Factors in Deciding on Cosmetic Surgery

Various forms of cosmetic surgery exist today. All have the aim of altering the physical appearance of an individual. An implicit - sometimes explicit - part of this alteration, change or transformation is the individual's image of themselves as well; not only how they see themselves, but how they see themselves seen by the people around them. For this reason, there are two elements at stake in cosmetic surgery: the physical and the psychological.
Valid advertisements of cosmetic surgery do not represent themselves as the be all and end all. They allow the individual to understand that it's a complex process with many factors to consider. Even a simple goal like having a smoother stomach, can become complicated by the various procedures available. Even then, the range of techniques. In the end, a consultation is always recommended, with a review of the various options available. As well, the attendant risks. What follows is an attempt to acquaint the reader with some of the issues regarding the procedures available. It does not explore what - if any - legal restrictions there may be depending upon where the procedure is done. For example, in Canada, there are can be regulations regarding the use of silicone in prosthetic devices, namely breast implants. The reader should also try to acquaint themselves with whatever follow-up or check-ups are necessary after the fact.
General vs. local anesthetic
If a general anesthetic is used, it is usually performed in a hospital setting. There are certain risks associated with any kind of procedure involving a general anesthetic. Regardless, a hospital stay is normally required. In contrast, a local anesthetic usually carries fewer risks and hospitalization is not required.
In-patient vs. out-patient
For the in-patient, a hospital stay is in part meant to ensure that any potential complications that can arise from the procedure can be dealth with immediately. As well, the individual will likely require a certain amount of rest and recovery in a hospital setting. In contrast, the out-patient can go home after the procedure should no complications arise. Regardless, having a qualified physician performing the procedure in a sterile, controlled setting is critical.
The health of the individual
The individual should be in good general health. Procedures like liposuction and tummy tucks are not meant for the purpose of weight loss as much as what's known as body contouring. Also, pregnancy can be a factor in precluding one from most procedures.
What you should avoid
Smoking a few weeks before and after the procedure. This is because smoking affects the blood's circulation and can hamper the body's ability to heal. Excessive exercise, dieting and heavy physical acitivity after the procedure. Again, this can affect the individual's ability to recover. The former two should also be avoided prior to the procedure. Certain types of medication can also seriously affect your ability to recover. For example, anticoagulants should be avoided if undergoing liposuction.

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By July Black
This article was brought to you by Tummy Tuck Toronto

Are Women More Intuitive? If so, How Can We Harness It?

