Effects of Stress

Stress is one of the causes of a variety of diseases and disorders in the world today. People suffer from stress due to various reasons like job, career, illness, death, relationships, finances, family, etc. Workaholics are more prone to suffer from stress. Majority of young adults and middle aged people are found to suffer from stress. At the same time a majority of people are found to ignore the effects of stress and rely heavily on medications to get rid of the signs and symptoms. However, they are unaware of the long term and long-lasting outcomes of stress. So, what are the effects of stress? Here is a guide on the consequences of stress in human beings.

Physical Effects of Stress

A person suffering from stress faces several disorders of the body. This is because he tends to ignore his health, does not have a proper diet, does not exercise regularly and the constant anxiety and worrying has a negative effect on his body. Physical effects of stress include disorders of the stomach, the heart, abnormal functioning of the digestive as well as the reproductive system. If a person already suffers from any chronic condition, allergy, skin disease; stress tends to aggravate it. The following are the effects of stress on the body:

• Palpitation, faster heart rate
• Pain in chest, shoulder, neck, back
• Sweating, cold and clammy skin
• Breathlessness, difficulty in breathing
• Dry mouth and difficulty swallowing
• Pain and discomfort in abdomen
• Loss of appetite
• Peptic ulcer
• Diarrhea, loose stools, constipation
• Increase of blood sugar level
• Sleep disorders, insomnia
• Reduced sex drive
• Increase in blood pressure, hypertension
• Heart diseases, heart attack

Psychological Effects of Stress

Stress also affects a person thinking capacity, his metal and emotional being. Side effects of stress include difficulty in thinking, analysis, etc. Anxiety and depression are the most common psychological as well as physical signs of stress. The following are the after effects of stress on a person's mental health.

• Mood swings
• Anxiety disorders
• Difficulty in concentration
• Pessimism
• Constant worrying
• Irritability, quick rise of temper
• Agitation
• Memory disturbances, memory loss
• Feeling of loneliness, isolation
• Depression
• Nervousness
• Racing thoughts

Apart from these, effects of stress on health also include obsessive or extreme behavior like overeating or complete lack of appetite, isolation or extreme agitation. Difficulty in conceiving, sexual dysfunction, etc. are some of the other negative effects of stress on the body. Similarly, drug, alcohol abuse, addiction to cigarette and gambling, etc. are also a few of the consequences of stress in human beings.

As there are several short as well as long term effects of stress, one may definitely wonder how to reduce stress and get rid of its negative consequences. There are several stress management techniques that help in reducing stress. Yoga, meditation, Vipassana, etc. are some of the well-known and most effective techniques. On the other hand, undertaking a hobby everyday, spending time with loved ones or friends, etc. are also some of the easy yet useful ways of getting rid of stress. Lastly, it should be noted that taking nay kind of anti depressant or other drugs and medications will definitely take a toll on one's health and hence, people are advised against it.

This was a brief information on the physical as well as psychological effects of stress. Although it is true that there is no escape from stress in the modern-day world, one should surely look for ways to reduce it and prevent it from being life-threatening. Take care!

Stress Management Skills

Stress is nothing more than a socially acceptable form of mental illness ~ Richard Carlson

Despite knowing the ill effects of taking too much mental and physical stress, we often succumb to it under many circumstances. The causes behind stress are numerous, but wise are those who can manage stress skillfully. Stress management skills are those subtle qualities that an individual must possess to get himself out of a stressful situation.

Many people take up stress quite brusquely, without knowing the consequences it has in the long run. A life full of tension, burden, anxiety and misery has a very little or no space for happiness. Your health is affected when stress becomes perennial and you are unable to come out of it by any means. If you know the tactics of handling stress, then you can probably keep yourself away from it.

1. Be with Yourself
Self motivation is itself a stress buster. When you are in a state of utter dismay, anguish and mental pain, then think of activities that would evaporate these emotions from within you. Give yourself enough time to nurture your talents. Do things that amuse you the most. Love yourself and practice the God-gifted talents in you. Spending time with self, accompanied by refined thoughts and good deeds is the best stress buster. Some examples are listed below.

    Sing, dance and be merry.
    Pray to God solemnly.
    Meditate whenever you get time.
    Visit spas and parlors to rejuvenate yourself.
    Play music and listen to music.
    Sleep merrily without thinking.
    Read comics, philosophies and motivational books.
    Watch comedies and sitcoms.

2. Take it Easy
Our attitude towards our life is mainly responsible for all the woes and sorrows. If we start giving importance to the grave concerns more than the light matters, then stress will naturally take its own course. The more you accept challenges with a brave heart, the easier life becomes for you. Instead of pondering too much on one thing, you can start finding out a fruitful solution to it. Although, easier said than done, what's the harm in trying? Here are some wonderful ways to keep stress at the bay.

    Have a positive approach towards everything.
    Build self-confidence and optimism.
    Stay calm and cool.
    Do not cultivate worries and negative thoughts.
    Take help from an experienced to get out of a critical situation.

3. Act Rationally
You must analyze the situation before taking any responsibility on your shoulder. This formula is applicable in both personal and professional life. Being bogged down by the load of work is one of the main reasons behind stress. Although, at times it becomes difficult to avoid work stress, you can follow certain these tips.

    Work only if the subject interests you.
    Try to manage your work within the stipulated work hours.
    Do not allow yourself to get exploited at office.

A similar situation is often experienced at home. Taking responsibility becomes a task bitter when you have many dependents at home. Think before committing anything to your loved ones. Failing to fulfill other's expectations can make you feel guilty, which could further make you worried and tensed. What you can do to avoid stress at home is,

    Share responsibilities with other members of your family.
    Let others know your limits and your prerogatives.
    Do not let others pressurize you to fulfill their absurd demands.

4. Be with Loved Ones
The old saying, sharing grief divides it, while sharing joy multiplies it, works truly like a magic. Instead of suppressing your worries, grief and tension within you, share it with your loved ones. Spend time with friends, family and kids and make the best of those moments. Give time to your spouse and go out in the weekends. Seek advice from others whenever needed.

    Go out for movies with friends and family.
    Cook and eat luxuriously.
    Play with your kids indoors and outdoors.
    Plan weekend getaways and mini vacations.
    Be romantic with your partner, indulge into regular sex.

When you know to laugh out the blues within you, then stress will automatically bid adieu to you. If you keep nurturing it, then it will soon take the form of a mental illness. It's your life and your attitude towards it, that will make it mirthful or stressful. Now that you know the stress management skills, I hope you will execute them whenever the necessity arises.

How to Stop Yourself From Crying

It could be a fight with your partner, a taunt by someone, a failed attempt, your squealing boss or overwhelming mental pressure, tears can flow at your weakest moments. Sometimes you are in an awkward social setting to bawl your eyes out, say when you are at your workplace /mall /restaurant or may be you are a man. You may not always have an understanding and supportive friend by your side to help you stop your tears. To stop yourself from crying, I would suggest you to watch a lighthearted movie, play video games or just watch plain old television if you are in the comfort of your own house. But, that may not always be possible especially if you are out in a public place and have a sudden outburst. So, what can you do to stop yourself from crying in such a situation? Here are some tips to cope up with this scenario.

How to Stop Crying?

Splash your Face with Cold Water: It has an instant soothing effect on your face and calms you down. Tearing up can make your face go red with the excess flush of blood rushing to your face. Cold water also helps instantly bring down the puffiness in your face. So, the next time you begin to cry, head straight to the restroom. It will give you some privacy too. You can also reapply your makeup and touch up your hair style. You will be as good as new.

Acupuncture: It is said that the points on our palms and feet are directly connected to many parts, functions and organs of the body. Here is an acupuncture trick to help you stop yourself from crying. Press the little mound of flesh between your index finger and your thumb. It feels like a little ball of muscle. Press it hard. It can help you stop crying instantly, so I am told. This technique is also used to cure headaches.

Music Mantra: When you are crying, it is best to distract yourself. One of the best things you could do is listen to some music. Listen to some slow, soft and happy songs. They really help to lift up your spirits and calm your nerves. Do not listen to heavy metal or rock or anything that is too fast and loud. It has an opposite effect and magnifies your feelings.

Steer Clear of Cell Phones: Give yourself a little break from the world when it becomes difficult to stop yourself from crying. Keep your phone on an 'off' mode. When you are already crying and miserable, you tend to call or text someone out of anger and frustration. It will do you more harm than good and you might end up regretting about being impulsive in the heat of the moment. In fact, the more you talk about your problem with someone at that instant, the more you will cry.

