Women's Issues

Want To Get Pregnant Naturally?

2011-03-09T11:28:00.000-08:00

Normally, pregnancy is a natural outcome of the sexual intercourse between two opposite sexes. However, nowadays biomedical researchers have made it possible for pregnancy to result without sexual intercourse as we see in in vitro fertilization. Through studies, more natural means through which you can conceive quickly have been discovered. Some women have not been able to conceive due to their inability to apply these techniques through which you can get pregnant naturally. The means are natural and therefore have no side affects. All you need to do is to take time and learn them. You can also meet your doctor to help in that regard.

The application of these means of getting pregnant naturally will also help you to cut cost. You do not need to spend even a dime in order to get quick result. The only sacrifice that you are required to make is to dedicate your time in learning the techniques. You will be learning about these techniques in this article.

It is important that you understand what ovulation means because it is the major determining factor in conception. Menstruation is different from ovulation. It is unfortunate that some women do confuse the two terms. A woman can only conceive when she is ovulating and not when she is menstruating unless the two coincide in rare cases. Ovulation is the release of a ripened egg to the fallopian tube where it will be fertilized by a sperm cell. This period is relatively a short period. It does not last long before the egg will die off and will be discharged out of the body during menstruation.

Knowing your ovulation period and then having intercourse on the ovulation period is the best day to get pregnant naturally. The ovulation period occurs after your monthly period has gone halfway. If you are having a monthly period of 28 days, then your ovulation period will occur on the 14th day. It lasts for 6 days. Your most fruitful day starts from the first day of ovulation till the 5th day of ovulation. These are the days that you should have intercourse. If you do not want to become pregnant, then you should avoid having intercourse on these days unless you will resort to the use of contraceptives.

Ways to determine the ovulation period

There are different ways through which you can determine your ovulation period. The first method of calculating this is using the mucus of the cervix. The cervical mucus becomes slippery and unclouded when you are ovulating. You can also chart your basal temperature with the help of ovulation predictor kit. Changes in the position of the cervix can also be used.

Common error people make

There are some people who think that they can increase their chances of getting pregnant naturally by having sex regularly। You may succeed in getting pregnant. But this is not always the case. It is a well known fact that the more a person has intercourse regularly, the more the sperm density reduces. This can also affect the chances of the person getting pregnant.

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By Joel Lambert

Joel Lambert invites you to get more free information like this that will help you get pregnant naturally and also help you determine the best day to get pregnant.

Three Simple Ways to Lose Weight Naturally and Fast

2011-03-08T02:46:00.000-08:00

Many people dream of losing weight either for health reasons or to look slim. At this time and age, having a fit and healthy body can really be considered as an asset. With this, not only will you be able to do any hobbies or sports that you like; you will also get better opportunities in life because you are more energized. However, to lose weight naturally and fast and to have a healthy and fit body is something you have to work for and you can not expect it to happen by itself as you wake up one day. Listed below are three simple ways you can apply in your daily routine to lose weight naturally and fast.

• First, remember the eight glasses of water a day rule? Drinking water is a great way in cleansing your body system and in boosting your metabolic rate. Research shows and you may sometimes feel that thirst and hunger are triggered together. When you are dehydrated or you feel thirsty, you sometimes mistakenly think that you are hungry, right? With this, you will eat up that will add up to your calorie and fat intake. The way to avoid this is to keep your body hydrated. Water also suppresses your appetite, so when you drink a glass of water before meals, you will surely eat less and this will help you lose weight naturally and fast.

• Second, be mindful of your calorie intake and include "negative" calorie foods (see below). Read the labels of food to know how much calories you are going to take. Know the amount of servings in a package and strictly stay with eating one serving of food. It is very easy eat more than one serving, if one is not aware this fact. If there is an alternative food you can eat that will give you lesser calories but same energy, eat it. For instance, a half cup of rice is 300 calories but a half cup of spinach is only 15 calories and both foods can give you the same amount of energy.

• Third, include "negative" calorie foods! These are the foods that have no calorie at all. In fact, these foods use more calories to be digested than the calories they contain. For example, a cup of your favorite dessert is 500 calories and your body will need 250 calories to digest it. The remaining 250 calories will be converted to fats already. This is avoided when it comes to eating negative calorie foods. Some examples of negative calories foods are papaya, orange, pineapple, broccoli, lettuce, radish, and cabbage so make sure to include them in your daily meal.

Lastly, to lose weight naturally and fast, do not skip meals. Some people believe that skipping meals will make them thinner but it is actually the opposite. When you deprive yourself of food, you tend to crave and eat more on your next meal, so avoid getting super hungry. Ideally, eat small servings of food more often. Say for example, you can eat light meals six times a day instead of eating heavy foods three times a day. These are just three simple and easy ways to lose weight naturally and fast. Just remember that being healthy is not just about becoming slim but also looking and feeling healthy as well.

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By Rakesh Sethi

Thank you for your time & attention to this subject. Please read more and share with your friends the Herbs and Right Foods Help Lose Weight Naturally and Fast for life long Health benefits awareness

Rakesh would like to invite you to check out more articles on wellness, health, health tips, natural home remedies, healthy relationship advice etc. Most importantly you can Opt in to receive FREE Course Body Constitution Test and alerts on new information posted on the blog site.

How to Look Younger in 10 Days: Discover the Secrets to a Youthful and Sizzling You!

2010-10-24T02:34:00.000-07:00

The possibility of transforming yourself by looking younger, in just 10 days sounds too good to be true, but it is a fact. A lot of cosmetic companies claim to give anti ageing benefits, by the use of their products in a couple of days, and their claims are not false either, but their results are temporary.

