Mobile Phones: Are They Safe?


The largest study of mobile phone safety finds no risk accompanying its use. But scientists also said that it was impossible to rule out the possibility that ill effects, including cancers, could emerge in long-term users -- over 10 years -- in the future.

Children could be especially at risk because their brains are more vulnerable, and the advice to limit children's use of mobiles should remain.

The findings from the Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research (MTHR) program, which was launched six years ago, were described by the scientist who chairs it, Professor Laurie Challis, as "reassuring."

Worries about the effects of mobile phones on the brain and on biological processes, indicated in some earlier research, had been tested and found to be baseless, he said.

But because of the remaining uncertainty, he announced a further research program to examine the long-term hazards of mobile phone use and the risks to children.

The research, which is evenly co-funded by the Government and the mobile phone industry but is independently run, included 28 studies, of which 23 are complete. It found no association between short-term mobile phone use and brain cancer and studies on volunteers showed no evidence that brain function, including memory and reaction times, was affected.

The program also included the largest and most robust studies of electrical hypersensitivity, which is claimed to affect 1 percent to 4 percent of the population. The results showed no link between the unpleasant symptoms reported by sufferers, including migraine, dizziness and tingling, and mobile phone use.

There was no evidence that use of the phones had biological effects on cells. Exposure to base stations also had no effect, but a study of cancer incidence in children under five living near base stations is continuing.

Professor Challis, emeritus professor of physics at the University of Nottingham, said: "It all sounds pretty reassuring and that is good. But we cannot rule out the possibility that cancer could appear in a few years. The epidemiological evidence is not good enough, and most cancers take longer than 10 years to develop."

There was a "faint hint" from two studies that use of mobile phones might be linked with malignant brain tumours and acoustic neuromas (rare tumours of the acoustic nerve), he said. Although the findings were of borderline statistical significance and were likely to be due to chance, they needed following up.

On children, Professor Challis said there was "no reason to suppose" mobile phones had any adverse effects. But children were more vulnerable to other agents such as cigarette smoke, lead and radiation and the same could be true of mobile phone signals.

The biggest risk posed by mobile phones was to drivers who could be distracted even when using them hands free. The report says there is a "clear need" to investigate whether drivers are aware of this and to develop strategies to reduce in-car use.

Evan Harris, the Liberal Democrat science spokesman, said the findings were "good news" but backed the need for more research.

A spokesman for the campaign group Mast Sanity said: "We believe mobile phones are harmful. Other studies have shown this."

H & W

Middle-Age Spread? It Isn't Just a Big Fat Joke


Wrinkles and creaking joints are bad enough, but for most people it's middle-age spread that really signals the downward spiral of old age.

It seems an unwritten rule that once you pass your 45th birthday, almost overnight, weight begins to accumulate around your tummy and waistline.

No one is spared -- even ectomorphs, naturally skinny types who've spent their whole lives eating what they like without gaining weight, start to develop the spare middle tire.

A middle-age spread looks unattractive -- and it's also bad for you: an increasing amount of evidence shows that midriff fat puts people at a much greater risk of serious health problems.

The worry is "visceral" fat -- the fat that sits around the major organs -- which has been linked to diabetes and heart disease. An expanding waistband is often a sign that visceral fat is accumulating in the body.

Just last month, the Journal Of The American College Of Cardiology published the results of a study of 3,000 people that suggested that carrying even a small "pot belly" means a high risk of heart problems, even when body weight is in the normal range.

The research showed that just three or four inches around the abdomen is the external sign of a build-up of fat in the arteries, and that those with the biggest waist measurements were twice as likely to have calcium deposits, which form the plaque that hardens the arteries and increases the risk of heart attacks.

Why the Weight Gain?
Obviously, eating too much and failing to get enough exercise causes fat, but age-related hormonal changes are another major factor.

"Before middle-age, the hormone estrogen encourages fat deposits around the hips, thighs and bottoms, resulting in a pear-shape, explains Bridget Aisbitt," a nutritionist.

Around menopause, when hormone levels change, women end up with a higher proportion of male hormones and not only find that they start to put on weight more easily, usually about a pound a year, but also that their weight distribution changes so that they gather more fat around the waist.

Equally, women who have never had a weight problem discover it is more difficult to shift excess fat around their midriff.

This is why many middle-aged people end up as a classic appleshape, with excess weight on their stomach.

"Often people find they have slender legs but have a tendency to gain fat around the middle," Aisbitt says.

"This is the most risky kind of weight gain because it is close to many of the body's major organs.

"There is also a genetic factor to weight gain," she explains. "If your mother or father were prone to expanding waistlines later in life, there is a greater chance you will be, too -- unless you take extra care with diet and exercise."

Are You in the Danger Zone?
Place a tape measure around your middle, over your belly button. A measurement of more than 32 inches for women and over 37 inches for men means you are at increased risk of heart disease and diabetes. Over 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men puts you at the highest risk of these conditions.

Having a narrower waist doesn't mean you're in the clear. Check your waist to hip ratio (WHR) to determine whether your fat is distributed unhealthily. If you have a visible waist, measure around the narrowest part; this is your waist circumference. Next, measure around your hips, just below the point where the top of the thigh bone meets the pelvis.

Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement to get your WHR.

If your WHR is higher than 0.8 for women and 0.9 for men, you are an unhealthy apple shape.

Beat the Bulge
Many people fail to realize their metabolism slows with age. As Aisbitt explains: "As we age, changes in the way our bodies work mean muscle is naturally replaced with fat.

"This, combined with the fact that a lot of middle-aged people cut down on exercise, but continue to eat the same amount of food, results in weight gain. You need to consume around 200 fewer calories a day after 45 to maintain your weight." Other researchers have found that cutting out white bread, cakes and biscuits is the surest way to reverse the midlife weight crisis.

Researchers at Tufts University in Boston, found a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet can successfully ward off middle-aged spread "as long as the carbohydrates consumed are from high-fiber, unprocessed foods such as fruits, vegetables and wholemeal bread."

In a study, published two years ago, in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers found that middle-aged people who ate the most white bread and other highly refined foods saw their waistlines expand three times more (about 1/2 inch a year), than those that ate the same number of daily calories from less processed, "whole foods."

Another study showed that calcium supplements may help women to gain less weight in their mid-40s to mid-50s.

Scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, looked at the diets of 5,341 women.

They found those taking at least 500 milligrams of calcium in supplement form each day gained about 11 pounds after the age of 45, compared to 15 pounds for those who didn't take the supplements.

Calcium from food sources didn't seem to have the same effect.

Get Moving
Spread-busting aerobic exercise is particularly important for reducing middle-age spread, says Marie Savard, an American professor and author of "Apples and Pears: A Revolutionary Diet Program For Weight Loss and Optimum Health."

She suggests 30-45 minutes of aerobic exercise -- any exercise of moderate intensity undertaken for a long time -- at least five days a week.