Go Bird Watching: Nature has an immensely soothing effect on a broken heart. Just take a break for 5 minutes, stare out of the window or better yet go to a park. A little walk coupled with bird watching helps get your mind off your problems. It also feels very peaceful to look at the nature around you because we hardly do that often anymore.

Indulge: I am not encouraging you to become an emotional eater but a piece of chocolate or a glass of wine can really help you ease up the feelings of unhappiness and despair. In fact, they are both known to create feelings of happiness by boosting the production of happy hormones inside your body. Check yourself for the quantities of your intake.

Wear a Perfume: It is known that the human brain associates smells with distinct feelings. Wearing your special or favorite perfume when you are sad or crying can help bring back the happy feelings from the memories of the scent. Else, you can also smell a rose or a citrus fruit. They help to make you happy too!

Fight your Tears: I do mean that literally. One of the best things to do when you are crying is to vent out all the negative feelings by going for a quick run or a hardcore boxing session. Punch your pillow, have an intense aerobic session or anything that makes you sweat it out. You will feel refreshed and revitalized. I have often noted that 30 minutes in the gym really helps me forget about my sadness and suddenly the whole matter starts to seem too trivial to be sad over.

Breathe: Concentrating on your breathing pattern is like a mini-meditation session. Whatever technique you are using to stop yourself crying, do it by closing your eyes if possible and focus on your breathing. Take long and deep breaths. Hold them. Do this for 2 minutes and when you open your eyes, your urge to cry will be suppressed.

Browse Funny Sites!: This is my favorite method to stop yourself from crying. There are some insanely funny websites that will literally having you rolling in the aisles with the outburst of laughter irrespective of your state of mind. You have my word on it.
Now that you have stopped yourself from crying, you need to get rid of those puffy eyes. It is perfectly natural to cry. Some situations call for a calm composure because you just cannot afford to cry in public and then later feel embarrassed about it. Moreover, it's best to avoid such situations and become the talk of the room. I used to be a major weeper. Now, I have a hard time crying even when I am alone. I am sure they will work for you too.

Fruit Diet Plan

There are endless types of diets known today which advocate quick weight loss. Most of these diet plans are based on scientific observations and conclusions. These are healthy diets which can be followed for a longer period of time. On the other hand, there are certain diets which need to be followed only for a short period of time as they help in quick weight loss. These are known as fad diets. The fruit diet is claimed as one of the healthy diet, but it is more of a fad diet. When talking of a fruit diet plan, we come across several sub-types of a diet: known as the fruit detox diet, the fruit flush diet and the grapefruit diet. Let us take a look at it in detail.

Fruit Diet Plan for Weight Loss

As the name suggests, you must have concluded that in this diet, one is expected to include only fruits or lots of fruits during the day. However, the following are the popular 3 types of fruit diet plans which include consumption of different food items along with fruits to lose weight.

Fruit Detox Diet Plan
A detox diet is meant for internal cleansing of the body, which also aids in weight loss. The fruit detox diet also helps in making the skin fresh, smooth and supple. The foods that you can consume while on this diet are all fresh fruits, fruits juices, raw vegetables and fresh fish. One is also encouraged to have nuts and seeds (unsalted) in this detox fruit diet plan menu. You can have a single fruit whenever you are hungry and for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The detox fruit diet can last for 7-10 days.

Fruit Flush Diet Plan
The fruit flush diet was created by Jay Robb. This fruit diet plan, which lasts for 3 days, is also a detox diet and helps in weight loss. On the first day of the diet, the person is supposed to have proteins shakes with protein powder (without sugar). On the remaining days, one can have fresh fruits every 2 hours or whenever hungry. This is to be accompanied by a meal containing lean proteins (turkey, chicken, fish) and raw fresh vegetables (preferably, green leafy). Along with the fruits and foods, sufficient amounts of water should also be consumed for a proper detox.

Grapefruit Diet Plan
The grapefruit diet is one of the most popular fruit diet plan which lasts for 12 days. This is a low calorie and low carbohydrate diet plan which aids in weight loss through the medium of healthy diet. When on this diet, a person is expected to consume grapefruit in raw, as well as, in juice form as it is believed to aid in quick fat burning. At the same time, one can also have a vegetable salad, egg, bacon, meat, fish, coffee and tea during the day. When organizing the grapefruit diet meal plan, one should take care not to consume calorie above 1,000.

Apart from these popular fruit diet plans, there are several other simpler plans like the all fruit diet where one should have only fresh fruits for breakfast and the meals during the day. This diet can be continued for more than a week. But then it is a fad diet as one should exclude all other foods from the diet, and simply have fruits. On the other hand, the vegetable and fruit diet is also a version of the fruit diet plan where a person can involve raw or boiled vegetables, vegetables juices and salads in the daily diet.

Although it is one of the healthy diet plans, the fruit diet plan cannot be continued for a longer period of time as it is a fad diet. The diet lacks in carbohydrates and fats which are essential for gaining energy and hence, people are not recommended to follow this diet for long. You too, should consult the doctor before going for it.

Healthy Diets that Work

Health is vital and should be well nurtured to avoid any health problems. Good health determines our life and to remain healthy in the long run, focusing on it becomes extremely necessary. Living a joyous life is often mistaken as inculcating improper eating and drinking habits such as drinking alcohol, smoking and binging on street food. Such ways of living bring temporary pleasure, eventually resulting in poor health.

Investing some time in looking after our health can save us from many health risks and make our body strong, strengthen our immunity and keep us disease-free. One of the ways of achieving it is through healthy diets, which involve the right balance of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Healthy diets that work are designed to inculcate proper food habits, which train our body to consume balanced nutrients and drink adequate amount of water.

Types of Healthy Diets

Dieting does not always refer to depriving ourselves from food. Consumption of all nutrients at proper intervals of time can help in obtaining a healthy body and mind. Our poor eating habits sometimes make it hard to adapt to a healthy diet. Therefore, there are many fad diets that work fast, which aid in weight loss. The effects of these quick, healthy diets give out great results but last only for a short span of time. The healthy diets that work fast for women and men are giving many dieters a wide range of right eating patterns to choose from.

Atkins Diet
Dr. Robert Atkins first introduced Atkins Diet in the book named, 'The New Diet Revolution', which went on to become a very popular diet. Atkins Diet has four phases, which include planned intake of all the important nutrients, resulting into quick weight loss.
Phase 1: This is the first step towards weight loss and lasts up to 2 weeks. Atkins termed the first phase as Induction, which means taking an initiative towards weight loss. The objective of this phase is to turn your body from burning carbohydrates to burning fat, ultimately leading to weight loss. With a sudden change in the pattern of eating, weight loss might be quick or slow. In order to achieve the desired body, abide by the rules of Atkins Diet. To begin the process of fat burning, reduce the intake of carbohydrates to 20 grams each day by consuming low carb legumes, vitamins, proteins, minerals and other nutrients.
Phase 2: This phase is called Ongoing Weight Loss, wherein the body begins to adapt to the new diet pattern. Once the difficult phase of induction is over, the second phase allows you to include some more variety of nutrients with a controlled eating pattern. The objective is to keep the appetite in control and continue the weight loss process. This phase permits you to increase the carbohydrate level to 25 grams and includes seeds and nuts in the diet.
Phase 3: With the success of the previous two phases, this pre-maintenance level assesses the amount of carb intake. Here, there is a scope to experiment with some more variety of foods and to know what foods can be consumed. By this stage you will have lost enough weight and must have learned to keep the appetite well in control.
Phase 4: Known as the Lifetime Maintenance Phase, it involves taking care of the new diet and at the same time maintaining the weight. As the body has been successful in adapting to a new diet, it gives you the opportunity to now select the various constituents of food that you might like to add in the diet. However, it is important to keep the food habits in control and stay determined towards the new diet and maintaining a healthy body.

Sonoma Diet
Connie Guttersen, introduced the Sonoma Diet, which is among the popular fad diets that many undertake. It is divided into three stages which are collectively termed as Waves. This diet is specially designed towards healthy eating and lifestyle.
Wave 1: The duration of this first stage lasts up to 10 days. Here, weight loss is quick with a rapid change in the energy level and the overall well-being of a person. Wave 1 helps to reduce cravings for unwanted food and gradually turns us towards eating delicious and yet nutritious food. The Sonoma diet includes almonds, bell peppers, citrus fruits, grapes, olive oil, strawberries, whole grains, broccoli, blueberries, spinach, tomatoes and beans, which play a major role in achieving the target weight. They are known as the 12 power foods of the Sonoma diet. Add more vegetables, whole grains and lean meats to the diet to make it an enjoyable meal.
Wave 2: Once you have observed weight loss in Wave 1, this phase continues with the weight loss process. This weight loss is gradual and healthy. By the time one reaches Wave 2, the body has become familiar with healthy foods making it easier to stick to the diet. This stage brings in more choice of fruits and vegetables, improving the health and making the mind stable. This stage lasts till the time the target weight is accomplished.
Wave 3: After Wave 1 and 2 changes the approach towards eating, Wave 3 coaxes you to maintain the target weight. The body automatically rejects the intake of poor eating habits and welcomes you to the new and well planned eating pattern. Good eating habits have positive effects on the body and nurturing the health of the body becomes easy.

