Saturday, June 20, 2009

The Psychological Aspects Of Balding

Hair loss is a problem for millions of men and women, both young and old. It can decrease self-esteem and confidence, and limit the ability to enjoy life to the fullest. Balding affects people in different ways, but certain emotional reactions seem to be shared by many.

Hair Loss and the Mating Game

The most common concern that people have when they begin to lose their hair is that they will be less attractive to the opposite sex. The interesting thing is that this is often only the view of the person that is balding and not that person’s partner. The spouse, or friend of those experiencing hair loss, commonly state that the only thing that bothers them is that it makes their partner depressed. The balding does not bother them per se.

It is interesting that women sometimes express that they want their spouses to look good for the wedding pictures, but once married, they become far less concerned. In fact, when a married man suddenly becomes interested in having a hair transplant, we have seen the spouse become suspicious of extra-marital interests and object to the procedure.

Balding on the Job

Another concern is that the person with hair loss feels he or she looks older than they actually are and will not be as competitive in the work force. Unfortunately, studies have shown that this is a real concern. When employers are screening job applicants, all other things being equal, those with hair are viewed more favorably than those who are bald.

Mirror Mirror on the Wall

People experiencing hair loss complain that the way they look does not fit with their own image of themselves. This occurs when someone begins to lose hair early i.e., in their late teens or twenties, but it is as much a problem when someone has had a full-head of hair for years (and is used to receiving compliments about their hair) and then their hair thins unexpectedly in middle age.

Hair loss is a universal marker for aging, with ones locks gradually diminishing over time. Your body slowly changes as well, with more sagging and wrinkles and ones muscle mass decreasing. However, hair loss hair can also occur suddenly at a young age, making you appear much older than you actually are.

Another aspect of balding is that people feel a loss of control. Hair is one of the few body parts that you can actually manipulate yourself. You can grow hair long, cut if off, you can wave it, dye it, or pull it back in a pony-tail. It serves as a form of self-expression. As people start to lose this form of self-expression, they can become depressed and withdrawn. But not everyone responds this way. People react very differently to their hair loss, with some considering it only a minor nuisance and others finding it so debilitating that they won’t be seen in public without their head covered.

So Did You Hear the One About...

One of the things that makes going bald difficult is that, for some reason, people feel that commenting or joking about hair loss is “fair game” when they wouldn’t dare mention that someone had bad skin, or had a limp. I often point out to patients, that just because people chose to comment about thinning hair, doesn’t mean they are judging that person or really care much about it. It just seems to be a socially acceptable thing to mention.

He Thinks, She Thinks

Women seem to believe that female hair loss is less acceptable than hair loss in men. While this may be true, the vast majority of women have hair loss in a pattern that can be easily camouflaged. Women are often reassured when they realize that about 40% of women experience hair loss over their lifetime, but it is to such a small degree that it is rarely recognized by the opposite sex.

Mane Options

The important things to remember are that hair loss is very common, it is much more acceptable as one ages, and it is generally less important to other people than the person experiencing hair loss thinks. That said, it is not unreasonable to be upset about going bald. Fortunately, for those who are bothered by their hair loss, there are now excellent medications to prevent hair loss and excellent surgical treatments to restore hair once it is gone.

Dr. Bernstein is Associate Clinical Professor of Dermatology at Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York and is the Director of Bernstein Medical – Center for Hair Restoration in Manhattan.New York Center for Hair Restoration

Monday, May 25, 2009

7 Practical Tips to Eradicate the Root Causes of Hemorrhoids

If you put just one of the following tips into practice you will notice and see a measurable difference in your overall level of health. Just one! Go on, give one a go! - You will feel better for it!

More Fiber in your Diet to produce regular and easy motions

Constipation is the number 1 cause of hemorrhoids.
A good breakfast cereal such as Muesli, with bran, oats & wheat will give you a good nutritional start to the day. Take some fruit at the same time; chop it up and mix it in with the cereal, it is a lovely combination.

