “snow blindness”, which is temporary vision loss caused by burned corneas.
* UVC rays – These have the highest energy but the ozone layer blocks most of them.

UV Rays and Eye Problems

Too much UVA exposure has been linked to cataracts – clouding of the lens that blocks light from reaching the retina and thereby reduces vision. Left untreated, cataracts will cause total blindness. UVA rays have also been linked to macular degeneration – deterioration of the retina’s central area that gives us our color perception and our sharpest vision in bright lighting conditions. Macular degeneration also causes total blindness.

The cornea blocks most of the sun’s UVB radiation, protecting the lens and retina from harm. But too much UVB exposure can cause growths called pingueculae. They are yellowish lumps on the sclera (white part) close to the cornea. Usually they occur in older people but depending on how much sun exposure there is, they can be found in young people and even children. Dryness, dust, and wind can inflame them, causing pain and redness.

In some cases, pingueculae lead to pterygia, which are wedge-shaped growths that may extend right into the cornea and directly impair your eyesight. They are quite visible to others, affecting your whole facial appearance.

Sun damage to the eyes is cumulative. That makes it important to protect your children’s eyes so that when they reach mid-life their eyesight might be free of the above problems.

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The Art of Palming

There are various methods and techniques to help improve your eyesight naturally. Our poor eyesight exists because of our own bad habits. You see much better when your eyes, mind and body are all relaxed. The eyes need just as much care as the other organs in our body.

Palming is an excellent way to help the eyes relax naturally. Were you aware that even when you are sleeping, your eyes are in constant motion! This is how they are able to stay lubricated with the constant movement. It’s actually not possible to completely stop the eyes from moving, but we can learn to slow down their motion and help them relax.

Your eyes won't be able to relax until you first relax your mind. When your mind is constantly on the move thinking of all sorts of things, your eyes will strain in order to keep up. The palming method helps relax the mind and the eyes both at the same time. This method is very simple and takes less than 20 minutes. However, you can practice this method as long you need to.

The first step is to take off your glasses and get into a comfortable sitting position. You will want to rub your hands together for a few seconds to warm them up. Next you will want to close your eyes and cover them with your hands by placing one palm over each eye. Be sure that you aren't directly touching the eyes or putting any type of pressure on the eyelids. Your fingers need to cross on your forehead and your elbows should rest on a table or your knees.

Now that you are in this position you will want to fully relax. You can do this by first tensing all muscles from your head down to your toes and then release them and relax completely. The more relaxed you are, the blacker things will be. After doing this you might experience some grayish colors at first but they will eventually become a darker shade of black. Your inner rest is measured by the degree of darkness.

Enjoy this rest for at least 15 minutes, more if you prefer. Now and then let your mind focus on pleasant things such as trees blowing in the wind or the ocean waves crashing on the shore. Try to forget all about things that you need to do. Just clear your mind of any unpleasant thoughts.

When you open your eyes, they will see a little better than they did before. Colors and shapes will be much more defined. This is the art of palming. By practicing this method often, you can make this relaxed state of mind and body a pleasant habit and improve your vision permanently.

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Improving Eyesight Naturally

When both eyes focus on an object simultaneously it's actually an incredible feat. This is possible when both eyeballs adjust precisely for distance and are aimed in the same direction. When these things don't occur is what is known as strabismus. Strabismus is more commonly known as cross-eyed or lazy eye.

Mental strain is the main cause. This occurs when the eyes are pulled in different directions by the outer muscles. When we lose concentration, the eyes will actually go off and do their own thing. One eye may be off in its own little world while the other one is focusing in on the object. When one eye is focused and the other is turned slightly up or down or even out, this is what is known as cross-eyed. When it takes longer for one eye to catch up with the other, this is what is known as lazy eye.

The root cause of this ailment is always a subconscious reluctance to see and the lack of mental focus. The feeling side is represented by the left eye. The active thinking side is represented by the right eye. A clash between feelings and thoughts can cause one eye to look away. If you know which eye is the lazy one, you might be able to figure out what is causing the inner conflict.

Other symptoms associated with Strabismus are ADHD. Finding stability is very difficult for some people due to their attention being divided between two people. It might be between a mother and father, a parent and grandparent, a teacher and parent, etc. It's difficult for them to find rest and security in such an unstable situation. They feel out of control which will only worsen the problem.

Relaxation is the key to solving most eye problems, especially Strabismus. If you can figure out and face the inner conflict you have, you can then take the necessary steps to make peace with the situation. The best cure for any eyesight ailment is relaxing and taking time for yourself.

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Monitor Your Depression

Depression is a common problem. It is a disease that affects millions of people all around the world and many people brush it off until the symptoms become so severe that it can be life threatening problem. Waiting too long can have devastating effects. Depression that is the number one cause of suicide, and yet it is something that is treatable if we would only recognized the problem.

Suicide has a stigma attached to it. People often don't want to admit they have this problem because they're afraid others will not understand. The causes of depression are often minimized. They seem common, and they are afraid other people will think they are weak for not being able to deal with everyday issues.
Two are the most common age groups that only suffers severe depression are teenagers, and the elderly. However rising group to population in their mid thirties and forties are experiencing severe depression due to stress. There also types of depression brought on by a situation such as postpartum.

It is important to monitor your depression and know what the level of depression you are experiencing is and to know when to report depression to your Physician. The three levels of depression are:
1) major depressive disorders,
2) Dysthymic disorder,
3) manic depression.
In major depressive disorders that depressed person experiences depression for the most part of the day for a week or more. They experience a definite lack of satisfaction in every area and activity. Some of the symptoms of major depressive disorders are excessive weight loss, excessive sleeping or the inability to sleep, fatigue loss of energy, a feeling of unworthiness, and thoughts of suicide. If you or anyone you know experiences any combination of these symptoms it is important to seek the help of a Physician.

With the Dysthymic disorder the patient experiences severe depression and for two years or more along with two or more of the following symptoms: difficulty eating or overeating, difficulty sleeping or excessive sleeping, severe fatigue, loss of self esteem, the difficulty than concentrating or making decisions, the general feeling of hopelessness.
Manic depression also known as bipolar disorder has many symptoms that some people don't even recognize as depression it is categorize by sharp periods of up an equally sharp periods of deep depression. The cycle between the two periods can be very rapid and sometimes only one will be present without the other. These moods can last for up to a week or longer and are accompanied by two or more of the following symptoms: overinflated sense of self importance, excessive sleeping, rapid talking with the need to keep talking, racing ideas at a rapid succession of thoughts, increasing types of activities that are heavily goal oriented such as school and work. This type of depression can be so severe is to warrant hospitalization to prevent self inflicted harm and can include some psychotic problems such as hallucinations.

Other types of depression include postpartum, anxiety caused by stress and tension, endogenous depression which is a feeling of general dissatisfaction and depression coming from inside, situational or reactionary depression which is depression traded by a certain situation, melancholic depression to name just a few.

None of these forms of depression will go away by themselves. It's a common feeling to just ride out the storm, that it will go away. Depression does not go away by itself. While you can experience some periods of relief where it seems like everything is okay if there is no more depression these are temporary relief periods not a cure for what caused them.

If you or somebody you love is experiencing any symptoms of depression please seek medical advice. You do not have to live like that. There is much that can be done to alleviate the symptoms that allow you to live a happier more productive life.

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