Let's not discuss the temporary methods of looking younger anymore and start incorporating a nutritious diet, along with a bit of exercise and healthy habits in our daily lifestyle that stimulates a healthy skin from within our body

Looking youthful with the consumption of super foods:

Super foods are basically nutritional items having more than one ingredient with strong health benefits that are high in nutrients, vitamin and mineral content. There are many super foods that are said to boost your skin texture and quality like Egg whites, Pomegranate, Olive oil, Watermelon, Blueberries, Green tea, Salmon, Spinach, Kale, Strawberries, watercress, sprouted seeds, oats, oysters,tomatoes, melon, millet, walnuts, kiwis, dark chocolate, yogurt, pumpkin seeds, and sweet potatoes. If most of these super foods are regularly incorporated in your diet for ten days you are bound to see and feel for yourself, positive results in the form of healthier and much younger looking skin.

In addition to consuming super foods, include some amount of work out or exercise in your routine, for ten days. Yoga and meditation would also prove to be beneficial for the same.

Drink at least 8 glass of water in a day, as it would help in releasing all harmful toxins from the body and make you look fresh for most part of the day. Also consume fresh fruits and vegetables as much as you can.

If you need to apply a cream or moisturizer for your skin, try using moisturizers and body lotions that are manufactured with botanical ingredients like jojoba oil, coconut oil, safflower oil, and linoleic acid that would protect your skin as well as provide a healthy look to it at the same time. Try staying away from harmful chemicals as much as you can.

Finally try staying away from alcohol and smoking, as they speed up the ageing process and are most definitely not a healthy choice. Eat a balanced diet, along with your intake of super foods, which would keep you energized throughout the day.

Follow these steps for 10 days, and experience an amazing change in yourself!

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By Rebecca E Mills

Celebrity Charisma is what we all crave - but dare not admit! Wouldn't it be great to to look younger in 10 days? More Seductive? More powerful and engaging? Can you imagine how your life would change when you start to attract people to you - easily! Thankfully you don't need wads of cash, years or pain to appear more attractive and commanding. Just get the right system, tips and techniques and get that man or women, win that client and get celebrity wow now! http://www.celebrity-charisma.com

Antiaging Skin Care Cream Lotion - How to Prevent Skin Aging

2010-10-24T02:19:00.001-07:00

A really effective antiaging skin care cream lotion targets not only the superficial fine lines and wrinkles. It should do a preventive approach as well. This means, acting through the cellular level and protecting the outer skin layer. There are several factors that hasten skin aging. As you read on, you are going to learn how to protect your skin from such factors.

UV rays

The sun's damaging rays accounts to 90% of all skin damage. Skin doctors advice everyone not to go out under the heat of the sun between 8am to 4pm. It is during these hours that UV rays are at its peak ability to cause sunburns and skin cell damage. It is known that these harmful rays speeds up skin cell degeneration hence making you skin look old. To avoid getting problems with this external factor, apply sunscreens or body lotions with wide SPF. Also, wear long sleeves and wide brim hat if your job requires you to go under the sun during the peak hours.

Toxic Agents

The substances that makes up cigarette can significantly make you look five times older. When you are habitually smoke, the toxins make you capillaries shrink therefore less oxygen goes into your vital organs. Your skin being the largest organ is generally affected by this intoxication. Other environmental pollutants can also speed up skin cell damage. Using an antiaging skin care cream lotion that contains deep cleansing agents can help remove the accumulated dirt and contaminants from the skin's outer layer.

Free- radicals

These are by-product of the oxidation process which normally happens in the cells. However, when too much of these are accumulated, it can damage the normal metabolic activity and can later on cause diseases. But before you experience symptoms, your skin cells will start to form wrinkles before you notice it. Including antioxidants as ingredients of an antiaging skin care cream lotion will fight-off the free radicals and slow down the formation of aging signs.

Moreover, daily cleansing should be a part of your routine. Doing this two times a day can significantly bring improvement to your skin tone. But be sure to use mild soap with moisturizer so that your skin will not lose enough moisture. Remember, dryness is an early sign of skin aging.

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By Georgina R. Clay

Click Here to Discover the Breakthrough Natural Creams that Diminish wrinkles.
Click Here to Get Rid of Fine Lines, Dark Circles, Wrinkles and other skin aging problems Naturally with no side effects.

Increase Your Chance of Pregnancy Following Tubal Reversal

2010-10-24T02:16:00.001-07:00

With tubal reversal becoming so popular many couples are searching for more information. They are searching for the best surgeon and the fastest way to become pregnant after the surgery and healing are complete.

With the release of the Tubal Reversal Pregnancy Report by Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center the news has spread quickly. Tubal reversal surgery actually has a better pregnancy success rate than the alternative of IVF after a tubal ligation. Now that physicians are becoming more aware of the successes they are recommending the procedure to patients more so now than ever before.

After the surgery is completed and the woman has healed the next step of the journey is an exciting one. The couple is ready to begin the trying to conceive phase and though this is usually a happy time it can be come stressful. Stress is common during this phase of the journey and the more support the couple has the better. Some are just not prepared for the fact that it may take longer to conceive than it did before their tubal ligation.

Month after month of trying to conceive may take its toll and the couple may begin to get frustrated. Is there anything that can help speed this process along? Actually there may be.

Before tubal ligation reversal surgery even takes place one important thing a woman can do is to begin getting to know her cycles. Knowing the clues her body gives when ovulation is about to take place can be a huge help after surgery.

Because ovulation is when the egg is released it is important that the woman realizes when this is about to take place. Many women get a pain or cramping on one side when ovulation happens. Others have more cervical mucus that is of a different consistency than at other times of the month.

Another recommendation is ovulation predictor tests. These can be bought at pretty much any drugstore or pharmacy. Women on the leading reversal message board also comment that the dollar store brand OPK's are very good. Others order OPK's online to help save money.

A woman knowing her cycle and how her body gives cues of impending ovulation can greatly increase the couples chances of becoming pregnant following tubal reversal surgery.

