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Bust Tanning Myths And Have A Safe Tan

Word Count:
735

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The custom of tanning is highly popular among western societies. Recent studies from several sources have come up with reasons to discourage the practice of tanning as it runs the risk of the person getting cancer. This is because the tanning method actively damages the DNA of the individual and causes mutations to occur in the cells of the individual. Besides this risk, tanning also leads to a blocking of the body’s natural anti- depressants and thus runs the increased risk …

tanning myths, safe tan, indoor tanning, outdoor tanning

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The custom of tanning is highly popular among western societies. Recent studies from several sources have come up with reasons to discourage the practice of tanning as it runs the risk of the person getting cancer. This is because the tanning method actively damages the DNA of the individual and causes mutations to occur in the cells of the individual. Besides this risk, tanning also leads to a blocking of the body’s natural anti- depressants and thus runs the increased risk of getting cancer. Nevertheless, the growing evidence of linkages between cancer and tanning have not led to a complete ban of tanning.

Several myths are propagated in support of the case for tanning and these myths have done much groundwork leading to the continuation of tanning under artificial conditions.

One of the common myths prevalent is the belief that tanning is healthy because it protects the body from sunburn. This is totally baseless observation by the pro tanning lobby. The myth relies on the idea that the tan is the body’s natural way of preventing UV rays from penetrating into the skin and thus reduces the risk of getting skin cancer. This is not the actual fact as the tan over a white skin acts as much of a sunscreen as an SPF4 strength sunscreen. Even to protect skin under normal conditions in the sun, one is recommended the use of SPF 15 sunscreen strength. Thus this weak protection of tanning, equivalent only to SPF 4 strength, is too weak to help.

Also, it is necessary to know that sunburn is a long term effect and that it does not immediately surface on the skin. So the belief that if the skin feels cool immediately after a dip in the sea, it will not sunburn is again a false belief. This is a false belief considering the fact that sunburn is a continuing process and a cumulative process that ultimately surfaces as the effect of sunburn. Thus the idea that staying out in the sun for a longer time when under water is not as harmful as being on the beach for the same amount of time, is totally mythical. Sun bathing, for longer hours even with breaks in between, will not stop the sunburn from taking place as water is not an agent that can prevent the harmful effects of sunburn.

Many a time people make it a habit of staying out in the outdoors on a day that is cloudy under the belief that tanning effects will be reduced as the sun is clouded over and sunburn cannot take place. Although the radiation is partially reduced on a partially cloudy day, the cumulative effect of exposure to the sun, albeit in spasms of cloudiness, is likely to have its cumulative effect, though the radiation effects would be reduced somewhat.

For many bathers at resorts by the sea side, tanning experience is continued, propped by the myth circulated that tanning and bathing are a correct mix as water is a perfect sunblock and sunburn cannot take place if one bathes and then relaxes on the beach. This is a wrong idea because shallow water affords minimal protection from the sun’s harmful rays and some believe that it even enhances UV rays exposure.

As a way out of all these contradictions, the common myth is that tanning can be kept safe and healthy provided one covers the exposed skin with a sunscreen lotion before going out under the sun. The sunscreen protection, one must remember, is only a partial protection as it cannot be applied all over the face. The eyes cannot be covered with sunscreen and one needs to protect them differently. Sun glasses are not meant to be a protection from UV rays and thus the skin around the eyes becomes a vulnerable area during tanning.

Besides as one tends to sweat in the sun and swimming in the water tends to wear off the effect of the sunscreen lotion, the chances of exposure to the sun even while consciously tanning with an eye on safety and protection comes to light. The loss of protection despite wearing a sunscreen lotion for protection is thus not enough and the myth does nothing to counter this genuine problem.

Hence the person opting for tanning must be conscious of the hazards involved and not continue to believe in myths without checking them out thoroughly.

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Burning Limbs: The Truth About Sciatica

Word Count:
665

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Sciatica, its symptoms, causes, and treatment.

sciatica, chronic pain, inflammation, acupuncture

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Have you ever felt a chronic, burning pain that spreads from your lower hip running down to your foot? Is it just as painful sitting down or standing up? You might be suffering from sciatica.

Sciatica, as the name implies, affects the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is the single longest nerve in the body. It originates from the lower lumber region of your spine, through the pelvis, through the hind portion of your leg down to your foot. It is mainly responsible for distributing blood to the back of our lower extremities.

The most common causes of sciatica are: a herniated disc, lumbar spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, trauma, piriformis syndrome, and spinal tumors. When one suffers from a herniated disc, there is an inflammation or bulging of the spinal disc causing it to protrude out of the annulus. The annulus is the space between the spine where the spinal discs are located. Disc herniation could exert pressure on the nearby nerve root causing a direct compression on sensitive nerve tissues such as the sciatic nerve. Lumbar spinal stenosis is almost the same as disc herniation in the sense that spinal nerves are pinched. In this case, though, the spinal canal shrinks, squeezing and applying too much pressure on the spinal nerve inside. The spinal nerve branches out of the spinal canal to the entire body through openings called as neural foramina. Once these passages are congested or narrowed, it causes nerve compression. If the blockage happens on these passageways, they’re considered foraminal stenosis. If it occurs on the opening where the sciatic nerve passes, it may cause sciatica.