South Beach Diet
Dr. Arthur Agatston, a cardiologist, designed this diet for its long term healthy effects on the body. This diet works in three phases, which focuses on proper eating thus pushing towards a healthier lifestyle.
Phase 1: It's a tough phase where, one can have proper meals, excluding the carbohydrates. It includes eating lean meats and vegetables. There is rapid weight loss in this phase due to a complete change in the type of food and diet pattern.
Phase 2: The weight loss continues while you allow some more food variety in the diet. However, the weight loss is slow. This phase continues till the required weight is lost.
Phase 3: Once the body has adjusted to the balanced diet, it is not hard to maintain the acquired health of body. Slowly introduce other food types but do not deviate from the sensible eating pattern that you have designed for your body.

Zone Diet
One can achieve proper hormonal balance by consuming well planned meals, which include balanced carbohydrates, proteins and fats. It allows us to enjoy three meals a day, including two snacks and yet help to lose weight. It is a low carbohydrate plan, which uses up the carbohydrates to gain more energy. The dieters have to keep a control on the amount of intake of calories which can be consumed at the time of eating meals and snacks. They must restrict themselves to having 500 calories during meals and up to 100 calories during snacks time. This diet has the ability to improve health and raise the energy levels. It helps in controlling cravings for readily available foods. The zone diet targets the excessive fat which is stored due to intake of too much of carbohydrates. Therefore, it includes proteins which help in releasing the carbohydrates, thus resulting in fat burn. Burning of fat results into balancing the intake of carbohydrates and proteins which causes the body to shed the piled up weight. There are many delicious recipes that fall under Zone diet to make it enjoyable and at the same time keep the dieter determined towards the weight loss program.

17 Day Diet
Dr. Mike Mareno developed the 17 Day Diet, which soon became one of the sought after diets among the dieters. This diet includes various adjustments in foods and helps to achieve adequate amount of weight loss. The 17 Day Diet includes four cycles termed as Accelerate, Activate, Achieve and Arrive. The constituents of food varies as sometimes one has to consume low carb foods or high carb foods during the diet process. This diet promises a loss of at least 10-12 pounds, cleansing the body from toxins and putting it into the habit of consuming healthy food.

The diets mentioned above mostly focus on quick weight loss, which prove to be appropriate for teens or young adults. However, in case of pregnancy, these diets are not recommended as the mother needs to be healthy enough to carry the weight of the baby and provide all the possible nutrients to the unborn child. It is wise to consult a dietitian/doctor in case of any health ailments to prevent from damaging your health further.

Energy is extremely necessary to run our day-to-day activities. To gain this energy, we eat food, which determines our overall health. No matter how complicated our lifestyle is, eating smartly can lead to feeling good, lighter and energetic. Hence, it is essential to choose a healthy and nutritious diet and follow it sincerely. Only dieting does not always prove successful in weight loss. The combination of healthy diets that work and exercise will lead us towards a smart and healthy way of living.

Diet for Ballet Dancers

Agile, suave and flexible are probably the best words that describe the physique of a ballet dancer! How have they attained such a figure, that help them perform the toughest of all ballet moves so effortlessly? No wonder their diet and exercise play a significant role in boosting up their stamina and maintaining their slim and sleek body.

Their diet is nutritious containing all the essential nutrients in the desired proportion. Tremendous energy is required to sustain hours of practice and to attain perfection. They need enough potion to remain psychologically active and the potion comes from healthy foods. Since ballet dancing is a form of heavy aerobics, they need enough calories to bear the stress. We have provided you a sample diet for ballet dancers in this article.

Proportion of Nutrients

• Proteins:12-15%
• Fats:20-30% (unsaturated)
• Carbohydrates: 50-65% (complex)

Consumption of these essential nutrients should be within this proportion. Carbohydrates in complex form is extremely necessary to provide adequate energy to them. Fats derived from omega-3-fatty acids or other sources of unsaturated fatty acids are also required in some amount to maintain their energy. Proteins are necessary to build up muscles and repair tissues quickly in case of damage or injury. The sources of these foods are explained in the next content.

Animal Products
Lean meat is rich in proteins and it forms a major portion of their diet. Skinless chicken breast and turkeys have a high protein content and they do not cause weight gain. The meat is consumed either in boiled, baked or grilled form. Consumption of gravies and spicy dishes are strictly restricted, as they are extremely unhealthy. They are also allowed to consume the white portion of the egg, while discarding the yolk since its rich in cholesterol. The foods are cooked mostly in olive oils and a small portion is served. Freshwater fish (tuna) and sea food, like salmon, mackerel, herring, etc. are excellent sources of omega-3-fatty acids, thereby constituting the amount of fat required by them.

Dairy Products
Dairy products are intensely rich in fats. Nevertheless, the products that contain minimal fats are safe. Skimmed milk, low fat cheese and fat free butter are allowed to be consumed moderately. A glass of skimmed milk with a slice of brown whole wheat bread is recommended for breakfast. Fat free cheese and butter twice or thrice a week is needed to maintain the calories required for performing the dances effortlessly.

Fruits and Vegetables
Vitamins and minerals are necessary for adding flexibility to body and strengthening bones. Some of the healthiest vegetables that are incorporated in their diet include cabbage, spinach, broccoli, bitter gourd, carrot, beet, capsicum, etc. Such vegetables are laden with calcium, phosphorous, iron and zinc, that are utmost essential for proper functioning of their body. They are asked to consume them either in raw or in boiled form and with addition of a very small amount of sodium. They also survive on a plenty of salads made from raw vegetables. A ballet dancer's diet is incomplete without fruits. Fruits are richest sources of antioxidants and vitamins that play an important role in keeping their body fit and healthy. Oranges, lemons, grapes, blue berries, watermelons, apples, cantaloupes and guavas form a part of their diet.

Other Healthy Foods
Apart from the foods mentioned in the content above, the diet for ballet dancers also consists of desired amounts of cereals, nuts, pulses, lentils and grains. Oats and cornflakes are rich sources complex carbohydrates, that are necessary for them. Green peas, grams and other types of lentils contain a unique blend of proteins and unsaturated fatty acids. Almonds and peanuts form rich sources of energy. A lot of protein drinks and fresh juices (unsweetened) are also recommended to them.

So that was a simple guide to a ballet dancer's diet. Water forms a major part of their diet, that keeps their system hydrated. A healthy and balanced diet is the only secret of their perfect shape, that they maintain religiously.

Baby Gift Basket Ideas

Most people tend to get thoroughly confused as to what they should gift a newborn baby as there are loads of things that are available for little babies in the market. To avoid the confusion, it is best to give a gift basket which is loaded with different types of little gifts. Though there are various Internet sites and gift shops that supply ready-made newborn baby gift baskets, to add a personal touch to the gift it is a great idea to prepare the gift basket on your own. Moreover, the task is not something that is difficult. All you have to do is to choose the gifts that you want to give to the baby and present them in an innovative way. So, if you think a gift basket is a great present for babies, here are some baby gift basket ideas that you can look at.

Baby Gift Basket Ideas

The best things that you can fill in the gift basket are those that will be useful for the baby. Though the parents are going to be loaded with stuff like diapers, lotions, baby soaps, powders, etc. there will never be a time when they would not need these things once the baby is born. However, it would be better to avoid things like keepsake gifts, fancy clothing, etc. as it is very unlikely that these things would be used by them. Moreover, these gifts can also prove quite expensive. So, before preparing the basket, make a list of things that you would like to include in it. Let us take a look at some of the baby shower gift basket ideas.

Baby Gift Basket Ideas #01
One of the most common and also the most useful gift basket idea would be a diaper cake. Though you will actually not need any basket for this gift, you can still fill it with loads of gifts and goodies. If you do not know how to make a diaper cake, there are various Internet sites that provide instructions to make diaper cake. Once you are done with it, you can attach baby lotion bottles, soaps, powders, etc. on the diaper cake with the help of sellotapes. To make the diaper cake look more attractive, place a small teddy bear or some other soft toy which the baby can play with on its top.