Tubal ligation reversal is becoming very popular. Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center has not only helped over 8000 couples restore hope after a tubal ligation but follows their patients through pregnancy.

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By Debra Verville

Tubal reversal pregnancy is not only possible but many couples go on to have more than one child after the procedure.

Amazing Fat Loss Diet

2010-10-03T09:06:00.001-07:00

In order to lose fat at the most rapid rate, you need to create a rather large caloric deficit in a relatively short period of time.

Massive calorie deficit must be present to achieve rapid fat loss, and long-term minimal calorie intake can not work for weight loss, how can you create the necessary deficit without having your body turn it's back on you?

The Solution: Strategic Synergy

Stragegic " Cheat Days" in which you indulge your most intense cravings and abandon your diet can be used to offset the adaptations to extreme dieting.

The Xtreme Fat Loss Diet is a 25 day rapid weight loss program that combines Cheat Days, Fast Days, Depletion Days, and numerous other "advanced" fat loss methods into a strategic five day cycle that is repeated five times over the course of the program.

The secret is in the setup. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, has been perfected to work in the most ideal way with your body to:

a) Stimulate weight loss,
b) Stroke metabolism, and
c) Limit fat gain in the most effective manner possible.

Every single day, every single workout, every single thing you do on this program is for a very specific reason that contributes to the overall rapid fat loss effects of the program.

While the program is "extreme" in nature, modifications can be made to make it suitable for a wide range of fitness levels and starting points. The truth is, you're going to get the best results by following the program exactly as outlined. Losing 23 lbs in 25 days while solely following the diet portion of the program along with a very "moderate" level of exercise is achievable.

You will learn to unlock the right methods in the right combination in the right sequence: resulting in maximum results that will stay over time.

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By Altagracia Gonzalez

The Sex Appeal of a Heel

2010-10-03T09:02:00.001-07:00

Stilettos! They make us feel sexier, more confident and more glamorous. They slim our tummies, elevate our assets, elongate our legs, and draw every man's attention to our feminine parts. Not only have stilettos become one of the most coveted components of a woman's wardrobe but they are a symbol of timeless chic and sex appeal. An evening without my stilettos (an uncommon occurrence) leaves me feeling less feminine and much less sexy. It's definitely more about the sex appeal of a heel than it is about the comfort of a shoe.

"It's a way to appeal to the male species, to attract, and it works. I have men who tell me that heels have saved their marriage." Manolo Blahnik, legendary shoe designer.

I vividly remember digging around in my Mom's closet as a little girl and discovering a pair of white, sling back heels, a pair that she wore to her sister's wedding in the early eighties. They were absolutely perfect! I was never fazed by the fact that they were too big for my feet; they were the smallest pair in her closet and they became my training heels. I spent countless hours finding my centre of gravity and perfecting my strut in her bedroom, my runway.

My desire, like millions of other women around the world, for this symbol of undisputable sensuality started young. We watch our female roles models (for me, my mother) dressing up, never leaving without their heels. Heels are the finishing touch to the look.

New research has found that high heels do more than increase sex appeal. Dr. Maria Angela Cerruto, urologist at the University of Verona, Italy, has spent years researching the benefits of high heels and she's made an interesting discovery. Wearing high heels can actually tone a woman's abdomen and pelvic floor! No more kegels. Squeeze, squeeze, breathe.

Major fashion faux pas: ladies who can`t walk in heels properly.

Ladies, I urge you to take notes here. There is a point where too high is too high! If you find your knees beginning to bend and you can`t walk properly, the elegance has been lost and you need to go down at least an inch. You're better off walking in lower heels, comfortably and confidently, than straining yourself in heels that are too high.

I often find myself in the same conversation with my main squeeze: "You already have a pair of heels in that color. Why are you buying another pair?" Simple. You can never have too much of a good thing! It's all about the details. Details are what make you standout! In any case, if you're budget conscious, my advice to you is: invest in classic styles in neutral tones. This will afford you great versatility.

Final Words of Wisdom

When shopping for shoes, make sure that you spend time trying them on. They may feel comfortable at first but after an hour your feet may tell you otherwise. Check the store's return policy! Your size may change from brand to brand. Keep in mind that at the end of the day your feet are a little larger as they tend to swell throughout the day.

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By Helen MacGillivray

Helen MacGillivray, president and founder of Miss Helen's Image Consulting, has been referred to as "a brilliant individual with high energy and impeccable taste". She is an enthusiastic and charismatic trainer with an expertise in individual and corporate image management.

She received professional accreditation from the Sterling Style Academy, an internationally recognized institute in New York City and a degree in business from Saint Francis Xavier University.

Steps to Take on How to Lose Weight Fast

2010-09-21T13:10:00.001-07:00

If you want to know some steps on how to lose weight fast, then listen to what I'll say. There are some things that I want you to change, especially about your lifestyle. You need to live a healthy and active lifestyle. Being stagnant, sitting on your couch doesn't help you at all. Being physically inactive makes your body weak and more prone to sickness. You need to change fast if you want to lose weight fast. Here are some steps that you could do on how to lose weight fast.

Food planning - It is important that you should go over on the foods you eat. You will be amazed how much unhealthy foods you eat a day. Calorie counting is one of the basic steps on food planning. Learn how much calories your body needs. Then make sure that you eat the exact amount of calorie that your body need. However if you find it hard to count calories, there are other available options for you. First cut down or avoid eating those unhealthy foods. Eat more healthy foods like fruits and vegetables. They are a good source of fiber, helping our stomach digest food faster. Red meat is a good source of vitamin B12 and iron but eat red meat sparingly. Instead eat more lean meat like fish or chicken. It is good to eat fish more often because you can get more omega fatty acids. Overall eating these kind of foods lessens the amount of fat absorption in our body. So stop buying processed foods and try to eat more natural and organic foods. Avoid of buying all of those can, frozen trays and boxed foods. These foods are very high in preservatives and chemicals. The most dangerous of all is sodium. Found mostly on packaged foods, this ingredient could lead to high blood pressure.