Another cause can be spondylolisthesis, or more commonly known as slipped discs. It may also cause sciatica when a vertebral disc moves out of place and applies direct pressure to the spinal nerve adjacent to it, usually occuring on the lumbar or the lower portion of the spine. Blunt force trauma to the lower back region may cause severe damage to the spine and may cause sciatica as well. Accidents or external forces that may cause bone fractures like vehicular accidents, horse riding accidents, sports injuries may all lead to sciatica as bone fragments may occasionally be the cause of the nerve compression. The piriformis syndrome occurs when the piriformis muscle spasms and compresses the sciatic nerve. In this case, the sciatic nerve running beneath the piriformis muscle may sometimes get irritated by movement of the said muscle.

Lastly, spinal tumors are anomalous growths on the spine that can either be benign or malignant. Rare as sciatica cases being caused by spinal tumors may be, once a tumor develops in the lumbar region, it may cause nerve compression that may trigger sciatica.

There are a lot of treatments recommended for sciatica, some non-invasive and some involving surgery. In cases of bone fragments, spinal tumor, and severe cases of slipped or herniated disc causing the sciatica, of course surgery would be required as treatment. But for some minor instances, chiropractic treatment and acupuncture is enough to relieve the pain. Chiropractic therapy may range from ice/cold therapy, ultrasound, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), to spine adjustment or manipulation. These entail for the lumber area to be exposed to cold or heat to reduce inflammation and muscle spasms.

Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine that originated from China. Fine needles are inserted into your skin in strategic points in the body to release negative energy and restore health and well-being, and treat pain and illnesses. It has been proven effective by medical practitioners. It is highly recommended as a treatment for generic lumbar pain, even for mild sciatica, as it supposedly releases tension from the spastic muscles and relieves the pressure from the compressed nerve.

So if you have been experiencing sharp, burning pain on your lower extremities, it is best that you consult a medical practitioner at once. You might be experiencing sciatica. But like they say, prevention is better than cure. Let’s not abuse our bodies.

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Can You Get Free Treatment For Bipolar Disorder?

Susan Nickerson DC PT
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Unfortunately, many people with bipolar symptoms are unable to get the treatment, medications and support they require due to financial difficulties. There is an option, however.
Some people with bipolar disorder receive medication and/or psychosocial therapy at no charge by volunteering to participate in clinical studies (clinical trials). Clinical studies involve the scientific investigation of illness and treatment of illness in humans.
Clinical studies in mental health can yield information about the usefullness of a medication or a combination of treatments, the efficacy of a behavioral intervention or type of psychotherapy, the reliability of a diagnostic procedure, or the success of a prevention method.
Clinical studies also guide scientists in learning how illness develops, progresses, lessens, and affects both mind and body. Millions of Americans diagnosed with mental illness lead healthy, productive lives because of information discovered through clinical studies.
These studies are not always right for everyone, however. It is important for each individual to consider carefully the possible risks and benefits of a clinical study before making a decision to participate.
In recent years, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has introduced a new generation of “real-world” clinical studies. They are called “real-world” studies for several reasons. Unlike traditional clinical trials, they offer multiple different treatments and treatment combinations.
In addition, they aim to include large numbers of people with mental disorders living in communities throughout the U.S. and receiving treatment across a wide variety of settings. Individuals with more than one mental disorder, as well as those with co-occurring physical illnesses, are encouraged to consider participating in these new studies.
The main goal of the real-world studies is to improve treatment strategies and outcomes for all people with these disorders.
In addition to measuring improvement in illness symptoms, the studies will evaluate how treatments influence other important, real-world issues such as quality of life, ability to work, and social functioning. They also will assess the cost-effectiveness of different treatments and factors that affect how well people stay on their treatment plans.
The Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder (STEP-BD) is seeking participants for the largest-ever, “real-world” study of treatments for bipolar disorder. To learn more about STEP-BD or other clinical studies, see the Clinical Trials page on the NIMH Web site at http://www.nimh.nih.gov, visit the National Library of Medicine’s clinical trials database at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov, or contact NIMH.
ZZZZZZ

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Can You Fight The Common Cold With A Natural Remedy?