This is an old question that has plagued researchers, psychologists, neuroscientists, biochemists, philosophers and priests. Inconclusive research findings seem to support the affirmative.
My leaning in this discourse will be drawn from my observation, experience and brain research findings.
Every breakthrough starts with an observation. Just look around you. In Church congregations, 75% of attendees are women (and children). Most psychics and intuitives are women. Women are more likely to be involved in professions that require right brain thinking or the use of creative imagination like writing, arts, teaching and music. It’s like women seem to be more spiritual. They seem closer to God, nature, life and children (cares more for people than money). The irony is that they seem to be more materialistic than men. How they do it, I have no clues.
Furthermore, women relate to you on a deeper level. We have been told that majority of communication is non-verbal. Well, women are quick to read your tone of voice (the spirit of language), body language and facial expressions. They can even form impressions about you even with physical evidence to the contrary. Most often, they are correct.
In my business as an artist, I discovered that women were the majority of my clients. When I switched over to creative writing, my teachers were mostly women. Now that I sell books, majority of my customers are also women. From my observation (judging from the names) 65% of my customers are women. Some marketers have estimated that 80% of buying decision is made by women. This is not surprising because buying decision is a subconscious phenomenon controlled by the intuitive right brain.
Talking about the brain, are there evidence to support these observations and examples?
You bet! A mass of nerve fibers (about 300 million) called corpus callosum separates the left and right brain (hemispheres). In women, this mass is bigger, more complex and more highly developed than that of men. The reason is early estrogen stimulation in females. This gave women an obvious intuitive edge over men. However, whatever is required by nature can be acquired by training. Men can attain or even surpass women by perpetual meditation.
Because nature tends towards wholeness, you require both hemispheres to navigate through life. Therefore, we need both sides of the brain to be in ‘the zone’ of top performance. Men tend to use more of their left brain while women tend to use more of the right. This is why the brain can be both a great asset as well as huge liability. The greatest hindrance to success is the left brain monkey chatter while the master key to unlock your creative vault is the right. The West has tended to emphasize the left at the expense of the right.
I guess the begging question is how can we use more of the women intuition?
I will illustrate with a story I heard on radio several years ago. The radio announcer told an experience he had with an investment opportunity in the stock market. At the time, this particular stock was hot and everybody was rushing to invest in the company that traded this stock. Articles and books were written on this stock as the next big gold in Wall Street. This man came home with all the evidence and tried to sell the whole idea to his wife. His wife did not even think twice or look at the papers. “Honey, this is not right,” she said. “Don’t do it.” The man threw caution to the wind and went ahead and invested their life-time savings on this particular stock. Guess what? They lost all the money and it took them seven years to recover from the financial setback. The man had his own baptism of fire on female intuition.
Now, the morale of the story is that the logical (intellectual) brain is wrong most often. It thrives on physical evidence and linear timing. The intuitive brain makes non-logical but fairly accurate decision which is based on holographic time. The man has learned to consult his wife when he needs creative problem solving. You and I can adopt and adapt this lesson both for personal, family or corporate decision-making. Knowing that choice and not chance is the key to success. Decision is life. Your heart knows more than your head. It is always better to be aware than to be smart. Not just women, all of us can develop and benefit from our intuitive nature.

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By Uzo Onukwugha
Uzo operates a website that is geared towards teaching the inner game of business success. Business problems are extension of inner conflicts. Therefore, you cannot divorce a life of inspiration from business success. For more information contact Uzo at: uzonukwugha@yahoo.com and visit his site at: http://www.weblinkbusiness.com. Subscribe to his newsletter and e-course when you visit and browse around. There are more signature articles that are not found any where in the web except written for you.

Single Woman Searching for Opportunities

A single woman living in the United States today has more opportunities than ever before in history. Not only do women have the right to vote, they have the right to an education, they can excel in nearly every career field and in the political domain as well. But when we speak of a single woman, we often comment on her marital status as a detriment or a character flaw. Not only is this wrong, but, it is also ignoring the fact that there are many different reasons for women to be single. Some are never married, some are divorced, some are widowed, some have children, and other women have none. The most important thing to remember if you know a single woman, or if you are one, is that you have the choice to make of your life what you want-single or married.
If you look at movies and television today, it seems that nearly every single woman is looking for a relationship or just got out of one, or is working on one. Although relationships are an important part of life, it is not necessary to be in a sexual or romantic relationship to find fulfillment in life. A single woman can find fulfillment in educational pursuits, in a career, in relationships with her children or other family members, good friends, public service, etc. The relationships that you build in these settings can be extremely meaningful and fulfilling.
As a single woman, no matter what your family situation is like, it is key that you discover what brings you the most happiness. Chances are that you will find that you will get the most happiness from helping others and looking outside of yourself. Not looking for outside validation, but somehow by giving to others, you get more out of your own life. This can be done in a career setting, in public service of any kind or even in a relationship with a family member or friend.
If you find happiness in a romantic relationship then great! You will already have found happiness in yourself and you will be able to share it with your new partner.

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By Eriani Doyel
Eriani Doyel writes articles for and about Singles. For more information on single woman visit finersingles.com.