Physical activities - It's no secret that, to lose weight fast you have to work hard for it. Increasing your physical activities through exercise and being active in sports is a good start. An effective way to have your exercise is to have it before breakfast. Take 30 to 60 minutes of your time to workout. Start your day by jogging on your local park or run on your treadmill. Building your cardio is the first thing that you want to do. As your cardio increase, you will also see an increase on the physical activities that you do. Build up you body, do some weight lifting. Having more lean muscles could make your body a fat burning furnace. It burns more fats and calories more faster because your body needs more energy to work. Weight lifting also increases your metabolism rate. If your to timid to do all of these, then you have to find a sport or any physical activity that you love to do. The best sport to be involve in is swimming. It is a good way on how to lose weight fast. It works all the parts of your body and makes you work more than any other sport. You could say the same about dancing. It is great way to shape up your body and build up your cardio.

Basically these are the two steps that you should give more attention. All the pieces will fall together if you have done perfectly these steps. How to lose weight fast is not an easy process. Have the patience and perseverance. The best wealth that you could have is having a healthy and fit body.

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By Zirah Mendez

Zirah is a aspiring model. She uses Anti Aging Products to keep her looks more younger. She loves to go shopping and travels anywhere she likes. Usually she spends most of her time on taking care of her body to make her look younger. She is taking a program on How to Lose Weight Fast so that she could have that perfect slender body.

Is Liposuction Painful Afterwards?

2010-09-21T00:48:00.000-07:00

It's important to note that whatever type of liposuction you opt for, whether it is Vaser Lipo, Smartlipo or traditional liposuction, the surgeon's aim is to make your experience as pain-free as possible during your procedure. For larger volumes of fat removal you will most likely have general anesthesia, and often light sedation. What we will be discussing here is post-liposuction pain.

Often your oain is dependent on how your body handles pain (your pain thereshold). There are several reasons for discomfort after liposuction - the main cause of which is the body's natural reaction to what is effectively an injury that has been inficted on the body. This results in bruising and swelling at the site of the liposuction procedure. This is a totally natural reaction to surgery andin most cases, cannot be avoided. In fact, it's the body's wav of healting.

Learn more......

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By Kate Trebble

Healthy Living Made Simple

2009-01-18T23:27:00.000-08:00

Drink lots of water, take deep breaths, choose good supplements, eat all your vegetables, eat more protein, eat fewer carbs. With all the healthcare advice out there these days, and much of it contradictory, it makes healthy living seem like a complicated endeavor! In fact, all that advice can make a junk-food diet look attractive in its simplicity. But don't panic! Healthy living can be simple.

You know what makes you feel good and what doesn't. If drinking plenty of water, taking certain supplements, or eating multiple small meals a day makes you feel better, then you already know more than the experts. Similarly, you probably know which of your "bad" habits make you feel ill, like eating too much sugar or spending too much time at your desk. If you are not sure what makes you feel better or worse, keep a diary for seven to twenty-one days. Log your daily food intake, exercise, level of stress, amount of sleep, and anything else that might affect your level of health. Notice what happens when you add or vary any of your habits.

Once you have discovered two or three really great habits that make you feel good, adopt them for the year. To keep things really simple, choose no more than three great habits. If exercise makes you feel good, adopt the habit of exercising a few times a week. If adding fresh fruits or vegetables is good, resolve to add them to your diet on a regular basis, but don't break the bank. Do what makes you feel good in moderation, and in a way that will be easy for you to remember. If you want to add vitamins or supplements into your life, help yourself remember by putting the bottles or packets in your car, your purse, your pocket, your lunch, or your top desk drawer. Don't kick yourself when you forget to take the supplements, and take them whenever you see the visual reminder of the bottle. Of course, consistency is always great for health, but in the beginning do what you can to make healthy living a rewarding and pleasurable experience rather than another item on your "To Do" list!

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By Alan Joel

Alan Joel is a Doctor of Chinese Medicine and nutritional counselor. He is also an independent distributor of Simplexity Health, producer of all-natural blue-green algae products for people, pets, and plants. For free health tips and to order blue-green algae online at wholesale prices, visit http://www.prosperity-abounds.com/order.html and http://prosperity-abounds.blogspot.com

Got Fear of Aging?

2009-01-18T23:23:00.000-08:00

After spending the last several decades in a Madison Avenue culture of youth and beauty, many baby boomer women are feeling uncertain of our place in a society that seems not to honor or appreciate the aging. Our roles are changing and many of us are starting to panic as we see the sands of time beginning to scrub away the luminescence of our youth. As we approach midlife, questions begin to surface.

Will I become invisible as I age? Will I be respected? Loved? Why do my looks matter so much? What am I so afraid of? Who am I now that I'm no longer of reproductive age? Is this the beginning of the end? Is everyone this scared of dying? Is it too late to make a difference? How do I do that?

The boomer generation has come to a crossroads, and the direction that each of us chooses to take will determine how we experience the rest of our life. We can buy into our fears and invest great quantities of time, energy and money trying to resurrect the past, or we can accept the ongoing circle of life and look for new opportunities. Rather than allowing our fears of aging to determine our experience of aging, we can each take hold of the wheel and steer ourselves toward a new reality, one that supports us in being vibrant, active and engaged members of society.

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself - nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance." These wise words from Franklin D. Roosevelt point us toward a profound truth - fear is the enemy (and, I would add - especially when it comes to aging). While you are most likely familiar with the first part of that quote, it's the latter that best describes what happens to us when we allow our fears and expectations to go unchallenged. How can we move gracefully into the rest of our life when our unbounded fears of aging paralyze our efforts and keep us retreating while trying to hold on to who we were?