Kevin Sheldon
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Colds appear superficially similar to the ‘flu, but are generally less severe. Common in the colder seasons, respiratory passage inflammation, irritation of the nose and throat, runny eyes, and of course fevers, chills and muscle aches are typical symptoms of the common cold. In extreme cases, a bad cold may even cause sinusitis or congestion of the chest, which can be particularly distressing for the very young and very old. The differences between a cold and flu are fairly easy to spot – flu usually causes a headache, fever, heavy fatigue and general aches – these are rare in true colds. On the other hand, a cold usually involves a runny nose and a sore throat – both rare in flu. Whatever you do, the symptoms will last between 7 and 14 days (including an incubation period of between 1 and 3 days). Men tend to say they have the flu, rather than a ‘cold’, because it sounds so much more serious! Common colds, however, are far more ‘common’ if you will excuse the pun.
The common cold is caused by a fast mutating virus, which tends to strike when one’s immune system is depressed. Extreme coldness, tiredness, stress brought on by overwork, or overindulgence – all of these can ‘bring on’ a cold. The symptoms of the common cold are actually your body attempting to kill the virus and re-establish normal conditions – a raised body temperature kills the virus eventually. Unfortunately, the fast mutation characteristics of the common cold make it impossible to produce a vaccine, leaving only natural remedies in the arsenal of anti-cold techniques.
At the first signs of a cold (sore throat, runny nose) go to bed – don’t wait for the virus to ‘kick in’. Remember that the first line of attack against the cold virus will be plenty of fluids, and especially vitamin C drinks, such as hot lemon. In fact, you can take large amounts of vitamin C in many forms – tablets, drinks etc. Garlic will also help – both of these are good germ fighters. Other vitamins that will help include vitamin A, B6, vitamin E, and vitamin F. It is also reported that a little extra zinc can help shorten the duration of colds.
While the cold is in full swing, try drinking potato peeling broth. The peelings should be half an inch thick, boiled it for about half an hour then strained and cooled, taken twice a day. After the fever goes, a low calorie raw fruit and vegetable diet can be attempted, although you may not feel much like eating at this point. Raw juices and herb teas will also help. The best herb teas for fighting the common cold are:-

Rose hips
Camomile
Peppermint
Ginger

There are many products that help with runny noses and congestions – most are based on eucalyptus oil, and indeed, this is most helpful. Try putting a few drops in a cup of boiling water, then inhaling the vapors with a towel over your head. For a sore throat – gargling with crushed aspirin in warm water is also useful, although be careful you don’t swallow it, and don’t do it to frequently.
The most popular water treatments include hot mustard foot baths (to reduce sinus congestion), Epsom salt baths while drinking sweating teas, hot ginger chest compresses and salt water nasal douches to open the sinuses. Some people swear by steam inhalation (with eucalyptus, pine needles, cloves, or thyme).
And of course, you could always try prevention – stay warm, keep your immune system strong by eating sensibly and exercising regularly!
ZZZZZZ

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Burning Issues on Heartburn

Word Count:
605

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The article tackles the often harmless but uncomfortable condition called Heartburn. Heartburn is common, and an occasional episode is generally nothing to worry about. However, many people battle heartburn. This article provides information such as causes and symptoms of this burning issue.

heart burn, antidepressant medications, lifestyle, complications

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You’ve just eaten a big meal and leaned back in your favorite chair to watch your favorite TV program. As you begin to relax, your chest starts to hurt so much it feels like it’s on fire. You may be experiencing heartburn. According to studies, about 30% of adults experience occasional heartburn, while 10% experience heartburn almost every single every day. Heartburn is common, and an occasional episode is generally nothing to worry about. However, many people have already considered heartburn as a uncomfortable condition that requires medication or medical attention.

Heartburn usually follows after a heavy meal. To understand how this condition comes about, it is best to be aware of what exactly happens when we eat food. The food that is swallowed travels from the mouth to the stomach through a hollow tube called the esophagus. Before food enters the stomach, it must pass through a tight muscle at the lower part of the esophagus called the Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES). The lower esophageal sphincter prevents food from traveling backward into the esophagus. Once in the stomach, stomach acid slowly digests the food. This acid is very strong and can damage most parts of the body. Fortunately, the stomach is protected from its own acid by a special mucous layer. The esophagus, however, does not have any such special protection. If the lower esophageal sphincter does not close completely, the lower part of the esophagus can be damaged by stomach acid. When this happens, heartburn is experienced.

Heartburn can last for several hours and is often worse after eating, or when lying down, or when a person who just ate suddenly bends over. Heartburn is the most common symptom of reflux. Reflux occurs when acid in the stomach, which is there to help digest food, rises up into the esophagus, causing pain, irritation, and discomfort.

Some other factors that can make heartburn worse include certain foods such as fatty and spicy foods, chocolate, caffeine, onions, tomato sauce, carbonated beverages and mint. Alcohol, large meals, lying too soon after eating, cigarette smoking, sedatives, calcium channel blockers and antidepressant medications can also trigger heartburn.

Heartburn, also called acid indigestion, is the most common symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD); a disease in which stomach acid or, occasionally, bile flows back (refluxes) into the esophagus. Heartburn usually feels like a burning chest pain beginning behind the breastbone and moving upward to the neck and throat. Many people say it feels like food is coming back into the mouth leaving an acid or bitter taste.

Most heartburn problems are mild, but if a person experiences frequent discomfort, there may already be some complications that need medical treatment or the use of prescription medications. If a person encounters heartburn several times a week, or if it returns soon after the effects of antacids wear off, medical attention may be necessary. A person with heartburn should also consult a doctor if he or she often wakes up at night due to discomfort brought about by reflux. One may need further medical care, or possibly even surgery, if a person experience difficulty swallowing, regurgitates blood or black material, suddenly loses weight, or if the stool is black in color.