Inner Thigh Exercises

I train many women clients, and if there is one thing I have learned, women like to have toned inner thighs! It is a problem area for most women. The muscles of the inner thighs, also called the hip adductors, respond to a very specific exercise routine. It takes about 15 minutes of exercise three times a week to shape the inner thighs. All you need is an exercise mat to get stared. Try these exercises for a few weeks and you will feel more leg power when you walk, run, or swim. After about ten weeks, you will see new definition in your thighs.
Outer Thigh Lift.
Lie on your left side, and prop your upper body nearly upright on your left forearm. With your left leg bent comfortably, extend your right leg at a 45-degree angle in front of you. Slowly raise the right foot about six inches off the floor in a controlled motion. Hold for one count, then slowly lower the foot almost to the floor; start another lift without touching down. Do 10 reps. Then roil onto your right side and repeat. Do 3 sets with each leg. 3 sets of 10 repetitions each is a good starting point. When the routine begins to feel easy in about 3-4 weeks, add a one pound ankle weight.
Inner Thigh Firmer.
Lie on left left side with your head resting on a rolled-up towel to maintain proper alignment of your head, shoulders, and hips. Bend your right leg and rest it on the floor in front of you while extending your left leg straight with the foot. Slowly lift your left leg about six inches. Hold for a moment and then gradually lower the leg, beginning the next lift before your foot touches back down on the floor. After ten lifts, roll onto your right side and repeat. Complete 2 sets of 10 lifts with each leg. 2 sets of 10 repetitions each is a good starting point.
Cable Adductor Machine
This is the machine in the gym that most women gravitate towards! It's the one where you sit with your back pressed into the machine, holding onto any handles and with your legs and feet pressed against the foam pads. Smoothly bring your legs together, hold for a second then return under control to starting position. Some machines will have a combination of settings, allowing the legs to be taken wider, avoid taking your legs out too far, especially for beginners. Aim to keep your legs and back in contact with the machine at all times. It may be useful to warm up your muscles with a lightweight prior to your training weight, as this will not only help prevent injury, but also make sure that the machine is set-up comfortably for you.
Inner Thigh Firmer Using a Stability Ball or Pillow.
Lie on your back on the floor and place a small Swiss Ball or large pillow centrally between your lower legs. Smoothly squeeze the ball or pillow, aiming to apply pressure from both legs, onto the sides of the ball. Hold in the inner phase for 2 - 3 seconds prior to releasing and repeating again. Repeat 10 times. This exercise is usually performed while lying, but can also be performed seated or standing. Complete 2 sets of 10 repetitions. 2 sets of 10 repetitions is a good starting point.
How Much Exercise Is Enough To Tone The Inner Thighs?
This number guide will help you determine what intensity is right for you.
Let's say that the intensity of the exercise ranges from 1 to 5.
1 - Light exercise, can barely feel the muscle. (this is what you feel in the first 1-3 repetitions)
2 - You can feel the hip muscles working (as you do more repetitions, you become more aware of the tension in the muscles)
3 - Moderate intensity, where you begin feel a 'burn' or 'strain' in the muscle. You have to exert a little to maintain the exercise.
4 - Moderate to high intensity, where your hip muscle starts to hurt, and you feel like stopping.
5 - High intensity, where you just can't continue. You need to stop and take a break.
In order to tone the thighs, you need to push to an intensity that falls between 3 and 4. This will vary from person to person. For some individuals, 10 repetitions of an exercise is enough to get to 3, or even 4. This is especially common for beginners, or for those who have resumed exercise after a long break. For other, more conditioned individuals, it is common to get to 3 or 4 after 30-40 repetitions, or after using ankle weights.

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By Nitin Chhoda
Nitin Chhoda is a professional fitness consultant with an MS in Performance Enhancement and Injury Prevention and a BS in Physical Therapy. Professionaly certified by the National Association of Sports Medicine as a Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES), Nitin has over 8 years of experience training the general population, hospital patients and athletes. He provides online personal training to clients in 8 countries for a low monthly fee at http://www.phonefitnesstrainer.com.