For most of us, it's these unconscious and unexamined fears that keep us from experiencing the life we truly want. We allow anxiety to fill the space between what was and what we believe is coming. Many of us are looking at the coming years through a lens that is clouded by fear. As we disengage from the roles we played in our younger years and begin to explore other options, we're likely to experience a certain degree of discomfort. In addition to the uncertainty of feeling out a new role, our deep-seated fears about aging will surface.

What's a woman to do? Instead of letting them haunt you, explore your framework of expectations and fears - knowing they will boomerang right back as your reality if you allow them to fester. Understanding the genesis of our fears and the process that holds them in place can help us put them to rest.

Have you noticed that most of the things in life that frighten us are maintained by the absence of scrutiny? Once we move them out of the periphery and into full view, it is possible to tear down the self-limiting beliefs and fears that control us and replace them with the perspectives and beliefs we choose. In other words, before we can consciously create a fresh start, we need to explore what we've been expecting (and unknowingly asking for).

In order to gray gracefully and arrive at a place of joy and acceptance, I needed to confront the negative fears, expectations and beliefs I held about aging - and consciously order up something different. We can all benefit from taking some time to write down our fears, limiting beliefs and expectations about getting older.

Ask yourself:

What are my worst fears about getting and looking older? Which stereotypes have I bought into? What do I believe might happen as I age? Why wouldn't I still be valued? Loved? Desirable? What's the worst thing that might happen to me?

Take the time necessary to allow your thoughts to surface and write them down. Do not edit or judge the things that come up. Most of our fears and expectations are held in place by our past programming. The only way to change a stereotype is to challenge it! Don't believe everything you think. Facing our fears and concerns about aging head-on is often the best way to lay those issues to rest and make room for a point of view that celebrates the amazing woman we've become.

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By Maggie Crane

Maggie Rose Crane is a leading-edge baby boomer on a quest to age with grace, gratitude and gusto. In her refreshingly candid book, AMAZING GRAYS A Womans Guide to Making the Next 50 the Best 50 (Regardless of your hair color!), she shares experiences, insights and useful information to guide maturing women through the ups and downs of staying vibrant, active and inspired in a culture obsessed with youth and manufactured beauty. At the core of her message, shared through writing, speeches and workshops, Maggie exposes the fears and anxieties that haunt many midlife women and reveals how to mindfully navigate the turbulence with wisdom, perspective and practice. We invite you to join her in a growing movement of Amazing Grays, women who have decided to embrace their age - knowing the best is yet to come! Learn more at http://www.maggiecrane.com

Just an Ordinary Woman

2009-01-08T02:06:00.000-08:00

I want to see if I'm in one of the latest glamour magazines on sale this week. I mean honestly, I deserve to be on one of those pages. After all ... I am a woman. Right! But, unfortunately, just an ordinary woman.

I can't get past the latest "Desperate Housewife" advertisement with all those ladies in red. Is that really what the stereotypical desperate housewife looks like? After-hours, I assume! I mean with all the domestic work she has to do for the day, the outfit seems rather far-fetched.

Not that all women are just housewives. They can do the chores before work, go to gym and find themselves a shower away from their plush office and executive chair. Like in the soaps on TV.

So often people ask women what they do. The answers vary from sole supporter of a family to so many different categories that housewife and executive are merely small fractions in the equation. They may be extremes in your eyes because either you're educated with a certificate or degree ... or, you're just a housewife doing menial chores and raising your children. But wait ... there's more!

There's the type of woman that actually works long, exhausting hours without pay. Hubby brings in the money and ... let's say no more. Then there's the type of woman who works long hours doing the mundane, pedestrian chores and her share in the community. She earns money baking, making clothes, typing or looking after other women's children while they work. There are no benefits or material rewards ... just the basic fee to keep her supporting the family.

The woman that spends her time in the field cultivating crops and looking after the livestock is also somewhere in this equation.

And somehow it's these women who are never seen in magazines or on television. Unless it's in an advertisement of a product or service that the ordinary women may need to make their lives easier. And these ordinary women are not the desperate housewives you see on television, though they share the same brand name.

Housewife or executive, teacher or minister, they all have one thing in common: motherhood (if that is the choice they decide to make). And motherhood in itself is a career. A mother has to look out for the emotional welfare of her children satisfying their needs and raising them to become responsible adults.

When we stop to look at all the careers a mother practices without qualification on paper, we have to take a deep breath and then pause.

Motherhood entails being an accountant, a sports agent or manager, sports coach, or promotion manager. It also requires experience in nursing, psychology and health education; being a dietician and nutritionist. A mother should have her own mini pharmacy, and have a license to be an emergency driver to hospitals or the veterinarian. She can be an amusement and recreation officer, taxi driver, video camera operator, photographer and travel agent. A mother is a hairdresser, cosmetologist, fashion consultant, and tailor. She is an animal trainer, housekeeper, landlady, fence erector, interior decorator and landscape artist. Mothers bake, cook, order out, host, serve and clean. They are laundry specialists, painters, filing clerks, social workers, answering services and public relations officers. They are data base administrators, home management advisors, teachers, pastors, producers, judges, lawyers and financial analysts.

But above all, mothers are women. And each woman has her own load and burden to carry. Perhaps it's infidelity, cancer, poverty ...

With Mother's Day comes the annual family blessings that each member bestows upon her ... often not to genuinely give thanks or show respect ... but, merely to uphold a public holiday. It also helps her the next day to answer those inquisitive questions of how her family spoilt her on the one specific and yet very small and insignificant day of her year and life. Compared to the laboriousness of her existence, one Mother's Day is just not enough.