Most people can manage the discomfort of heartburn with lifestyle modifications and over-the-counter medications. But if heartburn is severe, these remedies may offer only temporary or partial relief. Heartburn pain can be mistaken for the pain associated with heart disease or a heart attack, but there are differences. Heartburn pain is less likely to be associated with physical activity. Exercise may aggravate pain resulting from heart disease, and rest may relieve the pain.

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Burn The Fat MP3

Word Count:
1380

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First Look- The site looks like your typical sales site. One veeerrry long page, which starts out with a letter saying ‘Dear Friend’. This’ll be interesting. I don’t understand how an e-book could help people lose weight and gain muscle. However, I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt, and explore more. Good thing I did! The product is actually an MP3 containing tele-seminar recordings and 6 hours of content. They also provide the transcripts of the recordings. I enjoy follo…

Basic Rules of Playing Tennis, Tennis Basics, Forehand, Backhand, Tennis Fitness, Tennis Mental Game

To find the best Pilates Mat company, click here for Cara McGrath Pilates.
First Look- The site looks like your typical sales site. One veeerrry long page, which starts out with a letter saying ‘Dear Friend’. This’ll be interesting. I don’t understand how an e-book could help people lose weight and gain muscle. However, I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt, and explore more. Good thing I did! The product is actually an MP3 containing tele-seminar recordings and 6 hours of content. They also provide the transcripts of the recordings. I enjoy following along to tapes with something in my hand, so its good for me that you can print it out. The price is reasonable, considering the content. At $47.00, it’s not going to Starbucks for a week or so. Heck, you can start dieting while you save money in the jar for the recordings!

Promises/Claims- They promise many things, after all, this is a fitness product! I’ll list some of the ones I thought were more important on here. Check out the link at the bottom of this review for all of them.

Audio #1- Goal Setting And Mental Training Strategies For Unstoppable Motivation

* How to “reprogram” your subconscious mind for die-hard persistence. Once you listen to this part, and do the mind-training Tom has you do, you’ll laugh at how much you used to “procrastinate” before.

* A mental mind-game to do every morning, to get your mindset set on success every day. If you do this, you’ll never fall into self-sabotage again.

* How to develop DIE-HARD consistence with your exercising, training, and eating habits, to set yourself up for success.

* A way to overcome the biggest obstacle in improving your body. The old “I don’t have the time” problem. How to “find the time” and transform your body despite your busy schedule.

* How to use the power of associations and pain & pleasure to curb your appetite and stop comfort eating.

* The power of “chunking.” How to feel completely clear and certain about your training, without being overwhelmed! When you apply this, you’ll be surprised when you find yourself “looking forward” to following your fat burning, muscle building plan!

* A powerful method to make sure you never get “bummed out” and “de-motivated” so you’ll never have to “make” yourself get up and take action.

* Changing your focus to make sure you have an incredible amount of energy all day to achieve your body and health goals. (This one method is worth the entire tele-seminar series)

Alright, alright. I admit it. This disk excited me so much I had to post the whole thing. Oh my god. Pardon me, while I gape. IF these things are true, wow. Right now, I’m going to give it a 12 on a scale of 1-10.

Audio #2-Nutrition Fundamentals For Health, Energy, Fat Loss And Muscle Growth

* Overcoming food cravings. How to make sure you stick to your nutrition plan.

* How to build a diet that totally empowers you, keeps your body energized and lets your body burn fat. While you enjoy what you’re eating.

* The ONE thing you must do at the end of each day, for 5 minutes, to guarantee your success. hint: it doesn’t involve eating or exercise. Tom said this is the most critical point to remember daily.

Well, not as exciting. I didn’t post everything this time. However, put it in perspective of tennis. If you know the technique, then the mind game is of the utmost importance. But you have to know the technique in the first place! Similarly, you need to know how to lose weight, before you learn how to get your mind to stay on track.

Audio #3, Training And Nutrition Strategies For Fat Loss

* After 4 weeks of training, your body usually goes into a “plateau” and result stop coming. Tom will share his most powerful strategy to overcome this. The “zig zag” method. aka: “calorie-cycling”

* How to tell if your body is “carb sensitive.” If your body is “carb sensitive”, will NOT burn fat unless you make this one change in your nutrition plan. This is easy to understand, and Tom explains it very thoroughly.

* Why most people NEVER lose weight, because they miss the one critical element of a successful fat burning program. hint: it has to do with starving yourself (you DON’T need to go on a diet!)

* The truth about fat burning supplement. Tom get’s approached by multi-milliondollar supplement companies every month to promote their products. He gives them the finger every-time. You’ll learn exactly why.

I’m liking this disk. I hate the idea of supplements as well: if you eat right, you don’t need supplements! Also, I would love to find out how to get past that plateau. I bet everyone has gotten there at some point or the other.

Audio #4, Training And Nutrition Strategies For Muscle Growth

* Why most people who try to gain muscle, gain more FAT than they gain muscle, becuase they don’t know one simple nutrition princple. You’ll learn how to avoid this common pitfall.

* Muscle building supplement: There is only one muscle building supplement that Tom recommends.

* How to overcome plateaus(slow or no results) in your training with the law of adaptation and muscle confusion.

* The secret of “nutrient timing” – Adding this one element to your training can make the difference between no results, and success.