Baby Gift Basket Ideas #02
Another great baby gift basket idea would be a basket full of bathing time accessories. Though you can select a typical gift basket for this, using a baby bathtub instead of a basket would be quite unique as well as useful. To fill this basket, use things like baby shampoos, washcloths, soaps, hooded towel, baby oil, petroleum jelly, diaper rash ointments, etc. You can also put in a few floating bath toys in the basket.

Baby Gift Basket Ideas #03
Apart from bathing gifts, a basket full of necessities that the baby will require will also make a useful gift basket. Look for a big basket at your local store and put in things like bottles, rattlers, baby spoons, one piece outfits of different colors, sleepers, cloth diapers, booties, socks, receiving blankets, bibs, soft toys, teething rings, etc. Gift baskets for babies, need not be just for the little one. Rather, you can put in a few things for the parents like a baby memory book. Placing a greeting card congratulating the parents for their new treasure is also a good idea. This is one of the best baby girl or baby boy gift basket ideas.

Tips for Making Baby Gift Baskets

One of the main attraction of baby gift baskets is the packaging and hence, it is important to remember some important points while getting a gift basket ready for the baby. Like I have mentioned earlier, the basket need not be a typical basket used for gifts. Instead, you can be quite innovative in this matter. For instance, you can use tote bags, diaper baskets, baby laundry baskets, toy wagons, etc. in the place of the typical baskets. Once you have chosen the basket and the things that would go into it, the next step would be putting them together. While arranging a gift basket, always remember that the small things go in the beginning and the bigger things should be seen in the front. To level the bottom of the basket, lay the receiving blanket or the cloth diapers. Above it, place the rest of the things and stick glue dots on them to make sure that the gifts are held in the same place. Once this is done, wrap the entire basket either with transparent plastic wrap or transparent gift wrap paper. To add the final touch to the gift basket, tie it up with a satin ribbon or a metallic twist tie.

Apart from these baby gift basket ideas, there are many more, that you can come up with your creativity. You can add a unique touch to the gift basket by adding the name and the date birth of the baby. However, this is only possible if you are giving the gift after the baby is born. Making the baby gift basket on your own will be surely liked by the parents as you would have put in your thoughts, time and effort to come up with a basket for their little one.

How to Stop Oversleeping

What wouldn't we give to enjoy sufficient amounts of sleep, not for one day but for every day of the week? Believe it or not there are many who do, and they overdo it a tad too much. There are people who oversleep without a worry in the world. Of course the real problem arises when they wake up and find that all their work is behind schedule! Oversleeping is turning into a major disorder of sorts, because it is hampering the professional lives of many, especially those whose jobs have been put at stake.

No boss would appreciate or accept late coming and negligence at work, at least not after the first few warnings. Nor can family be sustained without being able to spend quality time with the other members, if one of them keeps sleeping all day long. On the personal front, contrary to popular beliefs, oversleeping is not a healthy habit and is not considered normal. This article will explain what may be causing this condition and how to stop oversleeping in the best possible manner.

Oversleeping Causes

#1 Stress
Many a time, both children and adults try and evade their tensions by sleeping. It is very common to find children oversleeping before an exam, because they are stressed and do not want to study. Adults do the same when they want to avoid thinking about a stressful issue which needs to be solved.

#2 Depression
Oversleeping has a lot to do with depression than we would like to believe. When we are depressed we would do anything to evade the subject and try to keep ourselves away from our sorrows. The mind becomes exhausted and therefore tries to seek rest through excessive sleep. However, oversleeping only makes things worse for such people and they feel even more gloomy after they wake up.

#3 Boredom
Many a time, both young and old people oversleep, simply because they do not have anything better to do. They lack the will to chalk out their day's goals, which is why they have so much of free time at hand. These people usually wake up late and sleep even later. Their day goes by without much activity except maybe watching the TV or playing computer games and eating.

#4 Habit
Some people oversleep simply because they are habituated to it, like people who work from home or do not choose to be employed. Young children of whose, such habits have been neglected by parents and people with odd working hours, often end up oversleeping because they know they can afford it and can get away with their habit. People who have addictions, such as alcoholism and drug abuse, often sleep for many hours because they are intoxicated and drowsy most of the time.

#5 Health Conditions
There could be some underlying causes of sleeping too much. Sleeping disorders such as Sleep Apnea or a neurological disorder known as Narcolepsy, cause a person to oversleep. People who are on strong medication, over a prolonged period of time or have health issues may feel more exhausted than usual. People who work throughout the week and are often overworking, may end up sleeping the entire weekend so as to compensate for their lack of rest and sleep.

Tips to Stop Oversleeping

#1 Alarm Yourself!
During the initial phase, waking up through sheer will or promising yourself, does not usually work. You'll need to buy a lot of loud and annoying alarm clocks. The noisier the better. Now place these alarm clocks far away from your bed and as far away from your reach as possible. Set the alarm on every clock at a 1 - 2 minute variation. This way, when it's time to wake up, the alarm clocks will ring one after another, and ensure that you wake up from all that noise. There is no doubt that you'll wake up with a foul mood, but once you realize that this is good for your health, you'll begin to feel much better about yourself. A sleep of 6 - 7 hours is adequate for all normal human beings, which is why you must time these many hours, before you set the alarm.

#2 Stop Loving Your Sleep!
You will need to revamp the way you feel about sleeping. You will need to stop enjoying the many hours of useless slumber. You have to realize that oversleeping will make you fall ill and cause more health problems than you can handle at one time. Heart diseases, headaches, backaches, weak muscles, constipation, bloating, and obesity are all symptoms and side effects of sleeping too much.

#3 Prioritize Your Life Now!
You will need to steel yourself and tell yourself that oversleeping is not what you wish for and that you would like to lead a normal healthy life. For doing so, you will need to make an itinerary of your day from the start to the end. You will need to make a plan which should ideally begin with some form of physical exercise. Try to join a gym or some form of classes which teach dance, yoga or karate lessons. Make up your mind that you will wake up on time every day from this moment onwards.

#4 Slow and Steady
You cannot just decide to wake up on time one fine day. This process takes time, and you will need to be patient. You will need to try waking up earlier than your usual time, and gradually decrease the number of hours you spend sleeping. This will take a month or two, but eventually your mind will get used to a specific time early in the morning and will automatically wake you up.

#5 Sleep Properly
Set your sleep cycle on a 7 hour schedule. Which means that if you are to wake up at 6:30 am, then you must ideally be asleep by 11:30 pm. Do not compromise for anything, because at the end of the day, it is you who has to overcome your sleeping disorder and not the people you party with, until late nights.

If after all these measures, you still can't wake up, you may be suffering from a health condition of some sort. Get yourself checked for sleep disorders as well, so that all your doubts may be cleared once and for all. Hopefully, this article on how to stop oversleeping will help you stay healthy.

How Does Yoga Help in Diabetes Prevention

Diabetes is one of the rapidly growing diseases in the world, and nothing can beat diet and exercise for combating this disease. A healthy diet, that avoids sugar and starch is what can help you keep the sugar in control. What most of the people fail to realize that exercise is equally important for tackling any health issue. When the disease is diabetes, which has more than 280 million people across the globe suffering from it, there needs to be a lot of effort and dedication to tackle it. Most of the experts recommend a diabetes control diet, that helps in most cases, but exercise too is prescribed, which many will avoid. Diabetes can be simply described as the disease caused due to the lack or sufficient amount of insulin or ineffective functioning of insulin in the body. Insulin is secreted by the pancreas and is important to transport the glucose that is produced after breaking down of food, into the bloodstream. In case of less insulin or ineffective insulin, the glucose will settle and stay in the body without being used for energy and this can pose serious health risks. With type 1 diabetes that is caused naturally due to less secretion of insulin in the body, there may not be much of an issue, but for type 2 diabetes that is caused by various factors, that include obesity, lifestyle, heredity, stress, etc., there needs to be serious thought on the cure. The reason we discussed diabetes and the cause is to understand the cure better.

Exercise is what is recommended by most of the health experts and nothing can beat the traditional form of exercise accepted world wide, that is yoga. It has been described as the most effective workout. It has also proved to be extremely beneficial in treating many diseases. One of which is diabetes. For curious people willing to know the exact role of yoga in diabetes, we have compiled information based on studies related to ways in which yoga helps to prevent it.

Yoga For Diabetes Prevention
Yoga is an exercise that involves movement, poses, breathing and focus. It not only helps in physical relaxation, but also helps you connect to the mind. The many benefits of yoga are listed below. We will first take a look at these, so as to understand how does yoga helps in diabetes prevention.