This means anything from walking around the shops, playing with children to jogging, swimming or cycling.

But, Savard says, it is also important to include anaerobic, or muscular, strength-based exercise.

"People lose more subcutaneous fat -- or the visible, surplus fatty tissue -- and visceral fat when they do both types of exercise," she says.

Indeed, last year, American researchers reported that a twice-weekly strength-training regime for the entire body, slowed the accumulation of visceral fat in overweight, middle-aged women, regardless of their diet.

Compared with a control group who performed 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise on most days of the week, there were no differences in weight after two years, but the weight trainers gained only 6.3 percent visceral fat whereas the control group gained 20.1 percent.

The benefits might also be true for men, the researchers suggested. [size=large][/size]

CP...Alef e outros, venham para aqui com as vossas ideias:-)


How Far Is Too Far? Cyber Affairs and Cyber Sex
What do you think about cyber affairs and cyber sex -- are these online affairs considered cheating?

The Internet today is an indispensable tool for almost all spheres of human endeavors, and that includes sex.

The Internet has made it easy to search for information on almost any topic you can think of, including pornography and even allow you access to other people and have cyber-affairs and cyber-sex.

Presently, 8 to 10 percent of Internet users actually become regular users of pornography sites and cyber sex, and one third of divorce litigation is actually sparked by online affairs.

So the big questions are - can cyber sex be considered cheating? Is it actually adultery and what should you do if you suspect your spouse is having an online affair? How close is a cyber-affair to a real affair? And how easy is it to cross that line?

Opinions on the answers to the questions are as varied as anything you can think of, but for the purpose of this piece, we will compare the views of Christine, a woman whose husband was having an online affair and Dr Joy Browne, a clinical psychologist and relationship expert.

Are you the type that spends long hours on the computer, either at home or in the office? It could be the first tell tale sign of an online affair. And this is exactly what tipped off Christine. Hear
her: "And when I'd walk in, he'd be switching so I couldn't see what he was doing. He'd say he was working".

What happened next is better imagined. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, they say. Christine installed a software package on the computer. The program kept track of all activity on the computer, including all e-mails, instant messages, websites visited and even every keystroke made from that computer.

Reports were emailed to her and that was how she nabbed him. She is now in the middle of a divorce.

This raises an important point- is it appropriate to install spy software on the computer?

Legally it is right, as long as you own the computer which you install the spy software on. But Christine would not have been legally allowed to put it on her husband's computer at work or any
other computer that doesn't belong to them.

The surge in cyber affairs has spurned a new market- electronic spying. But Dr. Joy Browne says cyber-sex is really not cheating.

Then what is it?

Her reply: "As long as no body fluids were exchanged, an affair cannot be said to have taken place"

When the question of - if there is anyway cyber-affairs can be harmless - was put forward to Dr Browne, her reply was "It is the same argument that people who use pot go on to use hard
drugs. It seems to be circular reasoning. What we know is that men tend to talk to women when they are talking about emotional issues. If our men knew what we talked about with each other, they would go ballistic"

So, what is the answer to the question- is cyber-sex cheating?

For a woman the allure of a "knight in shinning armour" online pushes her over the line. Yet, when exactly did she cross the line? Does her relationship become adulterous when flirting starts?

People often justify their cyber relationships because they see them as virtual, not cheating, says Marnie Farrie, a relationship expert, especially if the relationship is only emotional, not sexual.

However, people cross the line when they begin to sneak around behind their spouses' back to share intimate thoughts with another person, and it is perhaps here that the boundaries begin to become blurred.

If you feel your partner is spending a lot of time online and might be chatting to other people online, is it a good time to sit down as a couple and discuss boundaries in your relationship? The
internet is a very powerful tool to develop and maintain friendships and share thoughts and feelings about life. But the question needs asking when it comes to your partner sharing
feelings online with strangers:

How far is too far?

If your partner really is having an online affair, chances are that they are spending a lot of time online and going to great lengths to hide it. If you aren't standing there beside them, how do you know for sure what is going on? How do you know when they say they are chatting to friends that they really are? How do you know they are telling you the truth?

The fact is, you don't! And that's why you are here.

That's where we come in. We understand how difficult it is for partners to start checking up on their spouses, and you need to do it in such a way that you don't get caught snooping yourself! I have thousands of satisfied customers who have taken their truth-finding missions to the next level and purchased my course and accompanying software.

Sure, you will get some good tips and ideas from my newsletter series, and I am happy to share these with you. But if you are REALLY serious about your relationship, and REALLY serious about finding out the truth, then you are going to need to get serious about finding the truth.

That may be the difference between only suspecting your partner, and really knowing. It may be the difference of an affair being carried out for a couple of years instead of a few short weeks. It may be the difference between taking back the power in your relationship or suffering the humiliation of being the last one to know.

Here's what some of my customers had to say after taking their search for truth to the next level:

"Just thought I'd drop you a line to say thankyou. How To Catch a Cheating Spouse is an amazing document that acurately pinpoints the behaviour, methods of concealment and general signs that your partner is cheating. I am one of the many that ignored the signs, and went on "living" alone in the dark. Maybe I could have stopped things a lot sooner, before they went on for such a long time. Faced now with the reality of a 2 year betrayal, and what I always believed would be the clear course of action - to leave in disgust, I thankyou again for all your help."
-- Brian K. (Australia)

"thank you so much for the extra help, I've got the evidence I need now. He was cheating on me and there's nothing he can say to get out of it. You really are a bright bright woman!" -- Sarah B, Long Beach, CA
"I just want to thank you Sarah for creating this website. Thanks to you I discovered that my fiance of one year has been cheating on me for 5 months with her ex-boyfriend. I've since broken up with her and she has lost most of her friends, which were mutual friends. If it wasn't for you we could have got married! Thank you." -- Regan G, Charleston, SC

"I've been suspecting my husband has been having an internet affair for 4 years now. After using your secrets I discovered he has been having numerous online relationships with many women! He even had the photos stored on his computer!" -- Michelle S, Birmingham, AL

Do You Have Your Life-Saving Vaccinations?



• Intro

• Diptheria

• Hepatitis A

• Hepatitis B

• Shingles

• Flu

• Measles

• Mumps

• Rubella

• Meningococcal

• Pneumonia

• Tetanus

• Chickenpox

• HPV
If you're like most people, you don't think of vaccines as essential to your health. But as you get older, you may need vaccines that you never needed as a child. And unless you're planning a trip overseas, even your doctor may not mention the routine vaccines that you should have every year or few years. What many people don't know is that some of the most common and potentially dangerous adult diseases today are preventable by vaccines. Check out this guide to life-saving vaccinations and be sure to schedule the shots that you've missed.

I've written many times in the last couple years about the mistaken beliefs in
society about saturated fat and the false perception in the media AND with MOST
health professionals that saturated fat is bad for you.