I’m confused about the ‘muscle building supplement’ part. I think its probably going to be something witty, like lots of water, but could be him endorsing something. The other points seem enticing though. I’m very excited about this.

Onsite Testimonials- He doesn’t flood the whole page with testimonials. That just annoys me most of the time: okay, okay, I get it, everyone loves your product! There are three testimonials, and all of them emphasize how much his ‘mental’ tips helped them out.

Now I’m going to begin looking at forums, reviews, and articles off his site.

The forums generally seem to have the most honest reviews, because the forum members are just people chatting about the selected topic.

Here are some quotes from forums:

“I think that Venuto goes way above and beyond with this, and there’s far more nutritional information – and it’s understandable! – to be found here than anywhere else. Even people with a “good grasp” could definitely benefit. The only drawback that I could see is maybe there wasn’t enough information on workouts, but I think it just appears that way because there’s so much on nutrition. There’s more than enough to start and effective and efficient plan.”

“I love the book….as soon as i read the first chapter…i was pumped!!! it helps with everything as these guys say…from mental prep. to grading foods to weight training….its got everything but how to make a buldowser out of duct tape (seek McGiver for that)”

“Venuto seems to really know his stuff… I just got the book a few days ago and I’m working through it (it’s huge – 300+ pages) and it has an astounding amount of information. Personally, I wish it was a hard copy – I’d probably be willing to pay more for it – but I guess this way is cheaper and more portable. I’m just a little more than half way done, but I’ve learned a lot already.

I’ll have to look into the other stuff you guys recommended. I’m gonna try and finish up BFFM first though “

This is tough, I can’t find a negative sentence. Other than it having too much information, nothing really bad about this!

Also, this guy has a TON of articles posted around the net. To me, it shows he really knows his stuff. Here’s some of his articles. I found dozens of others as well. One that interested me was titled “Nutrition Or Training – Which Is More Important”. I suggest looking through his free articles.

Verdict: Burn The Fat is an amazing resource. It has virtually no complaints, other than being too big, and perhaps not having enough material on lifting weights. Really doesn’t matter if your goal is to lose weight, tone your body, or become Mr. Universe! Its good for anybody.

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Can You Catch Insanity?

Word Count:
550

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While there is nothing but anecdotal evidence and speculation from untrained people to support the theory, there are some that believe people can develop mental illness due to prolonged exposure to the insane. This is strictly speculation and there are no studies to back it up, but there are some experts that claim it might actually be possible, given the right combination of factors.

mental health, counseling, stress, stress and anxiety

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Some say that the more you are exposed to something, the more likely you are to pick it up. The same has been anecdotally proven to be true for mental health conditions and outright insanity. The longer you are thrust into an environment where mental health is compromised, the higher the chances are that you’ll end up emulating their behavior. Some hardcore psychologists can sometimes deliberately attempt to appear insane just to get an inside look at how things are on the “other side,” but those people have questionable mental health anyway. It is interesting that there are very few studies being conducted to see whether or not prolonged exposure to insanity can lead a perfectly sane person to go down that same road.

There is a piece of old advice that says playing along with the delusions of the insane is more effective than fighting it when it comes to preserving one’s mental health. The trick, supposedly, is being able to keep their perception of reality from becoming yours. However, this only holds true for those who have psychological or anxiety disorders that are obvious. This would be difficult to apply to someone who has a mental health problem that has turned the damage inwards, rather than outwards. This bit of advice likely stems from the misconception that insane people are easy to spot, primarily due to their behavior and the way they carry themselves.

Another common piece of advice is to engage in frequent and effective methods of stress relief, preferably as often as possible. It is no secret that constantly dealing with one mental health patient is stressful and difficult, so it makes sense that having to deal with a large number of them can put the stress levels near the breaking point for some people. The build-up of stress and anxiety, combined with continuous exposure to the various forms of mental health disorders, can sometimes result in clinical insanity. Granted, this is coming from prolonged exposure and a lack of measures taken to alleviate the problem, but it is a possibility. A very unlikely and rare possibility, but a possibility nonetheless.

There are currently no studies as to whether or not prolonged exposure to insane people can have any real effects on a person’s mental health. Currently, the best on offer is anecdotal evidence and the background story of comic book villain Harley Quinn. Of course, the character’s transformation from professional psychiatrist to the psychotic girlfriend of an equally psychotic criminal is a fictional story. There have been no reports of instances like that occurring, though it is generally accepted knowledge that most people’s psychiatrists often end up going to counseling themselves.

For the time being, there is no concrete medical data that points to a connection between sanity and prolonged exposure to the insane. There are no reports of insane asylums regularly cycling their psychiatrists and staff between themselves to minimize exposure to specific individuals behind asylum walls. The statistics don’t show a lot of former psychologists becoming mental health patients themselves, either. It is probable that there simply aren’t enough anecdotes and stories to justify a full study on the matter. Still, if “catching” mental illness from the insane is a possibility, that does pose an interesting mental health risk to asylum staff members.