Increase your intake of water

It is recommend that all adults drink a minimum of 2 litres a day of either pure water or fruit juices, or a mixture of both. Water lubricates the digestive system and takes toxins out of the body. Hemorrhoids are exacerbated by the presence of excessive amounts of toxins.

Try to get more exercise

This may not be easy if your are suffering from external hemorrhoids! However, any exercise that gets the heart pumping faster will get your blood circulating more efficiently and improve your overall state of health. Sluggish body performance invites illness, try to increase your level of fitness by walking, jogging swimming or sport.

In-House exercises

If your hemorrhoids are preventing you from going out, try 'arm' exercises to get the heart pumping. Even using a torso muscle-building bar will increase your heartbeat and lead to a fitter you. Remember that the heart is a muscle and muscles can be made stronger and more efficient through exercise.

Cut down or avoid hot spices and sauces etc

Curries, Tex-Mex, Burgers with lashings of everything can be bad news for hemorrhoid sufferers! I am not saying that you should stop them completely, but instead of making it a staple part of your diet, why not move them into the area of 'treats?' - then you can still look forward to treating yourself!

Cut down on meat intake - especially red meat

Think of your diet as a pyramid. A Mediterranean diet has meat at the top and salad and vegetables at the bottom. Salads, vegetables and fruit chug through the body, absorbing poisons on the way. They also help you to pass regular motions - an absolute must for anyone who is trying to cure hemorrhoids

Watch your Body Hygiene.

Shower or bathe once a day. This will take away the acids and poisons present in the top layers of the skin. The skin is the largest organ in the body - it is an enormous eliminating area that sweats out poisons. Do NOT use antiperspirants - we perspire for a reason - prevent that process and you are inviting trouble. Hemorrhoids can be aggravated by toxins that are best out of the body than in it.

I hope you will find the foregoing tips useful to you. They are practical ways that you can tone up the fitness level of your body. They are all intended to get your bodily functions up to a higher level, whereby problems like hemorrhoids, whether external or internal, can be avoided.

If you would like to learn more about how you can avoid hemorrhoids (and health problems in general) rather than having to suffer them necessarily, please go to the Link below:

Although I don't know you, I wish you good health!

http://www.goodbyehemorrhoids.info

Anthony C Palmer

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Top 10 Tips to Get Bathing Suit Ready

Natural Weight Loss - Alternatives Methods For Losing Weight

There are different ways of losing weight. As there are too many options to select from and it is not possible for us to try each and every method, it is important that we make the right selection for our weight loss plan. An interesting fact about losing weight is that irrespective of the method that you try, most of these methods will give you positive results, provided you follow and execute them sincerely. As all of them are already tried and tested, the choice of selection is finally up to you. You can have a look at all of them and select the one, which you find most comfortable among all.


Some people are looking for alternative methods for losing weight. They can try out some breathing exercises known as 'pranayama', which is a part of Hindu Spirituality. 'Kapalbhati Pranayama' is the best way to lose weight. It is done with an empty stomach and one should not eat anything before and after one hour of doing this exercise. The procedure for doing 'Kapalbhati Pranayama' is as follows:


Sit in a comfortable cross legged position. The body should be straight and mind should be relaxed. After that, start inhaling deeply and then exhale with maximum pressure on the abdomen. Always remember that you should inhale in the normal way, but while exhaling, you should try create as much pressure as you can. This step should be repeated 20 times in each set. You should do at least 10 sets at a time.


'Kapalbhati Pranayama' helps in reducing weight and it also improves our digestive system. It may take up to 2 months to see desired results.


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Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Compulsive Overeating Disorder – Six Tips On How To Overcome Compulsive Overeating Disorder

Are you wondering if you simply like to eat, or have compulsive overeating disorder? Here are some symptoms of compulsive overeating disorder:

- Do you keep thinking about food all day long?
- Do you turn to food when you are sad, happy, stressed, or bored?
- Do you feel that food has taken control of your life?
- Do you buy a large amount of food and eat it in one setting uncontrollably?
- Do you feel embarrassed to eat with your friends or coworkers because you do not want them to know how much you eat?
- Do you eat very quickly, not even tasting the food anymore?
- Do you feel that you do not know if you are hungry anymore? You just eat until you are sick and feel extremely uncomfortable?
- Do you feel guilty due to your eating habits?
- Do you like to indulge on junk food, high fat food, and sugary food?