    Yoga helps in excellent blood circulation. This helps blood flow in all the parts of the body. Even those that are difficult to be involved in everyday activities and other workouts.
    It involves breathing along with blood circulation, that ensures good flow of oxygen and blood to all the vital organs of the body. This along with the many beneficial poses of yoga help in calming the mind, focusing and meditation. It reduces the stress and increases concentration. This also increases will power, that helps you to push your body to more rigorous exercise and maintain your diet goals, and other healthy lifestyle changes.
    As glucose levels are elevated by stress, yoga can help in keeping them in control. The stress hormones like adrenaline, cortisol and nonadrenaline are reduced in blood, and thus yoga helps in reducing stress. This is also believed to ensure proper functioning of insulin.
    Yoga helps in stretching the entire body, tones it and also helps in building muscle. This aids weight loss and thus, is able to combat type 2 diabetes and decrease the risk.
    The different poses and stretching also help in building a strong digestive system, gives flexibility to the blood vessels and maintains the levels of glucose in the blood.
    Yoga with breathing techniques, that is called 'pranayama' helps in activating the pancreas, that secrete insulin. Certain yoga poses, exert pressure on the pancreas which helps in their activation and also helps in eliminating the toxins.
    The muscles are relaxed in with the different poses of yoga, and the increased blood and oxygen supply, are the possible triggers for better insulin reception on the muscles, that in turn enhance glucose consumption.
    Blood pressure too is regularized throughout the body, that keeps it in check. As blood pressure maximizes the risk for diabetes, this is tackled well by yoga.

It can be thus concluded that yoga helps in combating weight issues, increases immunity that helps in slow progression of complications. It helps in better insulin production and consumption of glucose. It also helps you be determined and think positively, which is very important when dealing with any disease.

Many studies have found out that people with diabetes who practiced yoga on a regular basis, showed significant decrease in blood glucose and hemoglobin AC1 levels. Another study also found out that yoga therapy for diabetes prevention helped curb after meal rise in blood glucose and insulin resistance. Yoga is one name that has been a savior on all diseases. And now we know how does yoga help in preventing diabetes. So start practicing from today, but only under an experts training. Balance diabetes with a healthy diet and with the many benefits of yoga for diabetes!

Fitness Exercises for Women

The only sure shot, healthy and proper way to gain muscle, lose weight, and/or stay fit is through a well-balanced diet and exercise. There is no way around this fact, except for popping dangerous and risky drugs or cosmetic surgery. Even the advertisements on television and in magazines are false that claim to help you achieve your ideal body proportions, no matter how skinny or overweight you may be, by taking the muscle building or fat burning supplements. Instead of risking your life by trusting these false advertisements, why not give time to exercises that will provide actual results. Total body toning exercise for women successfully help you lose extra fat, gain more energy, and provide better overall health. Here are some exercises for women that target your problematic body zones.

Strength Training Exercises for Women

Now summertime stroll in the evening are considered a good habit to stay in shape, but it actually doesn't do much to show those changes. Besides, working out at the gym or at home, other fun summer activities can provide hardcore body-shaping benefits. You can continue your regular exercises during the week, and over the weekend, can indulge in these exhilarating weekend activities. If you really want more rigorous exercises for women, then take a look at the following outdoor activities.

Cycling
A fantastic workout, it ensures an overall fitness without having you realize that it is doing good to your body. Cycling is the most effective form of exercises for women, as it helps shed those extra calories and give you firm abs. For every hour of cycling, you burn about 500 to 700 calories per hour, depending on the speed and terrain you choose. Other benefits of cycling are:

    An aerobic exercise which gives your heart, blood vessels and lungs excellent workout and reduces risk of heart problems.
    One of the best thigh exercises for women, as it trims and tones the upper thigh, hamstring, and calf muscles.
    Regularly going for a ride helps relieve stress, anxiety, and depression.
    For those who wish to reduce weight, cycling can be very beneficial, as it reduces waistline and excess fat.
    Cycling builds your stamina and helps you carry out daily activities with ease.

Kayaking
Kayaking may seem difficult, but can actually be learned in few days. It is not just a hobby anymore as kayaking has many health and fitness benefits. You can relax, enjoy a fun social sport and have a great workout all in one. Involve your family and friends along with you and spend couple of hours enjoying your time together. For every hour of kayaking, you burn about 400 or more calories per hour. Other benefits of kayaking are:

    Kayaking reduces stress levels, as it facilitates you into breathing fresh air (rather than stuffed gym environment).
    Depending on how fast you paddle, you can actually add kayaking into your weight loss program (400 calories per hour).
    You build great amounts of muscle strength in your arms, chest, abdomen, and shoulders.
    As a sport, kayaking requires your body to be flexible, which in turn helps you get a great aerobic exercise.

Tennis
Another physical activity which can be considered as one of the best fitness exercises for women is tennis. It benefits both body and mind, which gives tennis an edge over all other physical activities. You can grab a friend for a fun game of tennis over the weekend and sculpt your entire body. For every hour of tennis, you burn about 544 calories per hour. Other benefits of tennis are:

    Instead of using tennis as a recreational sport, go for a more cardiovascular approach, as it reduces the risk of heart problems.
    Trims and tones your arms, shoulders, back and abdominal muscles like a pro.
    As tennis works, many muscle groups in your body all at the same time, it helps improve overall balance, dexterity, and agility.
    Tennis helps lower body fat and cholesterol, as it reduces stress levels.

The main idea behind these exercises for women mentioned above is to provide you with fresh air. When the weather is great outside, why spend your time stuck in a stuffy gym to exercise. Instead, get your friends and family along with you and have some fun while shedding calories, staying motivated, and building a firm, toned body.

Baby Safety Products

Safety of your baby is one of the most important responsibilities that you need to consider while bringing up your child. The stage when your baby learns to crawl and toddle, is probably the most crucial and you have to remain alert at every step to avoid mishaps. With introduction of a wide range of baby safety products, you can rely on them without any doubt. The products are designed in a way to prevent the common mishaps, like tripping, slipping, bruising, etc, that take place due to negligence. The devices are especially installed near staircases, kitchens, bathrooms and electric appliances, to ensure safety of your baby when he freely roams inside your house, accessing them without any knowledge of the dangers associated.

1. Baby Safety Cribs
The place where your baby sleeps and plays should have adequately raised edges so that he doesn't tumble and fall. Look for cribs that contain a solid framework, that could be tightened or loosened as per necessity. Check the date of manufacture and ensure that the guarantee period is of minimum six months. The quality and type of the mattress is also an important thing to consider. Purchase a crib mattress that is considerably firm. Avoid using extra soft mattress and bumper pads. Using a sleeper is recommended in place of a blanket, because the latter is comparatively heaver and it might also hinder free breathing. Look for toddler cribs having high raised arches and rails.

2. Baby Safety Gates
If the staircase in your house faces your baby's bedroom, then you must install a baby safety gate near it. You can also install gates and doors near your kitchen to demarcating that zone when you are busy cooking. You can also install a door near the oven so that he is not able to touch it. Portable play yards are also available at baby care shops and e-shopping sites. They are nothing, but a light weight enclosure where you can confine your baby when he is playing. Four gates are installed that make it look like a small yard. The safety gates could also be installed near bathrooms, balconies, patios and other places that are prone to accidents. Install temporary fireplace gates and screens when your baby is playing within its vicinity. You can check out these products Regalo Easy Step Walk Thru Gate and Evenflo Crosstown Soft Portable Travel Gate, to get an idea about them.

3. Baby Safety Appliances
This section covers a wide range of things that are necessary for insuring safety of your baby. Kids are tempted to toy with electrical switches, keyboards, knobs and drawers. These are certainly dangerous when operated without knowing the correct method. It's also difficult for you to monitor your kid throughout the day when he's extremely notorious. So why not installing the safety devices? Different types of safety gadgets are available in the market that guarantee electrical safety. You can also purchase those kits that contain multiple protective devices for cabinets, drawers and electrical appliances. Plug-in all the electrical outlets firmly so that he cannot access them, and attach stoppers on all doors and windows. You should also keep the drawers, doors, racks and cabinets latched and locked. Dreambaby L7081 No Tools Required Home Safety Kit and Mommy's Helper Outlet Plugs are some products that contain almost every type of safety appliances.

4. Baby Safety Bathing Gears
Taking bath is a luxury for babies. In the process of playing with water, they tend to slip and fall. Thus, the need arises to look for bath seats and bathtubs that are safe and comfortable. Make sure that they are made up of slip resistant materials and are durable enough. You can float inflatable rings in the water while he is playing or taking bath. Moby Bath Spout Cover and Munchkin White Hot Inflatable Duck Tub are some examples of safe bathing gears. Other types of baby safety items used for creating a safe bathing zone include tub thermometers, splash guards and safer grips. These products can also be purchased online. This Buzzle article shall provide you some more information on baby safety.