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Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle (Lose Body Fat) – Product Review

Mike Miyaki
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date_saved:2007-07-25 12:30:10
category:health
article:

At first glance, this product manual’s title (Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle) was a bit distracting. While the 300+ page manual does a good job of explaining how increased muscle strength helps lose body fat and why its more important to lose body fat versus lose weight; I wasn’t sure about the content of the product manual until I read it in its entirety. The overall premise is to burn the body fat with exercise and feed the muscle with good nutrition plans. The author, Tom Venuto, is a body builder and that helps explain some of the direction of the manual.
On the plus side, Tom’s instructional product manual has a tremendous amount of information including goal setting, discussions on meal frequency and exercise plans, just to name a few. On the negative side (depending on your perspective), it contains a few references about the basics of weight loss (or body fat loss) such as drinking plenty of water and burn more calories than you consume. Basics are covered in 2 of the 17 chapters, so it didn’t waste too much of the reader’s time.
Overall, I would rate this instructional manual, (Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle) an 8.5 out of 10. If you have the ability to motivate yourself and take action by reading a manual, then the price for this product of $39 is a great value. However, if reading an instructional manual isn’t enough to motivate you to take action to lose body fat, then you may benefit from a more multimedia rich program such as Denise Austin’s Fit Forever , Billy Blanks’ Tae-Bo, or Winsor Pilates . These other programs include CDs, videos and/or charts. However, if you do consider these other programs, they may cost a bit more.
What I liked
1. 1. Tom’s full chapter on setting ‘compelling’ goals helps the reader understand the importance of defining a compelling reason for unstoppable motivation to succeed. In my opinion, a true compassionate reason is key to success in any area – without it, you’re setting yourself up for mediocre results He uses excellent quotes from Denis Waitley & others to drive his point home.
2. His discussions on how to lose body fat versus losing weight is covered well in his product manual and he discusses various methods to test body fat including the inexpensive use of calipers for skin fold testing. I personally use the $20 Accu-measure calipers and they work very well.
3. He mentions that dieting isn’t as important as good meal planning and increasing muscle strength to help lose body fat. The combination of these two strategies are key to your long-term success. For more details about Tom’s manual, (Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle), check out his site which as additional details, plus any special offers that might be available.
4. His discussion on the ‘adaption syndrome’ is valuable and an important lesson in getting to the next level of success in your goal to lose body fat. You can also adapt this lesson to help you succeed in many other areas of your life.
What I didn’t like
1. Tom provides tons of valuable information on the subject of weight loss or how to lose body fat, but in the beginning of the product manual, it lacks a detailed plan to help the reader start a program quickly. Given today’s fast paced world, a quick start guide would have been useful.
2. For novice readers, the sections on drinking plenty of water and calorie balance are extremely important, but for readers with this basic knowledge on how to lose body fat, these sections are a bit too elementary.
3. In this product manual, Tom discusses the benefit of timing meals. While this might improve your personal situation, I personally believe the extra effort dedicated to timing is not worth the time & effort put into the timing process. (Or maybe I’m just a bit lazy to go through that much detail to lose the last percentage of body fat.)
Overall
For beginners, this manual (Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle), provides 300+ pages of details that are extensive, easy-to-read and easy-to-implement. If you have some basic knowledge of weight loss or losing body fat, you can still benefit from about 90% of this product manual. There are a great few sections that I’ve never seen before and are very interesting perspectives on how to lose body fat.
If you have the discipline (& can get motivated to take action), then the small price you’ll pay ($39) is worth it. If however, you can’t get motivated to take action by reading an instructional book, then you should consider other multimedia products such as Denise Austin’s Fit Forever , Billy Blanks Tae-Bo, or Winsor Pilates . As mentioned before, be prepared to pay a bit more for these other programs. I’ve followed many of the steps outlined in his instructional product manual and have been pleased with the results. For $39, and with a 3-month money back guarantee – it’s worth the price. Similar to other lengthy instructional manuals, plan to read in small periods of time and keep your pen out to take good notes. Last time I was on his site, he was giving some free bonuses away also, you’ll want to check out his site today before you consider purchasing. End of Product Review.
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Categories
pilates mat

Can you be hypnotized?

Word Count:
2078

For the best Pilates Mat company, call Cara McGrath Pilates.

Find out how suggestible you are

hypnosis, self-hypnosis, suggestibility, success

To find the best Pilates Mat company, click here for Cara McGrath Pilates.
People sometimes wonder whether they can be hypnotized. Incredible, but true – there are professional hypnotists and hypnotherapists today who still seem to believe that only certain percentage of people can be hypnotized, and that is what they are teaching through their books, courses, websites and seminars. The origin of these misconceptions may be traced to several hypnotizability scales. Two of the more popular are Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scales (created in 1959) and Harvard Group Scales (created in 1962). Based on the tests performed, the researchers involved in creation of these hypnotizability scales have concluded that 5% of people cannot be hypnotized and that only about 10% can experience deep trance phenomena like auditory and visual hallucinations, and the ability to remain deeply in hypnosis with eyes open.

If you are unfamiliar with hypnotic phenomena, visual hallucinations can be “positive hallucinations” – if you happen to see something that doesn’t belong to consensus reality; or “negative hallucination” – if you don’t see something which may be right in front of you. And it’s good to keep in mind that we often see what we expect to see. It works the same way with auditory hallucinations, which happen when what you hear subjectively is different from the consensus reality.