There are good mothers and selfish mothers, healthy mothers and ... But, let's not spend any time going there! That's content for a whole new article. It's in being who we are to the best of our ability that really makes the difference.

Give respect, honour, love, compassion, commitment and understanding. Make every day mother's day. And do note there are no capital letters attached to the day, because it's not the day that should be celebrated, but the woman behind all her sacrifices ...

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By Karin Steyn

Planning To Go In For A Breast Enhancement Procedure?

2008-05-26T07:39:00.000-07:00

Unlike the recent past, women today now have so many more options for perfectly exemplifying their breasts outside of surgically implanting foreign matter along with their real breast tissue. With the helping advancements of medical science, and a need for other variations outside of the surgically invasive measures of breast augmentations, there has successfully been added to the breast enhancement resolutions of all-natural pills and completely natural chewing gum options. There are so many benefits when you finally decide to go completely natural for your breast enhancement desires. Why would you risk any form of surgical procedures, when there other highly effective options now readily available at hand?
Although the sizes of a women's breast when it comes down to individual desiring of a personal preference, can always seem to end up in being a semi-unreachable goal in the minds of many women. Not so surprisingly this is all understandably due to the undesirable risks and costs that come from most any form of a surgical procedure.
If you have always been a woman against foreign types of materials being inserted inside your body for the plumper size and fullness of the breasts that most all women wish to have; well then, you may have been one of the numerous women that spent a well earned large amount of your paycheck upon fake bras. Within the bra selections of falsified exemplifying bosoms, there are hundreds of choices to choose from.
There are very padded and uplifting bras for temporarily building the woman's breast size. Then there are those sizes of variation of bras that actually are made with silicone or some other similar formula of bosom building materials for your larger breasts. Both of these methods of bosom building, and all of the rest in between having to do with bras or separate bosom inserts are fine until they are removed for the evening. After removal of these form fitting fake bosoms, so many women feel let down and incomplete again.
The time has now come for a better way of breast enhancement for the women of today. Not only are there all-natural creams, and pills, but there are also all-natural breast enhancement gums too! Within the very short time period of only a few weeks to a few months, daily use of the highly effective breast enhancing gum has been proven to give long lasting astounding results. If breast enhancement gums are not your first choice, there are also all-natural breast enhancement supplement pills that will quickly give you the amazing results that has always been desired, but you could not afford surgically. No matter the choice of method giving you the permanent all-natural end results, you will be pleased for the increase of breast size given to you by these natural methods.

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By Anita R Choudhary
Anita R writes for onestoptreatment.COM that provides information on all aspects of finding Breast EnhancementThe information provide by our Aromatherapy EXPERT! You can find more details and tips about Herbal Supplements in our education center.

How To Find Perfume If You Have an Allergy?

2008-05-26T07:34:00.000-07:00

Perfume is recognized for its aromatic scent and is a way of showing your personality. The aim of wearing it is to smell the way you desire.
Perfume is comprised of alcohol, water and perfume (fragrance) oil. Its intensity is decided with the concentration of solvents in mixture. Most commonly used solvent for perfume is ethanol. Perfume itself is simple to make and the trick is to put the essential oils together creating a smell you like.
Did You Know? The basic formulae for custom made perfume is 15% to 30% essential oil, 70% to 80% of pure grain alcohol, such as vodka, and 5% of distilled or bottled spring water, however the precise formulae of commercial perfumes are kept secret.
Perfume is made up of base notes (the smell stays the longest on your skin), middle notes (smell stays second longest), and top notes (smell of oil evaporates first). Top notes are scents that can be detected immediately when the perfume is applied and they form that critical first impression.
The point of wearing perfume is to smell the way you want and the choice of perfume is very personal and subjective matter. It is meant to cover our natural scent, to hide whispers of sweat and the living body in subtle floral overtones.
Perfume is generally related with sensual and passionate aspects of one's life. Very often, it may ajar the door to the hidden corners of your soul, and tell a lot about your character and desires. Perfume is very honored in world culture, so much so that its uses and applications keep to expand.
Finding Suitable Perfume For Oneself
The best way to test a perfume is to apply it on the skin or if you do not feel like applying it on your skin, smell it from a blotter. Furthermore, do not apply it just before exposure to the sun light, because alcohol inside it is harmful for the skin, and some components might be phototoxic and damage your skin, or cause pigmentation on your skin.
Tip: To test if the skin is allergic to a particular perfume, try this: apply a small amount on the wrist, or the inner elbow or the back of the hand/arm and if there is a reaction after one hour, then the perfume is probably not suitable.
After smelling several perfumes you will not be able to capture their essence. You can try out two perfumes, one on each wrist during one trip to the mall, but no more than two as your nose will start to get confused and you will end up smelling like a perfume factory. However it is good to have perfumes of different fragrant groups, because your mood and circumstances may be different.
The high price of perfume is compensated by pleasure of wearing it. Perfumes that contain quality ingredients are expensive and it is very important that when you wear yours, you feel great.
Shopping for the right perfume and fragrance sometimes seems to be the toughest job, as you will be assaulted by an amazingly great range of exotic fragrances from the huge assortment of awe-inspiring perfumes. Hence choosing the right fragrance and perfumes involves a lot of steps to be followed.