Even after knowing the details about baby safety products, we sometimes fail to implement them rightly. Well, this should not be the cause of your negligence. Make your house a safe place for your baby, so that he can roam around freely. Worth to mention, never leave your baby alone in his bathtub while giving him a bath and try to always be with him while he is playing.

Heart Murmur in Babies

Heart murmurs are nothing but abnormal sounds produced by heart. When parents notice heart murmur in their baby, they panic a lot. But they should make a note that, heart murmur in babies is very common and usually is not a cause of concern. Almost every kid experiences heart murmur once in his/her lifetime. Let us first understand what a heart murmur exactly is.

What is Heart Murmur in Babies?
Human heart beats in a rhythmic pattern, making a lub dub sound. This sound is generated due to the blood flowing into and out of the heart. In medical terms, heart murmur can be described as abnormal sound made by blood, when it passes through the heart blood vessels. Normally when the blood flows through the heart vessels, it does not make any noise. But sometimes, the blood flow can make disturbing noises where the lub dub sound is combined with some swishing sound. Many a time, heart murmur in babies is a sign of normal changes that take place in the blood circulation of baby's body, after its birth. These sounds can be heard with the help of stethoscope. Mostly, heart murmur in babies is not a serious problem and the heart is in a normal state. In few cases, it can be a result of some heart disorder.

What are the Causes of Heart Murmur in Babies?
A heart murmur can be innocent (functional), congenital or heart defect. There are no specific symptoms of innocent heart murmur in babies, other than unusual sound made by the heart. But if the cause of heart murmur is of congenital type, then few serious symptoms can be observed. These include breath shortness, feeding difficulty, chest infection, etc. In 90% cases, heart murmur in babies are of functional type. Hence, parents should not panic and worry when they come across the murmur sound in their baby's heart. Let us take a look at the causes of heart murmur in babies. Read more on, heart murmur in infants.

Innocent Murmuring: Innocent murmuring, is the most common type of hear murmur noticed in babies. This is also known as functional heart murmur and is a sign of healthy and normal heart. This type of murmur can be noticed a number of times, during the childhood. There is no special treatment required for this type of heart murmur. Innocent heart murmur, as the name suggests, do not pose any threat to the child.

Congenital Heart Murmur: This is a rare and serious type of heart murmur, that can be a symptom of some heart problem. One in 100 babies can have congenital heart murmur. If the doctor finds that the heart murmur is a cause of some heart problem, then he/she may ask to perform certain laboratory tests like electrocardiogram, chest X-ray or echocardiogram. The health of the mother during pregnancy can influence the health of the baby. If the mother suffered from German measles, diabetes or if she was an alcoholic, then the risk of congenital heart murmur increases.

Common Heart Defect: Common heart defect is a result of structural disorder of a baby's heart. Here heart murmur is a consequence of some structural problem in the heart. There are different types of heart defects. These include, valve abnormalities, cardiomyopathy and septal defects. Septal defects are due to holes present in the heart walls. The hole can cause flow of extra blood into the heart, that further results into murmur. Cardiomyopathy is a heart muscle disorder, where the heart muscles are abnormally thick and weak, resulting into impaired functioning of the heart.

What is the Treatment for Heart Murmur in Babies?
The treatment for heart murmur depends on the cause. Innocent or functional murmur does not require any type of treatment. If congenital or common heart defect are diagnosed after the laboratory tests, then the parents need to approach a pediatric cardiologist. Depending on the symptoms observed, the pediatric cardiologist provides the appropriate treatment, that will regulate the proper blood flow in the heart. Medication and surgery are two main parts of the treatment.

Heart murmur in babies, is quite common and is usually not a result of any serious health problem. Thus, if parents notice such symptoms in their baby, they should not worry and consult a pediatrician at the earliest to confirm the cause of the heart murmur.

How to Lose Weight at Home

Just as charity begins at home, losing weight to begins at home. Surely you must have tried a million times get in to a regular exercise routine, crammed in time for exercise and probably joined a gym to leave the endeavor half way through. Phew! That's a lot of effort and sadly all in vain. Relax, take a deep breath, you've just found a solution for losing weight at home! Now it's just about following it and following it religiously.

Best Ways To Lose Weight At Home

There are 7 Simple Rules for getting the gorgeous body that would make heads turn. Follow these easy exercises to lose weight at home. Here you go!

Rule No. 1
The Rule No. 1 states, that you need to stop watching the idiot box in front of you. Yes, the television set in front of you in the worst possible idea for recreation. Pack it up and place it safely in some corner of your house. Keeping away from the TV set is the best exercise to lose weight at home. Step out of your house for recreation. Walking, jogging, playing with your children or pets, participating in outdoor sports, weekend trekking and mountain climbing are the easy ways to lose weight outside home.

Rule No. 2
The Rule No. 2 orders you to do your laundry by yourself. Washing clothes is the best way to lose weight at home. Forward and backward bending can be improved very well by washing clothes at home. Doing your own laundry stretches the extra unwanted flab and reduces the lousy love handles. Washing clothes will also strengthen the arms and tone them up.

Rule No. 3
The Rule No. 3, wants you to knead the dough at home. Don't use a food processor, this time and every time henceforth, knead the dough all by yourself. Stomach muscles are used while kneading the dough. Lose weight quickly at home by kneading dough regularly for cooking. This is one of the best exercises to do at home. Losing weight would never have seemed sweeter!

Rule No. 4
Rule No. 4 explains why you must climb the stairs and not order someone to fetch things for you. Any qualified gym instructor will tell you that climbing stairs is the best cardiovascular exercise that you do to keep your heart and legs in shape. Tone up the flab on the thighs by taking the stairs, this will strengthen the muscles, shed the extra pounds and make them stronger.

Rule No. 5
Rule No. 5 will focus on a complete exercise for your body. Mowing your lawn is the best way to lose weight at home fast. It exercises your arms, abs, legs and back. Think about it. Mowing your lawn for two months will save you a few extra dollars to buy a sexy slim fitting dresses once you get the lean built.

Rule No. 6
Rule No. 6 is a fun Sunday activity. Sundays are the days, when you want to lay back and read the Lazy Sunday Book, sipping your cuppa coffee. Never mind! Anytime during the day, wash your car thoroughly with soap and water. This again is the fabulous exercise to tone up the body and still have fun. To make it interesting, burn a CD of your favorite songs and plug it on while washing your car.

Rule No. 7
Rule No. 7 is mopping the floor. Don't shrug off this fabulous opportunity to turn those flabs into abs. Take a complete advantage of it so that you lose weight quickly at home. Roll up your sleeves and get started to clean the floor.

Hopefully, the 8 simple rules must have answered your question, how to lose weight at home. Pull up your socks and get down to losing weight at home, ASAP!

Healthy Habits to Lose Weight

Everybody, today, seems to be conscious about their weight. Not that it is bad, however, it is good if the weight loss refers to loss of body weight with an aim to improve fitness and health. Losing weight to ape certain stereotypes is not advisable, and definitely not healthy. In some cases, weight loss is achieved with extreme dietary restrictions and vigorous exercising.

Though diet and exercise are vital to lose weight, the core of losing weight lies in adopting healthy habits and making a significant change in one's lifestyle. In that regard, given below are a few healthy habits you can adopt, to lose weight. These habits are simple and easy to incorporate in your day-to-day life. Healthy habits to lose weight will only make your task of losing weight easier than before.

Healthy Eating Habits to Lose Weight

• When it comes to weight loss, most people treat food as their enemy by not eating enough, or starving themselves.These activities will not aid weight loss, but simply make you weak. The point is, instead of binging on everything and anything around you, eat consciously. Chalk out a strategy for your meals. Restrict the portion size you eat. A good way to determine portion size is to compare it with hand size. A healthy serving should not be more than the size of your palm. Resort to healthy snacks at those times of the day when you feel hungry. Remember not to starve and not to skip meals in any case. These habits will only weaken the digestive system.
• This probably comes as an obvious advice to most of us, but do we really follow it? Now, there are several reasons why drinking (at least 2 liters) of water is recommended. Water cleanses your body and regulates your metabolism, which helps you to get rid of accumulated fat around the midsection. Moreover, drinking plenty of water helps you to feel satiated throughout the day and suppresses the urge of snacking.
• This may sound funny, but it definitely has some logic to it. When you drink plenty of water, you feel the urge to pee, for which you have to walk to the washroom. This activity helps you break the monotony at work and at the same time, results in some physical activity. It may not be intense but it definitely adds up to the total calories burned.
• Consumption of excess alcohol is one of the major reasons for accumulated belly fat. This does not mean you completely stop its intake, but make sure you limit the quantity. Smoking too can reduce your appetite and wreck your digestive system. These unhealthy habits can sabotage your weight loss, so be careful.
• Make it a habit to chew your food slowly. Chew every morsel 32 times before you swallow it. This habit not only helps in proper digestion, but you also end up eating less. Look for all the unhealthy eating habits you indulge in during the day and make an effort to eliminate them. Like, for example, binging on desserts after dinner, snacking while watching television, having donuts and thick chocolate shakes while you drive to office every morning, and so on.