Now I would like to ask you a question : Did it ever happen to you to look for something, perhaps car keys, which were right in front of you, but you just didn’t see them? That is an example of deep trance phenomenon called “negative hallucination”. Of course, if you were looking for the keys, your eyes were most certainly open, and according to these hypnotizability scales, you were in a very deep trance. Did you feel like you were in a deep trance?

Or maybe you have had an experience of someone calling your name, but you happened to be so deeply absorbed in other thoughts that you simply didn’t hear the person calling you. It often happens with children. They get so absorbed in playing “let’s pretend games” that for a while they lose awareness of the external world, or rather the external world becomes a part of their subjective reality. And that’s hypnosis.

Let’s go over few more hypnotic phenomena:

Time Distortion – you experience time distortion when you subjectively experience the passage of time as if the time is passing slower or faster than the consensus time. In a way, because it takes much less time to think of an action than to do it, you can accomplish more in your mind in less time, then it would take to perform the action physically. You can be anywhere with your mind in an instant, and you can accomplish anything with your mind in an instant.

We have all had experiences when time seemed to drag or to fly. If you just stand beside a pot waiting for a water to boil or you’re waiting in line at a bank or at a post office, it may seem that time stretched almost into foreverness. And when you’re very busy or are having lots of fun and you’re immersed in something you really do not wish to end, it may seem that time just flew by and you wonder where did it go?

Amnesia (forgetting something) is another hypnotic phenomenon. Did it ever happen to you that you do something or say something or someone else tells you something and you forget it – even if the action occurred just a moment ago, in the midst of a conversation you were having? This happens naturally when immediately upon the action performed, you switch your attention to something unrelated. Your mind wonders in an instant to some other topic and you forget what just happened.

When hypnotists want to create amnesia for what happened during the session, through conversational form of hypnosis, they use the same method that happens naturally. Before you have fully returned to your normal consciousness, they switch your attention to something else, and you forget what just happened.

If you pay attention to experiences in your daily life, you will become aware of all sorts of hypnotic phenomena occurring naturally – even catalepsy. Catalepsy occurs when a part of a body acts as if it were frozen in space, rigid, usually in some unusual position, and for a while you’re not even aware of that part of the body. Maybe there was a time when you were so deeply immersed in contemplating some thought, that when you returned your attention to external world, you were surprised that perhaps your arm was floating in front of you or was just placed in some position, perhaps lifted toward your face, and you didn’t even notice when it happened.

And perhaps you’ve had an experience where you went to another room, looking for something, but on the way to the room, your thoughts shifted to something else, and by the time you got to the room, you couldn’t remember what were you doing there? By now, you may be beginning to realize that all of these different hypnotic phenomena involve some form of mental distraction – your body may be doing one thing, simply executing the programming in your subconscious to perform a certain action, and your mind may be thinking of something else. If you are mentally elsewhere, of course you are not aware of what is happening with your body and you experience all sorts of hypnotic phenomena.

Analgesia and anesthesia are two more hypnotic phenomena. Perhaps there was a time when you had a terrible headache or have experienced some other pain and then something happened that so much absorbed your attention – maybe you had an interesting phone conversation or were watching an interesting movie, maybe a comedy on TV – and for a while you were completely free of pain. You were completely unaware even of any sensations in your body – and your eyes were wide open all along.

There are many more hypnotic phenomena and the point I want to make is simply to point out that just about everything that people can experience when hypnotized by a professional hypnotist when they are in a so called deep states of hypnosis, people in all walks of life have experienced at some point as part of their normal daily life.

Since, the term “hypnosis” is used to describe a state of heightened suggestibility, a state of mind in which the door to your subconscious is open enough so that ideas may be impressed upon it, absolutely everything that is in your subconscious mind today, got there via some form of hypnosis.

If you were non-hypnotizable (i.e. the door of your subconscious could not be opened), you would have no memories, and no programming. That is why the question of hypnotizability is ludicrous. All the information, ideas and beliefs you have acquired and stored in your mind, were stored there via hypnosis – and any time you turn your attention to your subjective experience you are in hypnosis. All that any hypnotist does is simply stimulate the processes that occur naturally to create specific effects.

Perhaps due to hypnosis stage shows and movies, some people believe that the only way they can get hypnotized is if a person called a “hypnotist” tells them “You are getting very sleepy now … you are getting into a deep trance and you are going to obey every command I give you now!” Nothing could be further from truth.

There are also some psychologists, psychiatrists, medical doctors and even hypnotists and hypnotherapists who are trying to convince people that people are impotent and can do nothing on their own or that the most anyone can hope to accomplish on his own with hypnosis is just get a little bit relaxed. Those who are saying such things may be saying them either because they themselves do not know how to do more with their minds on their own, or because they do not want you to know that you can accomplish great many things with your mind, and that you have already accomplished great many things with your mind even if you don’t yet know how you did it.