If you've seen in some of my articles, I've even showed you why saturated fat
can even be GOOD for you in some cases, despite every health/fitness
professional in the world just accepting the false belief that it's bad for you.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised to FINALLY see a big name publisher
have some guts to publish an article about why everyone in the world may be
wrong about their beliefs about saturated fat.

I received my new issue of Men's Health magazine over the weekend (Nov issue),
and they have a huge 6-page article in there about the faulty research in the
past about saturated fat, and some new emerging research that is showing why it
may actually be more good for you than you would believe.

I've got to give them credit... the article was VERY well researched and put
together beautifully to summarize where the studies in the past have gone wrong,
and why recent studies are showing that everyone may have been wrong for the
last 5 decades about saturated fat.

I'd highly suggest you read the entire article if you can. If not, I'm going to
try to give you a quick summary of the findings here since it was a long
article...

First of all, did you realize that although doctors, nutritionists, fitness
professionals, and the media all have told you that it's a FACT that saturated
fats are bad for you, this "FACT" has actually never been proven!

It's actually not a "fact" at all. It was a hypothesis! This goes all the way
back to a flawed research study from the 1950's where a guy named Ancel Keys
published a paper that laid the blame on dietary fat intake for the increasing
heart disease phenomenon.

However, there were major flaws to his study. For one, in his conclusions he
only used data from a small portion of the countries where data was available on
fat consumption vs heart disease death rate. When researches have gone back in
and looked at the data from all of the countries, there actually was no link
between fat consumption and heart disease deaths. So his conclusions were
actually false.

Second, his blaming of fat intake for heart disease was only one factor that was
considered. There was no consideration of other factors such as smoking rates,
stress factors, sugar intake, exercise frequency, or other lifestyle factors.

Basically, his conclusions which blamed heart disease deaths on fat intake were
really just a shot in the dark about what a possible cause may have been, even
though all of those other factors I just mentioned, plus many others, may be the
bigger cause.

Unfortunately, Keys study has been cited for over 5 decades now as "fact" that
saturated fat is bad for you. As you can see, there certainly is nothing
factual about it.

Since that time, numerous other studies have been conducted trying to link
saturated fat intake to heart disease. The majority of these studies have failed
to correlate ANY risk at all from saturated fat. A couple of them made feeble
attempts at linking saturated fat to heart disease, however, it was later shown
that in those studies, the data was flawed as well.

Do we actually have evidence that saturated fat may actually be good for you
instead?

Well, let's consider a few examples...

Did you know that there are several well known tribes in Africa... the Masai,
Samburu, and Fulani tribes... where their diet consists mostly of raw whole
milk, tons of red meat, and cows blood? Despite their very high saturated fat
intake, they display extremely low body fat levels, and heart disease to natives
of the tribe is virtually non-existant.

Now most critics of this example will say that it must be related to superior
genetics... however this is false, as when they studied tribesman who had moved
out of their native lands and started eating more modern day diets, their blood
chemistry skyrocketed with heart disease risk factors.

This is true of certain pacific island countries inhabitants as well. Several
studies have shown that certain pacific island nations had VERY high intakes of
total fat as well as saturated fat from tropical fats such as palm, coconut, and
cocoa. Despite super-high intakes of saturated fat, these island natives were
typically very lean and heart disease was virtually non-existant.

However, when researchers followed up with islanders that had moved away from
their native island and adopted a typical western diet, the heart disease
factors were through the roof.

In fact, did you know that although saturated fat intake does increase your LDL
bad cholesterol, it actually increases your HDL good cholesterol even further,
hence improving your overall cholesterol ratio, which has been proven to be more
important that just total cholesterol level (actually total cholesterol is an
almost useless number... inflammation is the REAL problem, but that's a whole
different topic).

Another fact worth noting in favor of saturated fat...

Saturated fat is comprised of various different types... the 3 most common types
are stearic acid, palmitic acid, and lauric acid.

Stearic acid is found in animal fat and cocoa in higher levels. Research
continues to show that stearic acid has no negative impacts on heart disease
risks. If anything, it's either neutral or beneficial. In fact, your liver
breaks down stearic acid into a monounsaturated fat called oleic acid, which is
the same type of fat that makes up most of heart-healthy olive oil. Bet you
didn't know that!

Lauric acid is beneficial as well. Not only has it been shown to increase your
HDL good cholesterol levels significantly, but it is also lacking in most
Americans diet and has even been shown to have some powerful immune-boosting
effects potentially. It is even being studied currently in HIV/AIDS research to
help improve immune function in patients.

Tropical oils such as coconut and palm are the best sources of lauric acid.

Palmitic acid is the other main component of saturated fat and has also been
shown to increase HDL good cholesterol to the same, if not greater extent than
LDL bad cholesterol, thereby making it either neutral or beneficial, but
certainly not bad for you.

So, if all of these researchers have tried so hard over the years to point the
finger at saturated fat, but have continued to fail to show a correlation
between saturated fat and heart disease risk, what are the REAL culprits for
heart disease?

Well, here are the REAL causes of heart disease risk:

*Trans fats (artificially hydrogenated oils)... see my previous article here for
a full explanation - [www.truthaboutabs.com]

*Heavily refined vegetable oils such as soy, cottonseed, corn oil,
etc.(inflammatory inside the body, and typically throw the omega-6/omega-3
balance out of whack)

*Too much refined sugar in the diet (including high fructose corn syrup)

*Too much refined carbohydrates such as white bread, low fiber cereals, etc

*Smoking

*Stressful lifestyle

*Lack of exercise

*Other lifestyle factors

So why does it seem that so many attempts over the years have tried to lay the
blame on saturated fat... do you think it might have anything to do with the
muli-bil_lion dollar vegetable oil industry, which has taken over for cooking
oils for what used to be mostly animal fats and tropical oils in decades past...

hmm... do multi-bill_ion dollar industries really have an influence on the way
data is portrayed to the public? Of course they do! And don't even get me
started on the cholesterol meds industry! Again, I digress.

I hope this article has opened your eyes about the truth about saturated fat and
how you've been misled over the years.

The true FACT is that saturated fat is a neutral substance in your body, and
even beneficial at times, not a deadly risk factor for disease. The REAL risk
factors are what I listed above.

Here are 2 more articles that are must reads about this topic if you haven't
read them before...

H & W

What Do Women Really Want?

The top three qualities that women look for in men are exactly the same as those things that men look for in women: Intelligence, kindness, and love. But then, what women want diverges from what men want.

World-wide, women seek men who are strong and tall. Even women who are quite capable of taking care of themselves are attracted to men of size and strength. Women, as a group, judge short men to be less desirable than tall men. In personal ads in the U.S. where women mention height, 80% want a man 6 ft. or taller. Fortunately, not all women follow the trend. If there were not individual differences all men my (height 5 feet, five inches), would be celibate loners.

Women are also drawn to men with good earning capacity. This is true world-wide and doesn’t seem to depend on whether the women themselves are well off. Women doctors, for instance, are drawn to even higher paid male doctors, rather than to male nurses.