If any of the above symptoms sounds like you, you might have compulsive overeating disorder.

If you have compulsive overeating disorder, probably you feel alone and helpless. When you tell your friends about your problem, probably they just simply tell you to stop eating. Unfortunately, it is not that easy. Your mind and body just cannot control your craving.

Do not feel discouraged! There are more people who suffer from compulsive overeating disorder than you think. There is hope!

Here are some ways you can overcome compulsive overeating disorder.

1. Share your problems with other people.

Talking to your love ones and asking them to support you emotionally is extremely important for compulsive overeater. Explain to them it is important that they understand your problem and give you emotional support. When you go shopping with them and pass by an ice cream shop, they need to tell you "you don't want that" when you start to walk over there.

If you live with your family and your house is full of cookies and candies for your brothers and sisters, explain to them that you do not want any junk food in the house. With someone who loves you to support you, you can stop compulsive overeating disorder a lot easier.

2. Find professional help.

Talk to your doctor about your problem. Many people who have compulsive overeating disorder also suffer from depression. Talk to you doctor about your problems, they can refer you to the right health care professional who can truly help you.

3. Get support from other compulsive overeater.

Like other addiction support group, you can find Overeaters Anonymous support groups in your area. You can find meetings in your neighborhood by going to oa.org. People who attend the meetings have the same problems as you. You can relate to them and they understand you. Getting support from them can make your recovery a lot easier.

4. Make a food journal.

Food journal is an effective tool to help you stop compulsive overeating. In the journal, write down everything you eat and drink, the amount you eat, what time you eat, how you feel before and after you eat. This will help you find out what triggers you to overeat. If you turn to food when you are stressed (which is very common), learn more about stress reducing methods such as listen to music, take a bubble bath, go out for a walk, or practice yoga. Once you find out why you overeat, then you are more likely to overcome it.

5. Change your food arrangement in your kitchen.

Throw away all the junk food you have in the house, do not go to the junk food isle in the supermarket, and rearrange your refrigerator so you can rich fruit and vegetables easily. These little changes will make it harder to overeat.

6. Do something you enjoy when you crave for food.

What else do you like to do besides eating? Watch scary movie? Read a novel? Find something you like to do instead of eating. When you are doing something you like, you will be completely distracted and not think about food anymore.

Don't feel helpless and alone if you are suffering from compulsive overeating disorder. With your commitment and support from people who care about you, you can fight this disease and regain control of your life.

Chris Leung Are you suffering from compulsive overeating disorder? Feeling depressed, helpless, and losing self-esteem? Click on the link to learn how to overcome compulsive overeating disorder & regain your life. Get help from someone who successfully overcome binge eating disorder. Learn from someone who used to have the same problem as you and understand what you are going through. Don't feel alone and helpless anymore...

Causes Of Leg Cramps

When we use our muscles that can be controlled voluntarily (arms and legs), they contract and relax alternately as we move our arms and legs. Similarly, the muscles that support our head, neck, neck and trunk are synchronized to hold our posture. When a muscle or just a few fibers of it that contracts involuntarily, it is called a spasm, and if this is forceful and sustained, it turns into a cramp. Therefore a leg cramp is an unwillingly and forcibly contracted muscle that does not relax. Leg cramps can last from just a few seconds to fifteen minutes. On the other hand, the entire, or several muscles may be involved in a leg cramp. Leg cramps pain especially in the calf.

Causes of Leg Cramps

Leg Cramps involve part or all of a single muscle or a group of muscles that in general act together. Most doctors agree that these cramps are caused by hyper excitability of the nerves that stimulate the muscles. Leg cramps are usually caused by:

Injury: A persistency muscle spam could happen as a protective mechanism following an injury such as a fractured bone. In this case, the spam tends to lower its movement and stabilize the area of injury. A muscle injury may cause the muscle to spasm.