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By Boris Chistyakov

Purse Selection Based On Womanly Needs and Lifestyles

2008-01-08T07:28:00.000-08:00

As if picking the perfect purse wasn't already a taxing and overwhelming experience, we women also have to take careful, tedious consideration toward selecting a purse or handbag for multiple uses or occasions. And normally, picking just one purse that can be utilized for numerous purposes, suitable for multiple occasions and complimentary to various outfits is almost impossible. This makes any woman's life a bit crazy, merely because we need to have multiple purses to, well, simply live, but also maintain practicality and some sort of fashion sense.
Gaining perfection, or more so pin-pointing multifaceted usability in our purses and handbags is all encompassing, too much so at times. And this is where the frustration lies as the options seem endless. To fill in all the gaps and meet purse requirements is all too befuddling, but there are ways to organize your thoughts, confusions and inquiries.
Before actual purse purchasing you should know just what you're going to purchase. And in the least, you should know the types of purses you can buy so you can meet your varied lifestyle requirements. Here are five purse and/or handbag options to consider, mull through and research, taking into consideration to your specific situation:
A Tote Bag -
Commonly known as the standard 'carry bag,' this enlarged purse, of sorts, is used for toting purposes and proves as a practical option for busy mothers, but still maintains that casual and non-gym bag style look for all women on the run. This casualness helps with retaining a level of comfort in all locations and still provides functionality.
A Satchel -
These purses are over-the-shoulder types of handbags that are used for toting purposes, specifically work related. Working women will use these types of bags to tote important work items to and from wherever they travel. Think of these bags as a woman's version of a man's briefcase. Files, laptops, lunches and other work related odds and ends are stuffed in these bags to travel around. Satchels provide a great amount of room to stop a woman's worries of not being able to have enough room in a purse.
A Clutch -
This is a type of handbag used for minimal things and purposes. Minimal in the sense that only a few items can fit in a purse with no handles. Basically, what you can hold in one hand is what you can fit in your clutch. Ideally, this is used for evening outings where women can put all their essentials in one convenient and compact spot. Styles can range from casual to classy, based off tailoring and fabric types.
A Duffel -
This 'gym-bag' style purse is large and primarily used when traveling on holiday or business trips. Multiple and large compartments are built into these style bags so women can put traveling essentials away, such as: shoes, a travel wardrobe and various clunky beautification products. If you're a traveling woman with lots of items, a duffel is for you.
A Hobo -
Primarily crescent shaped, a hobo bag is meant to carry a good amount of lady essentials for women on the go. They're mostly shoulder strapped, with a casual and even work-style look at times, which can change based on fabric and tailoring style again.
Now that you are aware of the different types of purses and handbags, hopefully you'll be able to narrow down, which one -or few- would work with your style, but more significantly, your lifestyle. As already stated, it's almost impossible to select just one purse that proves universal for all our womanly needs and actions. But, this is positive for us women, in a way; now, we just have an excuse, more reason to purchase multiple purses for our versatile qualities.
After narrowing down your purse and handbag options, why not consider a classic over the shoulder bag? In particular, buxton bag has great over the shoulder bag choices.

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By E.S. Cromwell

Is Alcohol Really Ok for Breastfeeding Moms?

2008-01-07T04:45:00.000-08:00

Groups are trying to get a "Breastfeeding Alcohol Consumption Warning" on all liquor while doctors are saying it is fine to drink alcohol and breastfeed. With all the confusion, how can you decide?
The Breastfeeding Alcohol Warning Labels
A group called Alcohol Healthwatch in Australia wants labels on all alcohol to warn about the dangers of drinking during pregnancy and breastfeeding. These labels may be coming soon to areas of New Zealand and Australia.
The warnings will say that drinking alcohol when trying to get pregnant, during pregnancy and while breastfeeding is a danger. They consider the use of these warnings as an important part of a plan to help prevent Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.
A Different Opinion
However, on the other side of the world, the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Drugs takes a different stand. They do not consider moderate alcohol use (equal to one or two glasses of wine a week) to have any negative effects on a breastfeeding mother or a nursing child.
Dr. Jack Newman, a physician and member of the La Leche League International Health Advisory Council, says in his handout "More Breastfeeding Myths":
"Reasonable alcohol intake should not be discouraged at all. As is the case with most drugs, very little comes out in the milk. The mother can take some alcohol and continue breastfeeding as she normally does. Prohibiting alcohol is another way we make life unnecessarily restrictive for nursing mothers."
So what Do You Do?
General guidelines are actually pretty simple-- if you are sober enough to drive, then you are sober enough to breastfeed a child.
However, if you are ever in doubt, don't chance it. Pump your milk for your next feeding and feed your baby breast milk that you have stored up. That way you can have your drink and your baby can eat, too!

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By Sheri Lynn
Sheri Lynn is an editor for Breastfeeding Magazine a great online source for breastfeeding support and encouragement. For more information on breastfeeding issues, visit http://www.breastfeeding-magazine.com/

Womens Rights

2007-09-03T08:13:00.000-07:00

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has",author unknown.

United States citizenship for women. 1998 marked the 150th Anniversary of a movement by women to achieve full civil rights in this country. Over the past seven generations, dramatic social and legal changes have been accomplished that are now so accepted that they go unnoticed by people whose lives they have utterly changed. Many people who have lived through the recent decades of this process have come to accept blithely what has transpired. And younger people, for the most part, can hardly believe life was ever otherwise. They take the changes completely in stride, as how life has always been.

The staggering changes for women that have come about over those seven generations in family life, in religion, in government, in employment, in education - these changes did not just happen spontaneously. Women themselves made these changes happen, very deliberately. Women have not been the passive recipients of miraculous changes in laws and human nature.

Seven generations of women have come together to affect these changes in the most democratic ways: through meetings, petition drives, lobbying, public speaking, and nonviolent resistance. They have worked very deliberately to create a better world, and they have succeeded hugely. We to can be apart of something just as big. We can once again unite as women and make a change for the better. Better our lives, our children's lives, and those lives not yet born. Plus we will be bettering the lives of other nations and countries.

We need to stand so that the working mother no longer works for corporate America and our children are not being raised by day care. We have a commitment to make to the future, to better life for all. We can do that by raising our own young. Teaching them values and morales that go way beyond what another would teach them. Unite with us now and join the circle. Be a stay at home mom and make a(n) income doing it. If history repeats itself than, woohoo here we are!