World-wide, women are drawn to men who are older than they are, which is not surprising since in most cultures older men have higher status and earn more money. In the U.S. 30 year old males make, on average, $14,000 more a year than 20 year olds and $7,000 a year less than the average 40 year old male. Finally, women want men who will commit their resources to the care and support of the woman and her children.

These desires are often not conscious. Women usually don’t say to themselves, "I like that guy because he is willing to commit his resources to me and my children, if I decide to have children." She just says, "I like that guy. I can count on him." She doesn’t say, "I want a tall strong man who can protect me from wild animals." She just says, "He turns me on. The chemistry feels right."

What Do Men Really Want?

Like women, men seek love, intelligence, and kindness in a mate. But then a man is drawn to youth and beauty. This interest is not just a modern desire driven by advertising and a male desire to control women. According to evolutionary psychologist Dr. David Buss, it is a universal desire based on evolutionary pressures for reproductive success.

Men who mated with women who were incapable of bearing children left no ancestors. Every man alive today is descended from men who did not make that mistake. "Ancestral men," says Buss, "solved the problem of finding reproductively valuable women in part by preferring those who are young and healthy." Buss’ studies show that world-wide, men are drawn to younger women.

Since women’s ability to conceive and bear children decreases with age, youth is a direct indicator of reproductive capacity. In most cultures throughout the world, men’s attraction to youth has been understood and honored. In our modern societies, men who feel this natural attraction are condemned and shamed. They are called "dirty old men" or worse.

Buss found that men throughout the world were attracted to beautiful women. "Full lips, clear and smooth skin, clear eyes, lustrous hair, nice figure, and good muscle tone," he says, "are universally sought after." But isn’t this just our sexist culture trying to sell women huge numbers of beauty products in order to make large profits? Certainly the beauty industry is a big one. In the United States more money is spent on beauty than on education or social services. 1500 tubes of lipstick and 2,000 jars of skin care products are sold every minute.

However, attraction to beauty seems to be built into our biological makeup, according to psychologist Judith Langlois and her colleagues. In one study, adults evaluated color slides of white and black female faces for their attractiveness. Then infants of two or three months of age were shown pairs of these faces that differed in their degree of attractiveness. The infants looked longer at the more attractive faces.

So What Is One To Do?

There’s no way we can keep from getting older, though many try. The interest in "anti-aging medicine" continues to expand and those who have the money will continue to pay big bucks to keep the appearance of youth and beauty into their 60s, 70s, and 80s. But what about the average person?

Are older women doomed to watch their husbands leave them for younger, more attractive models? Do you have to spend your life-savings in an attempt to be forever young? Do you say, "to hell with it" and get rid of him before he gets rid of you? My answer is "no!, no!," and "no!.

Here’s what I’d suggest:

1. Understand that genetic desire is not destiny.

Though men will always desire young, attractive females it does not mean that we will automatically act on those desires. Remember, men are genetically programmed to be aggressive, but it does not mean we are doomed to murder each other. There are many reasons why a man chooses to stay with a woman. Youth and beauty may be what attracts him, but companionship, friendship, shared interests, and other qualities can keep him interested.

2. Recognize that genetic desire is important.

Though there are other things that keep a man interest, youth and beauty, are built into his genetic makeup. Ignoring these basic male desires is not helpful. I know many women who pretend that these needs are trivial. They convince themselves that the man loves her for her mind and the family life they have created together (and he may well), and then are blindsided when he has an affair with his young secretary.

Though there are other things that keep a man interest, youth and beauty, are built into his genetic makeup. Ignoring these basic male desires is not helpful. I know many women who pretend that these needs are trivial. They convince themselves that the man loves her for her mind and the family life they have created together (and he may well), and then are blindsided when he has an affair with his young secretary.
3. Accept that genetic attraction is important and talk about it.

Many women shame their men into "not looking." They think the way to hold on to him is to make him feel guilty if shows his interest in youth and beauty. The result is that he pretends disinterest when he is with her, then expresses his interest in private.

When he is drawn to a young, attractive female, it does not mean he is a jerk. It means he is a genetic male and has male desires. Talk about it. Live with it. You might even learn to share your attractions. (After all, you have them too). What would your relationship be like if you could both admit to your attractions, appreciate what the other was drawn to without feeling threatened, and discuss mutual attractions with some humor?

4. Keep yourself looking nice.

Some women pretend that beauty isn’t important or know it is and feel there is nothing they can really do to stay beautiful so they "let themselves go." Beauty has many qualities including self-confidence, youthful attitude, a small waist, lustrous hair, etc. I know many men who complain that their wives have put on a lot of weight as they’ve aged and don’t seem to want to do anything about it. "She just tells me I should love her the way she is. But the truth is I don’t find her attractive since she’s put on so much weight. I know she wouldn’t find me as attractive if I quit my job and sat at home and watched T.V. all day."

There’s much you can do to keep yourself in shape. Work with what you have and stay as attractive as you can. It does matter.

5. Let him know he needs to stay in shape as well.

I know many women who will do anything to keep her man. She goes out of her way to stay youthful in body and spirit. In the process she gives him the impression that she needs him so much, he can really do anything he wants and she’ll always want him.

As a result he takes her for granted and let’s his own attractiveness wane. Keeping attraction alive is a two way street. Let him know you love him, but that he’s not the only fish in the pond. You have your own attractions and he needs to keep himself in shape if he wants to keep you interested.

6. Work with your biology, don’t fight it.

Bottom line, beauty is important. We have all evolved from ancestors who paid a great deal of attention to finding a mate who would increase our reproductive success. In the world of evolution, a world we cannot escape, beauty matters big time.

As Dr. Nancy Etcoff reminds us in her book, Survival of the Prettiest: The Science of Beauty, "Madison Avenue cleverly exploits universal preferences but it does not create them, any more than Walt Disney created our fondness for creatures with big eyes and little limbs, or Coca Cola or McDonald’s created our cravings for sweet or fatty foods."

Like gravity and other forces of nature, beauty is a fact of life and we will do better if we seek to understand and deal with it rather than denying its power. "Appearance is the most public part of the self," says Dr. Etcoff. "It is our sacrament, the visible self that the world assumes to be a mirror of the invisible, inner self. This assumption may not be fair, and not how the best of all moral worlds would conduct itself. But that does not make it any less true. Beauty has consequences that we cannot erase by denial. Beauty will continue to operate—outside jurisdiction, in the lawless world of human attraction."

Where do you fit on the attraction scale? Are you a 10, a 5, or a 1? How about your mate? Do you talk about it or pretend it isn’t important? I’d like to hear from you. Here’s a place you can tell it like it is.