Vigorous Activity: Leg cramps are linked with the vigorous use of muscles or muscle fatigue in sports or with unusual strenuous activities. Such cramps may appear during the activity or sometimes much later. Muscle fatigue also may come from sitting or lying for an extended period in an awkward position or any repetitive use can cause cramps. The elderly are at risk for cramps when performing forceful physical activities.

Rest Cramps. Particularly in the elderly, cramps at rest (often at night) are very common although may be experienced at any age even in childhood. They are very disruptive of sleep and disturbing. They sometimes persist frequently and are very painful. The real cause of night cramps is unknown. An example is pointing the toe down while laying in bed, which shortens the calf muscle, a common place for cramps.

Dehydration: Sports and vigorous activities can cause excessive fluid loss from perspiration which increases the likelihood of leg cramps. Leg cramps are more likely in warm weather and can be an early sign of heart stroke. Chronic volume depletion of body fluids from diuretics and poor fluid intake may act similarly to predispose to cramps in the elderly. Loss of sodium is usually a function of dehydration.

Low Blood Calcium, Magnesium: These may be predisposing factors for the spontaneous leg cramps experienced by many older adults, as well as for those noted during pregnancy

Contractures: Results when the muscles of the leg are unable to relax. The constant spasms are cause by a depletion of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), an energy chemical within the cell. This prevents muscle fiber relaxation. The nerves are inactive in the form of muscle spam. Contractures can be inherited or acquired.

An Effective Way to Prevent Leg Cramps

A good way to prevent leg cramps is to maintain the muscles relaxed avoiding spasms. As a result you will be able to sleep comfortably and wake up totally energized. Now you can achieve this by using an orthopedic pillow like the Leg Wedge Pillow- This affordable dual purpose, contour leg spacer knee wedge and leg elevation pillow is designed to fit the natural curves of your body and legs, cradling you in comfort.

Summary: Would you like to sleep well throughout the night without having any leg cramps? A leg cramp has been suffered by almost everybody sometime in their life (95%). It is a common trouble for individuals of all ages, though it is more frequent in the elderly.

D. Charles Jameson is a freelancer copywriter and editor. One of his articles explains the benefits of Leg wedge pillow used as a contour leg pillow. As a result, it can avoid leg cramps. You can read more info about it at http://www.legwedgepillow.com.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Men Health And Fitness Tips: Where To Turn For Men Health And Fitness Advice

When it comes to men health and fitness, America as a country is getting further and further behind the rest of the industrialized world. More men in the United States are overweight than any other country in the world, and it's time we did something about it. Fortunately, there are a ton of options when it comes to losing weight. For example, there are plenty of gyms in cities across America. If you're not a fan of getting all sweaty and gross in front of strangers, you can always order your own home gym or get a treadmill. Nowadays, you can even watch television programs and get fit! There are entire channels devoted only to giving you a trim figure.

If you want to learn more about men health and fitness, you could always start subscribing to a men's magazine. In addition to having in depth consumer reports on various electronics and doodads, they also have health and wellness sections. From telling you the best times of the day to go running if you're looking to increase your metabolism to showing you how to shape your triceps, men's magazines have just about everything you could hope for.

If you'd like a more engaging kind of activity, you could hop online and check out some of the men health and fitness forums that are everywhere. These forums allow you to discuss men's health issues in an anonymous fashion without the embarrassment of talking face to face with your primary care physician. They also can act as support groups, with everyone encouraging one another to stay on track in terms of diet and exercise. The only thing to remember when you're dealing with forums, however, is that you can never be sure of who you're talking to. Take all of the advice you get on the forums with a grain of salt, because the people may or may not know what they're talking about.

To discover some great men health and fitness tips, visit the Mens Health Forums. It's free to join, so visit http://www.MensHealthForums.com/ and become a member today!