Simple Exercising Habits to Lose Weight

• If your job requires you to sit at your desk all day, restricting physical activity, then you can do little things at your workplace which will promote physical activity. Take the staircase instead of taking the elevator. During breaks, try pursuing some active game, which not only will help reduce stress levels at work but will also leave you feeling energized.
• With the fast-paced life we live, it becomes difficult to for us to find time to exercise regularly. However, it is important to squeeze out a little time of your hectic schedule, which should be dedicated to exercising. It no doubt aids weight loss; but exercising should be viewed as a way of life, instead of compulsion. Exercising regularly is a healthy habit, which keeps one fit and feeling energized throughout the day.
• Another simple exercise you can practice, is to go shopping with a full tummy. One may not realize it, but shopping amounts to miles of walking. On an average, a woman is bound to spend around 3-4 hours shopping per week, which results in walking for more than 20 miles per week and burning about 150 calories per trip.
• When you are in a bumper-to-bumper situation, don't crib, instead, make use of that time, by performing a few exercises, which involve simple movements. A torso twist allows you to relax your tense muscles. Point and flex your toes to stretch your calf muscles. You can also perform neck rotations, to enhance the mobility of your neck and in the process, burn some calories.
• You can also perform simple exercises like squats, push-ups and crunches while watching TV. Synchronize your exercises with the commercials, which will allow you to enjoy your favorite show and at the same time help you burn calories.

You cannot come up with an excuse to not incorporate the above-mentioned healthy activities in your daily life, as they are simple and can easily become a habit, when you practice them daily. Remember, the most important habit, besides all those mentioned above, is to keep yourself motivated. You will be amazed to see how these small alterations in your life bring about a noticeable and welcoming change.

5 Reasons Girls Should Play Sports

Why play sports? You might say "to get exercise" and you'd be right. To have fun? That's true, too. But there's more. In fact, there are at least 5 more reasons. According to the Women's Sports Foundation, girls who play sports get a lot more than just fit.

1. Girls who play sports do better in school. You might think that athletics will take up all your study time. But research shows that girls who play sports do better in school than those who don't. Exercise improves learning, memory, and concentration, which can give active girls an advantage in the classroom.
2. Girls who play sports learn teamwork and goal-setting skills. Sports teaches valuable life skills. When you working with coaches, trainers, and teammates to win games and achieve goals, you're learning how to be successful. Those skills will serve you well at work and in family life.
3. Sports are good for a girl's health. In addition to being fit and maintaining a healthy weight, girls who play sports are also less likely to smoke. And later in life, girls who exercise are less likely to get breast cancer or osteoporosis.
4. Playing sports boosts self-confidence. Girls who play sports feel better about themselves. Why? It builds confidence when you know you can practice, improve, and achieve your goals. Sports are also a feel-good activity because they help girls get in shape, maintain a healthy weight, and make new friends.
5. Exercise cuts the pressure. Playing sports can lessen stress and help you feel a little happier. How? The brain chemicals released during exercise improve a person's mood. Friends are another mood-lifter. And being on a team creates tight bonds between friends. It's good to know your teammates will support you — both on and off the field!

Smoking and its Effects on Menopause

A woman goes through several phases during her lifetime. Menstruation starts as the woman attains puberty, normally at the age of 12-15 years. Cessation of menstruation is known as menopause. Life after the last menstrual period when the ovaries stop functioning and the woman loses her fertility is quite challenging as the body undergoes several hormonal changes. A woman is said to have entered into the phase of menopause if she has not experienced periods for twelve consecutive months. In the U.S., the average age of menopause is 51 years but it may vary according to the region (northern, southern) where the woman lives, overall health, diet, race and lifestyle of the woman, genetic factors and the biological clock that regulates the bodily functions, etc. Take a look at the following section to explore the relationship between smoking and the onset of early menopause.

Smoking and Menopause: How are they Linked

A woman does not reach menopause suddenly. Several changes, especially hormonal changes take place within her body and the menstrual cycle slows down gradually. The body of a woman in perimenopausal stage and premenopausal stage exhibits several symptoms like irregular menstrual cycle, hot flashes, night sweats, high heart rate, increased irritability, loss of libido, insomnia, etc. Studies show that the percentage of women experiencing menopause at 'premature age' has significantly increased over the last few years. Hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus and ovaries), obesity, genetic factors, certain illnesses and treatments like chemotherapy and radiation, bad habits like smoking, drug/alcohol abuse can be the reason behind an early menopause. A number of researchers are busy studying smoking and its effects on menopause.

According to the study reports presented by the researchers of the Massachusetts General Hospital, the specific gene 'Bax' and the genetic receptor 'Ahr' trigger the onset of menopause when activated; and the chemicals that the body receives through smoking activate these genetic factors that destroy the ovarian cells. Thus, smoking affects the average menopause age.

Smoking and its effects on menopause may vary from woman to woman depending upon whether the woman belongs to the class of ex-smokers or current smokers and the number of cigarettes smoked per day. Smoking affects the health of the arteries which in turn can affect the blood supply to the ovaries and can trigger an early menopause. Several study reports show that smokers have a higher risk of reaching menopause at an earlier age than non-smokers. Smokers show higher rate of infertility than non-smokers as smoking is responsible for the toxic effects on ovaries. Smoking speeds up the rates of follicular atresia. Several studies have thrown light on the fact that, more the number of cigarettes smoked, higher is the rate of inception of perimenopause.

According to the study reports presented by the 'International Journal of Epidemiology', early menopause increases the risk of osteoporosis and heart diseases. As ovaries stop functioning, the woman loses estrogen that helps control bone loss. Once the woman attains menopause, bones become weak and porous. Loss of bone density increases the risk of fractures. Hormonal changes lead to weight gain after menopause which in turn results in increased blood pressure and increased risk of heart diseases.

As smokers reach menopause earlier, they need hormone replacement therapy (HRT) earlier. Studies show that the severity of the peri- and premenopausal symptoms is higher in smokers than in non-smokers. Smokers may have to face certain side effects of HRT as they opt for it earlier than non-smokers. Since smoking is linked to earlier menopause, quitting smoking as early as possible is the only way of preventing health complications after early menopause.

Effects of Smoking on Menopause

Certain studies were conducted by the Institute of General Practice and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway and by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo. The reports say that:

• Women who smoke are more likely to enter into the phase of menopause before the age of 45 years.
• Women who smoke have an increased risk of osteoporosis and heart diseases as they reach menopause at an earlier age.
• Passive exposure to smoke does not affect the age of menopause.
• The risk of reaching menopause at an earlier age is almost doubled in case of women who smoke too much.
• Women who stop smoking 10 years before menopause are less likely to reach menopause before the age of 45 years.
• Women who start smoking later in life are also likely to reach menopause earlier than non-smokers.
• The average age of menopause is not affected much, if women quit smoking 10-15 years before menopause. If a woman stops smoking earlier in life, the risk of early menopause is reduced to a great extent.
• Dr. Thea F. Mikkelsen and her colleagues at the University of Oslo studied a group of 2,123 women belonging to the age group 59 to 60 years. They found that women who currently smoked were 59% more likely to reach menopause earlier than the non-smoking women.

Various studies have shown that smokers are likely to hit menopause between the age 43-50 years. Hence, women should not underestimate the connection between smoking and menopause.

Volodymyr Dvornyk, from the University of Hong Kong has also presented his study reports which confirm the fact that women who smoke reach menopause at an earlier age than non-smokers. Hitting menopause earlier results in several health problems like diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis, obesity, Alzheimer's disease, heart diseases, and others.

A few years before, it was not possible for doctors to determine at what age a woman would reach menopause. But, according to new researches, doctors can now predict approximately when a woman would have her last menstrual period, by keeping a record of the declining levels of anti-müllerian hormone (AMH) secreted by the ovaries.

According to the North American Menopause Society, after menopause, most women experience high levels of self-confidence and energy than they used to have when they were young. They feel more empowered, more focused and more involved, than ever before. But for women who smoke, menopause can be an awful and turbulent process. Remember, it's never too late, you can quit smoking and can definitely stay away from the ill effects of early menopause.