H & W

Three Steps to Perfect Skin



• Bigger Brows Are Back
Stop tweezing! Caterpillar brows are back in style. go >




Taking care of your skin means more than just taking care of the skin on your face. Your body's skin needs care as well. Fortunately, taking care of your body's skin is much less labor-intensive than taking care of the skin on your face. Incorporate these three practices into your daily routine, and you'll have beautiful skin all over in no time at all.

1. Moisturize every day. Applying a moisturizer is something that most people do only sporadically, but it really is something that everyone, men and women, should turn into a daily routine.

Dry skin lacks the healthy glow that properly moisturized skin has, but dry skin doesn't just look bad, it feels bad too.

Dry skin is flaky but it is also itchy and uncomfortable. Repeated scratching can break the skin which is then itchy and sore.

Breaking the skin can also lead to an infection when harmful bacteria enters your body through the now-broken protection that your skin normally provides.

If you have trouble remembering to moisturize everyday, try making it part of your bathing routine.

As soon as you leave the shower or bathtub, when skin is still damp, lather on a moisturizer made for all-over body use.

The layer of moisturizer will trap the water that is sitting on your skin from the shower and introduce to the skin the moisture contained in the product.

H & W

Four Ways to Prevent Hair Loss


Avoid Blocking Pores
It is quite common for people to exercise or play sports and then to about their normal routine without taking a shower. Exercise results in sweat and will block pores if you do not wash your hair. Blocked pores results in excessive sebum production that can lead to hair thinning.

Diet
You should carefully watch your diet if you are concerned with hair loss. Eating unbalanced diets results in deficiencies and your hair won't get the nutrition that it needs. You should also carefully watch your intake of both vitamin A and E as excessive amounts of both these vitamins have been linked to hair loss.

Changes in the body's hormonal functions can also cause excessive hair loss. Some of the most drastic factors in hair loss are pregnancy or long-term emotional stress.

Myths
If you are only losing a minimal amount of hair per day, you shouldn't be worried. Everyone loses approximately 50 to 100 hairs every day. There are many myths about hair loss, and although most won't harm your hair, some will, and you should be cautious.

The most dangerous myth is that brushing your hair vigorously will help prevent hair loss. Other myths include massaging your scalp and standing on your head to increase blood flow to your head.

H & W

The Right Diet to Ward Off Breast Cancer


By Mike Averill

Eating a healthy diet and trimming your waistline may help reduce the risk of breast cancer.

It's estimated that one-third of cancer deaths are related to nutritional factors, including body weight.

Obesity in women contributes to 62 percent of postmenopausal breast cancer cases, said CeCe Davis, licensed dietitian and owner of Nutrition Consultants of Tulsa.

Davis encourages the consumption of plant-based diets and minimally processed foods that promote weight control to help reduce the risk of cancers.

"This, with an active lifestyle, are what we know to date to decrease incidences of breast cancer," Davis said. "That means low-fat, high-fiber diets are the main lifestyle changes."

Fruits and vegetables, whole grains and beans are good options.

"I'm not saying someone has to be a vegetarian, but include vegetarian-type meals that include beans and lots of fruits and vegetables frequently, at least three times a week," Davis said.

Kalli Campbell, director of nutrition at Cancer Treatment Centers of America, recommends getting two-thirds of your protein from a plant-based source, such as nuts, seeds and legumes.

"Also, limit the amount of fat and salt in your diet as well as alcohol," Campbell said.

One way to increase your plant-based protein intake is with soy. "We have a lot of wonderful soy-based meat patties, for instance, Boca burgers or Gardenburgers. These are absolutely delicious, but they are soy," Davis said. "So making a burger out of a Boca burger on a whole-wheat bun and carrot strips on the side would be really healthy."

There is evidence that chemicals in soy may help prevent or reduce the risk of breast cancer.

"In known populations with a high soy intake, women have a much lower risk of developing breast cancer," said Martin Banschbach, professor of biochemistry and nutrition with the Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences.

He warned, however, that using supplements isn't the best route to take.

"The problem with supplements is you're not getting everything a specific food can provide," he said.

One chemical found in supplements is genistein, an isoflavone in soy that has an estrogen-like reaction in the body.

"Using that as the only way of getting the chemical into your body doesn't seem like a good idea," he said. "I think it's like playing Russian roulette. The health benefit in soy is a mix of chemicals present in the food. When you extract one or two, you may not like the effect."

Focusing on a healthy diet and lifestyle early in life are also important aspects in preventing any type of cancer, Campbell said.

"From birth on, literally," she said. "Start your children eating healthy and exercising. Providing that through infancy and childhood is key."

Davis reiterated that dietary changes need to be accompanied by physical activities.

"It's the whole package. It's our lifestyles in general -- and nutrition is one of those overwhelming causes of cancer that are external," she said. "Controlling what you can control is key here. You can't control your genetic makeup, but you can control the external factors."

The Soy Debate
Research and opinions on soy's effectiveness in preventing breast cancer is mixed.

Right now, the major focus is on phytoestrogens, plant chemicals that have a reaction in the human body that may help protect against breast cancer.

Soy is not the only plant containing phytoestrogens, but it contains the highest concentration of the chemicals.

"What we're beginning to understand is a lot of diseases are diet-driven," said Martin Banschbach, professor of biochemistry and nutrition with the Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences.

"Cancer in general, we now understand, has dietary components to it. We are trying to figure out what components of the diet are important in different diseases."

Genistein is one of the main phytoestrogens found in soy and is contained in many supplements. "We have some animal studies showing if that chemical only is used, it might increase the risk of breast cancer. That's in rats, not humans," Banschbach said.

While there have been some concerns regarding phytoestrogens, Banschbach looks to the Asian diet where soy is consumed regularly.

"There's data on people eating huge amounts of the plant's chemicals with no problems," he said. "In men, the concern is decreased sperm count. Asian men eat lots of soybeans and there is no evidence it affects their sperm count. In my opinion, the only issue is if you just use genistein."

Kalli Campbell, director of nutrition at Cancer Treatment Centers of America, said those at high risk for breast cancer or who are estrogen receptor positive should limit themselves to a couple of servings of soy each week.

"If you're not at a high risk for breast cancer, don't worry about it. If you've had an immediate family member, a mother, aunt, grandmother or sister with breast cancer, you'd want to limit it to two to four times a week," she said.

According to a study funded by the American Institute for Cancer Research, the effects of soy may depend on what age a woman starts eating soy-based foods.

The study found that eating soy early in life may help prevent breast cancer later in life. But some analysis of the data shows that there is little to no benefit in post-menopausal women.

"Asian women have a lower risk of breast cancer than American woman," Campbell said. "They have a high intake of soy products, but they eat it all their life. It's not like they were 40 and started adding soy to their diet." [i][/i]

'A Woman's Place Is in the Gym'


Who's at Risk?
Postmenopausal women are at highest risk for menopause because their bodies produce less estrogen, a hormone that protects bones. Osteoporosis in men is becoming more common, however.