Here’s how you can and how you do hypnotize yourself and others – even if you or others are doing it completely unintentionally and unknowingly. When you play with your own subjective experience, you are practicing self-hypnosis.

For example, if you go to school to learn some craft, while you are learning it you are pretending in your mind that you’ve already mastered it. This serves several purposes – it helps to motivate you, it opens your mind to learning experience making it easier for you to absorb the information and master the skill, and it makes the journey to mastery an entertaining experience. If you are pretending to be a recognized musician while learning to play an instrument; or if you are pretending to be a lawyer while studying, you are in effect practicing self-hypnosis. If you are a man and you see a good-looking woman and begin to imagine having a date with her, you are practicing self-hypnosis. What you focus upon in your subjective experience, in your imagination, may have a great bearing upon whether you actually end up having a date with that woman or not.

When you play with other people’s subjective experience, you are hypnotizing them. Of course you could use inductions to get people into trance, but you don’t have to. All it takes to hypnotize other people is to engage their imagination (and you can do that with any or a combination of several senses – visual, auditory, kinesthetic, etc.). The entire process of hypnosis may be also non-verbal. All it may take for a woman to hypnotize a man, is to put on a mini-skirt. Granted, some women should be better covered from head to toe, but everyone can offer a genuine friendly smile. What you do specifically would depend on what is your outcome and what is appropriate to the given situation. If you were looking for a job, then dressing as if you were already a member of a team would help the interviewer to picture you as one of them .. and it would make it easier for you to land that job. You get the idea.

And when other people play with your subjective experience, they are hypnotizing you. Can you recall a time you watched a movie you liked or read a book or talked to someone you liked – perhaps you were so absorbed in that person or book or movie which provided certain mental and emotional stimulation and engaged your imagination that, for a while there, the external world faded from your awareness.

When someone says that only certain percentage of people are hypnotizable or that they are hypnotizable to this or that degree, what they are saying is more along the lines of – at that point in time, with that particular hypnotist, given the hypnotist’s repertoire of skills and given the mood and the state of mind the person-to-be- hypnotized is in, the person may be willing or in mood to do what the hypnotist suggested to a certain point, or not at all.

All of us go through many different states and moods throughout the day. There is a time you may feel like eating, there is a time you may feel like sleeping, there is a time you feel like relaxing, there is a time you may feel like jumping around, there is a time you may feel like working, there is a time you may feel like watching a movie, etc. If someone were to suggest something that you feel like doing at that particular moment, you’d be happy to comply and would be then labeled as “highly hypnotizable”. On the other hand, if someone suggested something at a time you didn’t feel like doing that particular thing, you would be labeled perhaps a “resistant hypnotic subject ” or even non-hypnotizable. It’s also possible that you may very well enjoy doing a particular thing at that very moment, but not with that particular person or a hypnotist.

I like to teach people about many different forms of doing self-hypnosis because at different times you may like to do it in a different way. And that’s the reason for different types of recordings. It is not about one being necessarily better than the other, but rather what suits you the best at any given time according to your mood and preferences.

Categories
pilates mat

Burn Fat Safely and successfully

Word Count:
386

For the best Pilates Mat company, call Cara McGrath Pilates.

Fat burning is normally a leading goal of herbal weight loss pills.

herbal weight loss pills, green tea diet, dietary supplements, green tea, egcg

To find the best Pilates Mat company, click here for Cara McGrath Pilates.
Fat burning is normally a leading goal of herbal weight loss pills. The green tea diet is no diverse in that is not only urges but requires the use of simple exercises to be completed along with the consumption of the dietary supplements. Having a green tea diet is associated with several health benefits. One of the benefits is providing a potential cure for cancer.

Green Tea is an incredible, 100 percent all natural, chemical free way to weight loss as green tea greatly increases your metabolism and in addition to that also heightens your body’s natural fat burning processes.

A green tea diet increments metabolism and oxidizes fat, and that too without raising heart rates. There are numerous ways to help people on the way to losing weight and some of the most popular quick fixes are the use of fat burner supplements and pills. Fat burning stimulates the secretion of natural antioxidants in the body to counteract the injurious effects of free-radical oxidation caused by anaerobic stress.

Fat cannot be spot-reduced, that is, you cannot target definite areas on your body (like the accumulation areas) with an exercise or two that works those areas. Because green tea diet has an conquering outcome on insulin, green tea diet therefore aids keep sugar from being stored as fats and instead, send them directly into the muscles for immediate use. You need to unearth the perfect Green Tea dietary supplement which contains a large amount of EGCG which increases your metabolism and also your ability to burn fat through its antioxidant capabilities.

The resolution to take supplements is yours. Aside from burning calories and increasing metabolism, these diet supplements are also highly valued to lower down cholesterol levels in a person. Similarly, the antioxidants found in super green tea diet supplements restrain the production of insulin, the hormone that stores calories into fats. Green tea weight loss supplements are also full of anti-oxidants that cause an increase energy use in the body, thus burning more calories.

Having a green tea diet is associated with several health benefits. One of the remuneration is providing a potential cure for cancer. When you switch over to green tea, you get your caffeine, you’re all set, but you will deteriorate your insulin levels and body fat will fall very rapidly.