The First Steps To Weight Loss – Motivation

 if you think that just eating less and exercising you will lose 100 pounds in the next week…I am sorry to say, you are probably in for disappointment! It’s just not reasonable to think that you are going to lose a bunch of weight, and keep it off, in such a short amount of time.

Now, if you were to take the philosophy of “One Pound at a Time,” as what is suggested within these pages, you are going to have a much easier time adjusting to your new diet/nutrition/exercise program, and you will be more likely to succeed AND CONTINUE TO SUCCEED!

Why Do You Wish To Lose Weight?

Because your spouse wants you to?

Because your kids want you to?

Because your doctor tells you to?

Because your friends tell you to?

I suggest you write down your own reasons for wanting to lose weight. Here are some ideas:

-  I want to lose weight because I want to gain a healthy respect for my body

- I want to lose weight because I want to live longer for my family

- I want to lose weight because I want to enjoy life more by doing the things that my weight restricts me from doing

- I want to lose weight because I want to feel great about my myself and my appearance

- I want to lose weight because I want to travel and enjoy all that life has to offer me

- I want to lose weight to have the strength and energy I need to enjoy life like having the energy to chase my children

- I want to lose weight so that I can be an active participant in my own life and not just a spectator
Other Reasons Why You May Want To Lose Weight

No doubt a big reason why you want to lose weight is linked to your physical appearance.  This scratches far below the surface than just wanting to lose weight to fit into something or simply hating the way your thighs look.

Excess weight can impact on self esteem.  No one wants to be obese because it has so many negative connotations in our society.

Because we believe we are not attractive and appealing to others can make us rethink our own self worth and value.  This can lead to social and emotional problems and distort the way we perceive ourselves as well as how we interact with others.

This can become a vicious cycle within itself where we eat because of how we feel to medicate the pain yet often end up feeling worse along with gaining even more weight.  The cycle continues.
Take your time and think of something that is truly worthy of you and you will stick with it like glue. While doctors, your family, and/or your friends may tell you that you need to lose weight, the one person that is the most important in your decision to follow through is YOU.  YOU must want to lose the weight for yourself – FIRST!

Choosing to lose weight and maintaining your weight loss is going to require a life-change.  A change that you must be 100% committed to, because without that dedication, you are already set up to fail.

One way to help you in your Journey is to think about your Journey in very small steps.

One of your very first few steps is making the commitment to succeeding, truly believing you can succeed, and picturing yourself having already succeeded.  That is a key component.

So, are you committed to the Journey?  Are you ready for a New You?  Is that a “YES”?

GREAT!  You are well on your way to being successful!

One of the first challenges you will face is discovering how you are going to lose weight.  There are thousands upon thousands of places both online and offline that claim to have the “magic” formula to weight loss.

Please realize that weight loss does not just happen overnight.

It will take time, commitment, and effort on your part.
The good thing is that you are off to a great start with having made that commitment on the previous page!

On the following pages are some of the tips and techniques to start your Journey.  These are some realistic ideas to help you succeed, as well as resources you can use to help you find or create the best plan for you.

Your plan will need to include a mixture of both diet changes and exercise.  While you can lose some weight with only doing one or the other, to be successful you need a good combination of both!

The reason is that once you start losing weight with your diet change, you should include exercise to help tone up your new body.

Don’t worry though … it can be done, and it doesn’t have to be painful…and everything you will ever need is right here in this site!

Meditation's Health Benefits

Meditation can have big health benefits. Sitting alone in a quiet room might give you more than a peaceful moment to yourself. That pause in your day could also help you reduce stress, ease anxiety, lower blood pressure, improve immune function or lift your mood. Such health changes may be possible through meditation, a centuries-old spiritual practice that's gaining attention in the 21st century for tangible, not mystical, reasons.

Although science and spirit seem unlikely partners, Western medicine is increasingly considering the benefits of using meditation in conjunction with traditional drugs or other therapies to heal modern woes.

"A lot of hospitals have programs now as a complementary treatment for conditions," says researcher Kimberly Williams, PhD, assistant professor in community medicine at West Virginia University in Morgantown. Studies have found positive results for meditation's use to support treatment for both physical and psychological ills, she adds.

Yet meditation is no quick fix. It takes time to develop the technique, and you have to practice regularly.

What's more, there are different types of meditation. All share certain traits, such as taking a comfortable position, focusing attention and ignoring distractions. Among the various meditation approaches, the practice known as mindfulness meditation—sometimes simply called "mindfulness"—has emerged as the method gaining the most notice for helping to improve health.

Achieving mindfulness

When we think of meditation, many of us still envision people meditating while repetitively murmuring a word like "om." This mantra, or specific focus, is at the core of concentration meditations. In these modes, distractions are mentally pushed away.

In mindfulness, or insight meditation, meditators focus awareness on their present experience without judging or ignoring distractions. They note their breathing and physical sensations as well as random sounds, feelings and thoughts. "You just watch what arises...stay with it as long as it is there and let it go," Dr. Williams says. "The meditator can watch and keep that witnessing perspective."

Science doesn't yet know why this may provide health benefits, but it could be by creating changes in the nervous system and brain. By slowing down and taking a nonjudgmental view of your thoughts and feelings, proponents say, you become more aware and open, creating greater balance. Mindfulness builds your inner resources, allowing you to be calmer and more insightful when facing stress or difficulties.

In an eight-week mindfulness meditation training study conducted by Dr. Williams and her colleagues, participants who completed the course reported a 44 percent reduction in psychological distress and a 46 percent lowering of medical symptoms.

"Mindfulness helps you be more present with your life, so you can make conscious choices and engage in all of your experiences in a more meaningful way," says Shauna L. Shapiro, PhD, assistant professor of counseling psychology at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, CA. "You're training your mind to be more present."

That sounds easier to do than it is, which is why it's helpful to learn mindfulness meditation from a teacher or counselor. But does using mindfulness to achieve a less-stressed life mean you have to change your religious beliefs? "It's not about adopting any doctrine," Dr. Williams says. "It's about learning the practice, having the experience."

Getting started

Developing a mindful approach through meditation often means fighting yourself. For mindfulness meditation to be effective, you need to take time out from your day's activities, unhook from the steady stream of technological interruptions and recognize that being great at multi-tasking in your personal and work life isn't necessarily wonderful for you all the time.

To begin mindfulness meditation, try these steps:

    State your purpose. Ask yourself why you want to practice mindfulness. Many people have a clear idea—they want to improve their sleep, lower stress, or solve a relationship issue. As you continue practicing, your intention may evolve, extending the mindful approach to other aspects of your life.

    Make a commitment, even a small one. Decide to give over 20 minutes each day for the next two months to practicing mindfulness meditation. "I ask people to see it as an experiment, not to be evaluating it every day as you go along," Dr. Shapiro says. "At the end of two months, you tell me if it was helpful. And, if not, let's find something else."

    Dr. Williams believes you can start with as little as five minutes, so long as you meditate at the same time every day. "Can you sit still and be aware of your breathing? Try not to miss a day," she advises. "In the morning, it sets your thermostat for calmness and vitality. In the evening, it lowers stress."

    Train your mind. Each day when you meditate, you will be training your mind to pay attention in an accepting way. "Start with your body and breath as an anchor in the moment," says Dr. Shapiro. "When the mind wanders off, we gently note where it went and come back to (awareness of) breath and body." Many people are surprised at how hard it is to pay attention. When you're not paying attention, you don't even feel your breath. "It's called 'monkey mind.' Your mind swings from one thought to another, like a monkey in trees," she adds.

    "What you're trying to do is cultivate the ability to pay attention," says Dr. Shapiro. "You know when you're mindful and when you're on automatic pilot. There's a qualitative difference."

    Extend your mindful actions. Mindfulness practice can't succeed if you compartmentalize it into one 5- or 20-minute session. Once you become comfortable with the practice, bring mindfulness into your daily life. Take time to appreciate the experience of simple actions, such as washing dishes, eating a meal or taking a walk. The more skilled you become at mindfulness meditation, the more seamless the transition becomes between your "official" mindfulness meditation and everyday experiences.

    Find a teacher. It helps to have guidance, as you would in a yoga or spinning class. One good measure is to look for a teacher trained in the mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) techniques developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, and colleagues at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society. Hospitals with integrative medicine departments are also good resources for meditation programs and instructors.

If you're experiencing severe anxiety, depression or debilitating stress, consult with a mental health professional or other health care provider. Some are trained in MBSR and use mindfulness meditation along with talk therapy or medications.