Other Risk Factors Include:

Broken bone from a minor injury
Age greater than 65 years
Low body weight
Family history of bone fractures
Cigarette smoking
Sedentary lifestyle
Excessive alcohol intake (more than two drinks a day)
How Can It Be Prevented?
Eat a balanced diet rich in calcium and vitamin D.
Perform weight-bearing exercise three to five times per week.
Do not smoke.
Limit alcohol consumption.
Test bone density, when appropriate.
Good Sources of Calcium
In decreasing order of calcium content:
Calcium-fortified milk or fruit juice
Milk, whole or skim
Yogurt
Calcium-fortified cereal
Cheese
Sardines
Ice cream
Bok choy
Turnip greens
Tofu
Broccoli
Nurse practitioner Cindy Smith was finishing a long day of working at a health screening fair in Fayette County, W.Va, when, just for kicks, she decided to have her own bone density tested. As a non-smoking 33-year-old woman, Smith considered herself to be a low risk for osteoporosis.

Hi, it's Mike from [TruthAboutAbs.com] with another Lean-Body Secrets
Ezine.

Did you know that the vast majority of people in this day and age have excess
abdominal fat? The first thing that most people think of is that their extra
abdominal fat is simply ugly, is covering up their abs from being visible, and
makes them self conscious about showing off their body.

However, what most people don't realize is that excess abdominal fat in
particular, is not only ugly, but is also a dangerous risk factor to your
health. Scientific research has clearly determined that although it is unhealthy
in general to have excess body fat throughout your body, it is also particularly
dangerous to have excess abdominal fat.

There are two types of fat that you have in your abdominal area. The first type
that covers up your abs from being visible is called subcutaneous fat and lies
directly beneath the skin and on top of the abdominal muscles.

The second type of fat that you have in your abdominal area is called visceral
fat, and that lies deeper in the abdomen beneath your muscle and surrounding
your organs. Visceral fat also plays a role in giving certain men that "beer
belly" appearance where their abdomen protrudes excessively but at the same
time, also feels sort of hard if you push on it.

Both subcutaneous fat and visceral fat in the abdominal area are serious health
risk factors, but science has shown that having excessive visceral fat is even
more dangerous than subcutaneous fat. Both of them greatly increase your risk of
developing heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, sleep apnea,
various forms of cancer, and other degenerative diseases.

Part of the reason visceral fat is particularly dangerous is that it apparently
releases more inflammatory molecules into your body on a consistent basis.

If you care about the quality of your life and your loved ones, reducing your
abdominal fat should be one of your TOP priorities! There's just no way around
it. Besides, a side effect of finally getting rid of all of that excessive ugly
abdominal fat is that your stomach will flatten out, and if you lose enough
stomach fat, you will be able to visibly see those sexy six pack abs that
everyone wants.

So what gets rid of extra abdominal fat? The first thing you must understand is
that there is absolutely NO quick fix solution. There are no pills or
supplements of any sort that will help you lose your abdominal fat faster. Also,
none of the gimmicky ab rockers, rollers, or ab belts will help get rid of
abdominal fat either. You can't spot reduce your stomach fat by using any of
these worthless contraptions. It simply doesn't work that way.

The only solution to consistently lose your abdominal fat and keep it off for
good is to combine a sound strategic nutritious diet full of unprocessed natural
foods with a properly designed exercise program that stimulates the necessary
hormonal and metabolic response within your body. Both your food intake as well
as your training program are important if you are to get this right.

I've actually even seen a particular study that divided thousands of
participants into a diet-only group and an exercise/diet group. While both
groups in this study made good progress, the diet-only group lost significantly
LESS abdominal fat than the diet & exercise combined group.

Now the important thing to realize is that just any old exercise program will
not necessarily do the trick. The majority of people that attempt getting into a
good exercise routine are NOT working out effectively enough to really stimulate
the loss of stubborn abdominal fat. I see this everyday at the gym.

Most people will do your typical boring cardio routines, throw in a little
outdated body-part style weight training, and pump away with some crunches and
side bends, and think that they are doing something useful for reducing their
abdominal fat. Then they become frustrated after weeks or months of no results
and wonder where they went wrong.

Well, the good news is that I've spent over a decade researching this topic,
analyzing the science, and applying it "in the trenches" with myself as well as
thousands of my clients from all over the world to see what works to really
stimulate abdominal fat loss.

The entire solution... all of the nutritional strategies, as well and training
sequences, exercise combinations, and more have all been compiled in my Truth
About Six Pack Abs Program.

Keep in mind that the point of this whole program is NOT abdominal exercises
(that is only a very small portion of it). The main point of this program is
showing you the absolute most effective strategies for losing your stubborn
abdominal fat, so you can get rid of that dangerous health risk, as well as get
a flatter more defined midsection.

If you follow the guidelines, you WILL lose your belly fat that has been
plaguing you for years. This is not guesswork... it is a proven system that
works time and time again for all of my clients on every corner of the globe
that actually apply the information I teach. If you apply it, the results will
come. It's really that simple.

The only reason most people fail in their fitness goals is that they have good
intentions at first to adopt a new lifestyle, yet after a few weeks or months,
they abandon their good intentions and slip right back into their old bad habits
that gave them the excess body fat in the first place.

I want to help you succeed in finally getting rid of that extra abdominal fat
that is not only UGLY, but also DANGEROUS. A lot of people have emailed me with
questions about whether they need any special equipment, if they're too old or
too young for this program, etc. I've made a page that should answer all of your
questions...

[www.truthaboutabs.com]

Scientists Find 'Sexy' Gene



"Randy" people have something in their genes that makes them sex-crazed, scientists have found.

Three out of 10 men and women find it harder to control their sexual urges because of the genetic fluke.

It's the first hard evidence linking desire to DNA.

The Israeli research could give Casanovas Charlie Sheen, Michael Douglas, Rob Lowe and Warren Beatty the excuse they have longed for.

But the bad news for them is, six out of 10 people's genes fight to stop them from getting horny, according to the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

Professor Richard Ebstein said, "For the first time, a specific gene variant has been linked to human sexual desire, arousal and function.

"These findings suggest that some aspects of human sexual behavior are hard-wired and that individual differences in sexuality are partially due to specific genes.

"Such genes may in the future become the targets of specific drug treatments for specific problems."

Differences in human sexuality were historicall

VERY GOOD INFORMATION SET OUT CLEARLY FOR ALL TO EASILY UNDERSTAND!!!!

AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE
CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY (TRY is THE KEY WORD) AND ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHN HOPKINS IS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY .


Cancer Update from John Hopkins


1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.

2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime

3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.

4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.

5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.

7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.

9 When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.

10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.

11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.

CANCER CELLS FEED ON:

a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal,Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in color. Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.

b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soya milk cancer cells are being starved.

c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.

d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains,seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts)and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties. Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.

12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines becomes pucrified and leads to more toxic buildup.

13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.

14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body's own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.

15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, unforgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.

16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.

(PLEASE FORWARD IT TO PEOPLE YOU CARE ABOUT)

CANCER UPDATE FROM JOHN HOPKINS HOSPITAL , U S - PLEASE READ

1. No plastic containers in micro.

2. No water bottles in freezer.

3. No plastic wrap in microwave.

Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in its newsletters. This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as well.

Dioxin chemicals causes cancer, especially breast cancer.

Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies.

Don't freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic.

Recently, Dr. Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital , was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us.. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers.

This especially applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body. Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food. You get the same results, only without the dioxin. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else.

Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper. It's just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc. He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons.

Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food. Cover food with a paper towel instead.

You might send this message to all loved ones and those
important in your life.

A Coffee a Day Keeps Alzheimer's Away

Mobile Phones 'More Dangerous Than Smoking'


He says people should avoid using them wherever possible and that governments and the mobile phone industry must take "immediate steps" to reduce exposure to their radiation.
The study, by Dr Vini Khurana, is the most devastating indictment yet published of the health risks.

It draws on growing evidence -- exclusively reported in the IoS in October -- that using handsets for 10 years or more can double the risk of brain cancer. Cancers take at least a decade to develop, invalidating official safety assurances based on earlier studies which included few, if any, people who had used the phones for that long.

Earlier this year, the French government warned against the use of mobile phones, especially by children. Germany also advises its people to minimize handset use, and the European Environment Agency has called for exposures to be reduced.

Professor Khurana -- a top neurosurgeon who has received 14 awards over the past 16 years, has published more than three dozen scientific papers -- reviewed more than 100 studies on the effects of mobile phones. He has put the results on a brain surgery Web site, and a paper based on the research is currently being peer-reviewed for publication in a scientific journal.

He admits that mobiles can save lives in emergencies, but concludes that "there is a significant and increasing body of evidence for a link between mobile phone usage and certain brain tumors". He believes this will be "definitively proven" in the next decade.

Noting that malignant brain tumors represent "a life-ending diagnosis," he adds: "We are currently experiencing a reactively unchecked and dangerous situation." He fears that "unless the industry and governments take immediate and decisive steps," the incidence of malignant brain tumors and associated death rate will be observed to rise globally within a decade from now, by which time it may be far too late to intervene medically.

"It is anticipated that this danger has far broader public health ramifications than asbestos and smoking," says Professor Khurana, who told the IoS his assessment is partly based on the fact that three billion people now use the phones worldwide, three times as many as smoke. Smoking kills some five million worldwide each year, and exposure to asbestos is responsible for as many deaths in Britain as road accidents.

The Mobile Operators Association has dismissed Khurana's study as "a selective discussion of scientific literature by one individual." It believes he "does not present a balanced analysis" of the published science, and "reaches opposite conclusions to the WHO and more than 30 other independent expert scientific reviews."

H & W

By Alexander Golbin, M.D. Ph.D.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, nearly seven out of 10 Americans experience frequent sleep problems, although most have not been diagnosed. The fact of the matter is that the stress of our escalating pace of life, work pressures and aging are the primary reasons many health professionals now believe that sleep disorders are the No. 1 health problem in America.

However, reaching for that bottle of prescription sleep medications may not be your best choice. They are typically "knock-out" products such as sleeping pills, tranquilizers, etc., that not only shut down the brain, but also prevent the mind from relaxing and recuperating. This is why we often feel groggy or "out of it" upon waking. Another concern is that these medications all have side effects and can be addictive. Fortunately, there are natural solutions that can not only help you get your quota of 40 winks, but also reduce sleep-robbing stress as well.

Presently, more than one in three people admit to sleeping six hours or less. Few people realize that this sleep deficit is a serious threat to their health and well-being.

We were born to sleep. Plants sleep, animals sleep and, of course, humans sleep. Have you ever wondered why getting some good shut-eye each night is an essential part of your daily rhythms? As it turns out, the ultimate rejuvenation elixir of life is sleep. It is vital for the maintenance and repair of our body.





Sleep is actually a dynamic process with three distinct stages ranging from light sleep to deep sleep and, finally, to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. A complete sleep cycle takes [about] 90 minutes on average. While sleeping, our brains are using important neuronal connections that might otherwise deteriorate from lack of activity. During deep sleep, brain activity that controls emotions, decision-making processes and social interaction shuts down, allowing us to maintain optimal emotional and social functioning when we are awake. This is also the stage when cell growth and cell repair takes place to combat the effects of stress.

Sleeping deeply and waking up refreshed is a prerequisite for good health. A good night's sleep plays a critical role in strengthening the body's immune defenses. One of the body's most powerful cancer fighters, called tumor necrosis factor, increases tenfold during a good night's sleep. However, without that slumber, natural killer cells, another important part of the immune system's cancer defenses, are noticeably weakened.

Studies have also found a relationship between the quantity and quality of sleep and many health problems. For example, insufficient sleep affects growth hormone secretion that is linked to obesity. Blood pressure usually falls during the sleep cycle; however, interrupted sleep can adversely affect this normal decline, leading to hypertension and cardiovascular problems. In addition, insufficient sleep impairs the body's ability to use insulin, which can contribute to the onset of diabetes.

Difficulty sleeping is also associated with insomnia. Insomnia most commonly consists of difficulty falling asleep. It affects 20 to 40 percent of American adults at some point in their lives. In fact, 50 percent of senior citizens have difficulty falling asleep on any given night. Insomniacs also have increased production of the stress hormone cortisol, which not only prevents them from sleeping, but also leads to depression, high blood pressure, obesity, osteoporosis and hormonal imbalances such as PMS, infertility and menopausal symptoms.


H & W

Superfoods to a Super You!

The elixir of life is a tantalizing concept, with its promise of living forever and staying young and beautiful.
However, while we're still waiting for it to be discovered, mere mortals have to resort to diet and exercise to stave off the ravages of time.

There are some superfoods which are known for their anti-aging properties and seem to increase our ability to fight off disease. So here's our alphabet of fine foods that could give you a healthier and longer life.



Apples ... fight both blood clots and cancer and also help to lower cholesterol levels.



Avocados ... are high in fiber and potassium, making skin soft. They also help prevent high blood pressure, heart disease and certain cancers, especially colon cancer.



Bananas ... contain high levels of potassium, magnesium and folate, helping fight high blood pressure and reducing the risk of strokes. Folate is vital for tissue growth, and is important in combating heart disease and cancer.



Eggs ... are rich in choline, protein and arytenoids, which are thought to help retain memory and be able to prevent cataracts, as well as age-related macular degeneration.



Fennel ... is high in vitamin A, calcium, potassium and iron and helps alleviate digestive problems, while the iron and vitamin A in the plant help maintain healthy skin and nails and prevent fatigue and anemia.



Garlic ... is an excellent source of antioxidants and acts as an anti-coagulant in the blood, which reduces the risk of strokes.



Kidney beans ... are full of fiber, which helps maintain a healthy digestive system. This may help prevent colon cancer and diabetes, while also lowering blood cholesterol and blood sugar.



Red wine ... is made from purple grapes, which help destroy free radicals and in doing so help prevent cancer. They can also lower cholesterol levels in the body, and reduce the growth of skin melanomas.



Salmon ... Oily fish such as salmon contains omega-3 fats that reduce blood clotting. Salmon is a source of good quality protein, vitamins and minerals. Eating oily fish reduces the risk of heart attacks, helps prevent depression and protects against dementia.



Spinach ... is an excellent source of folic acid and vitamins A and C, fighting cancer, heart disease and mental disorders.



Walnuts ... are a true superfood, with just a handful of walnuts having as much omega-3 fatty acid as three ounces of salmon. Omega-3 fatty acid helps to dissolve blood clots and heart disease and may prevent arthritis and depression.


H & W

Have Sex to De-Stress

Staying cool can make your dates hotter than ever."The effects are not attributable simply to the short-term relief afforded by orgasm, but rather, endure for at least a week," Professor Brody told today's issue of New Scientist magazine. He said that the release of the "pair-bonding" hormone oxytocin between partners might account for the calming effect.

In the study, which was reported earlier in the journal Biological Psychology, 24 women and 22 men were asked to keep diaries of their sex lives for two weeks. They were then given a range of stress tests. Those who did not have sex had the highest blood pressure response to stress.

Professor Brody said, "The difference wasn't just statistically significant; it was really meaningful. This was a big, big effect on the blood pressure response to stress."

H & W

ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully..

TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

THREE. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

FOUR. When you say, 'I love you,' mean it.

FIVE. When you say, 'I'm sorry ,' look the person in the eye.

SIX.. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.

EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone's dream. People who don't have dreams don't have much.

NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.

TEN. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.

ELEVEN. Don't judge people by their relatives.

TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.

THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, 'Why do you want to know?'

FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

FIFTEEN. Say 'God bless you' when you hear someone sneeze.

SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose the lesson ..

SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions.

EIGHTEEN. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.

TWENTY-ONE. Spend some time alone.

Importante Ler...

SIGNS OF OVARIAN CANCER(even in the absence of Ovaries)[b][/b]

THIS IS A MUST TO READ TO THE END

An Eye Opener on Ovarian Cancer
I hope you all take the time to read this and pass it on to all you can. Send this to the women in your life that you care about.

A few years ago, Gilda Radner died of ovarian cancer. Her symptoms were inconclusive, and she was treated for everything under the sun until it was too late. This blood test finally identified her illness but alas, too late. She wrote a book to heighten awareness. Gene Wilder is her widower.

KATHY'S STORY: this is the story of Kathy West
As all of you know, I have Primary Peritoneal Cancer. This cancer has only recently been identified as its OWN type of cancer, but it is essentially Ovarian Cancer.

Both types of cancer are diagnosed in the same way, with the "tumor marker" CA-125 BLOOD TEST, and they are treated in the same way - surgery to remove the primary tumor and then chemotherapy with Taxol and Carboplatin.

Having gone through this ordeal, I want to save others from the same fate. That is why I am sending this message to you and hope you will print it and give it or send it via E-mail to everybody you know.

One thing I have learned is that each of us must take TOTAL responsibility for our own health care. I thought I had done that because I always had an annual physical and PAP smear, did a monthly Self-Breast Exam, went to the dentist at least twice a year, etc. I even insisted on a sigmoidoscopy and a bone density test last year. When I had a total hysterectomy in 1993, I thought that I did not have to worry about getting any of the female reproductive organ cancers.

LITTLE DID I KNOW . I don't have ovaries (and they were HEALTHY when they were removed), but I have what is essentially ovarian cancer. Strange, isn't it?

These are just SOME of the things our Doctors never tell us: ONE out of every 55 women will get OVARIAN or PRIMARY PERITONEAL CANCER.

The "CLASSIC" symptoms are an ABDOMEN that rather SUDDENLY ENLARGES and CONSTIPATION and/or DIARRHEA.

I had these classic symptoms and went to the doctor. Because these symptoms seemed to be "abdominal", I went to a gastroenterologist. He ran tests that were designed to determine whether there was a bacteria infection; these tests were negative, and I was diagnosed with "Irritable Bowel Syndrome". I guess I would have accepted this diagnosis had it not been for my enlarged abdomen. I swear to you, it looked like I was 4-5 months pregnant! I therefore insisted on more tests

They took an X-ray of my abdomen; it was negative. I was again assured that I had Irritable Bowel Syndrome and was encouraged to go on my scheduled month-long trip to Europe . I couldn't wear any of my slacks or shorts because I couldn't get them buttoned, and I KNEW something was radically wrong. I INSISTED on more tests, and they reluctantly) scheduled me for a CT-Scan (just to shut me up, I think). This is what I mean by "taking charge of our own health care."

The CT-Scan showed a lot of fluid in my abdomen (NOT normal). Needless to say, I had to cancel my trip and have FIVE POUNDS of fluid drawn off at the hospital (not a pleasant experience I assure you), but NOTHING compared to what was ahead of me.

Tests revealed cancer cells in the fluid.
Finally, finally, finally, the doctor ran a CA-125 blood test, and I was properly diagnosed.

I HAD THE CLASSIC SYMPTOMS FOR OVARIAN CANCER, AND YET THIS SIMPLE CA-125 BLOOD TEST HAD NEVER BEEN RUN ON ME, not as part of my annual physical exam and not when I was symptomatic. This is an inexpensive and simple blood test!

PLEASE, PLEASE TELL ALL YOUR FEMALE FRIENDS AND RELATIVES TO INSIST ON A CA-125 BLOOD TEST EVERY YEAR AS PART OF THEIR ANNUAL PHYSICAL EXAMS.

Be forewarned that their doctors might try to talk them out of it, saying, "IT ISN'T NECESSARY." Believe me, had I known then what I know now, we would have caught my cancer much earlier (before it was a stage 3 cancer). Insist on the CA-125 BLOOD TEST; DO NOT take "NO" for an
answer!

The normal range for a CA-125 BLOOD TEST is between zero and 35. MINE WAS 754. (That's right, 754!). If the number is slightly above 35, you can have another done in three or six months and keep a close eye on it, just as women do when they have fibroid tumors or when men have a slightly elevated PSA test (Prostatic Specific Antigens) that helps diagnose prostate cancer.

Having the CA-125 test done annually can alert you early, an d that's the goal in diagnosing any type of cancer - catching it early.

Do you know 55 women? If so, at least one of them will have this VERY AGGRESSIVE cancer. Please, go to your doctor and insist on a CA-125 test and have one EVERY YEAR for the rest of your life.

And forward this message to every woman you know, and tell all of your female family members and friends. Though the median age for this cancer is 56, (and, guess what, I'm exactly 56), women as young as 22 have it. Age is no factor.