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By Calondra Nelson

Scholarship for Single Mothers - 5 Tips to Getting It!

2007-09-03T08:11:00.000-07:00

It is estimated that there are around 10 million single mothers in the United States. Some of these are out of school teenage mothers. It is obvious though that there are a lot of mothers who are letting go of their dreams of college education so they can work and support their child. Fortunately now, any mother can avail of a good scholarship for single mother benefits.

Look in the Right Places

There are endless opportunities for single mothers to look for the right scholarship for single mom benefits. You can start off by asking the guidance counselor of your high school or the financial aid office of your local college. The State Department for Higher Education may also have guidelines for applying for a federal scholarship for single mother programs. If you do not have a lot of time to go around, you can always log on line for preliminary tips on where to turn to. Numerous sites will point you in the right direction for scholarship for single mother benefits and will even allow you to fill up application forms online.

It is important to understand though that scholarships differ. Some may pay for all the expenses of your education while some will only pay for a fraction of the tuition and books. There are also some educational grants that come with conditions after you have been awarded financial aid for your education.

Look to the Government

There are 26 government grant agencies that offer 900 grant programs. Education is one of the grant categories for single mothers. You can ask for instructions at the local welfare office. You will be required to fill up a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) based on which your eligibility for scholarship for single mom benefits will be determined.

Search for Private Organizations

Some private organizations may offer you wider application options for a scholarship for single mom program. You can search online or in your local community for these organizations. Depending on the private organization, your eligibility may be based on such factors as high school performance, ethnicity, religion and intended major.

Ask Your Employer

Fortune 500 companies and other employers may have scholarship for single mother programs that you may be unaware of. Read your employee manual or ask the human resources department if the company does offer such benefits and if you are eligible.

Visit Local Schools

Local colleges and schools may also support the idea of helping single mothers finish school. All you need to do is to visit the financial aid office of your community college and ask for details on scholarship for single mom programs.
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By May Stern
To learn more about life as a single mother, visit Single Mother Resources. To find the love of your life, visit Single Mother Dating Guide. Of course, do not forget our homepage at Single Mother 123!

The Ideal Weight Loss Drug

2007-04-27T06:43:00.000-07:00

Weight loss and obesity issues have since moved to center stage--at least it seems that way since Government and NGOs began making more noise and effort to curb the menace of obesity, especially child obesity in the United States. If you've been thinking the need to know more about it, here's your opportunity.
A Weight loss drug, as the name implies, is a drug designed to positively impact on the body mass index of overweight people by helping them to lose that extra weight quickly with complete ease. Losing weight is no more difficult and horrifying with a proven weight loss drug. Please get your physician’s advise on the particular weight loss drug suitable for you; not all weight loss drugs live up to the claim of manufacturers.
This information comes straight from the overweight and "Weight loss issues you must know to be free from obesity." Careful attention to your diet, the quantity and regularity of correct types of calories help you keep your weight under control even if you are genetically disposed to being obese.
If you now enough about overweight and weight loss issues and apply them you will be free from obesity, because you will make solid, informed choices regarding your eating habits and general lifestyle.
Cutting down on your sedentary lifestyle while upping your activity level is a key factor in staying trim; overweight and obesity thrive more in none active . Apply what you've just learned about overweight and weight loss issues and you should have nothing to worry about.
Why waste hundreds of hours online trying to find a good workout when you can find everything right at your fingertips at Weight Loss Sports? And why spend over $500 a month (or more) for different online solutions when Advanced Fat Burning Techniques, a brand new no-starvation diet program for losing 9 Lbs every 11 days is available for you

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By Charles Neshah

Menopause and Diet

2007-04-27T06:42:00.000-07:00

Menopause is called by some people “ the change” because it is the time in a woman’s life when her period or “cycle” stops. During this time a woman’s body slowly produces less of the hormone Estrogen and Progesterone. When a woman has not had a period for 12 months in a row, she has reached menopause. This often happens around the ages of 45 to 55 years old. Every woman’s symptoms are different when reaching this stage in their lives. As we get older our digestive tract becomes less efficient and digestion takes longer. Calorie counting women sometimes find that long hours in a gym has minimal effect on their weight loss. The reason for this is the imbalance of estrogen in their body.
Growing up, Estrogen protects women from some effects of a high fat diet. Postmenopausal women have lower levels of Estrogen, and this leads to lower levels of HDL or (good cholesterol) and a rise in LDL (bad cholesterol) which is why rates of heart disease among menopausal and postmenopausal women are as high as those among men in similar age group. Estrogen is important and vital function for orchestrating menstruation. This imbalance of Estrogen is characterized by an abundance of symptoms. Some of these symptoms include: mood swings, feeling anxious, painful periods, hot flashes, and low libido. Should we try to use hormone therapy to balance out the imbalance in our bodies? As with all drug therapy’s you should consult a physician .
For some women hormone therapy may increase their chances of getting blood clots, heart attacks, strokes, and breast cancer. Before embarking on hormone replacement therapy, investigate a natural alternative. Diet is a primary factor in keeping blood sugar levels consistent, which is critical for keeping tissues healthy and preventing degenerative diseases. Stay away from junk foods. When cooking don’t use processed cooking oils switch to unprocessed oils, like virgin olive oil, canola, and flaxseed oil. Try to reduce intake of animal proteins, choose lean meats and low fat dairy. To get you through this stage in life women emotional help from people around her and understanding on the processes that are going on with her body.
A good diet and some natural supplements to balance out our hormonal imbalances at this stage in our life is highly recommended. Zalestrais an ALL-NATURAL product we recommend. No synthetic chemicals no artificial hormones, and you can try it Risk Free Simply go to: ZalestraSite.com

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By Steven Quid

For Women Only - Secret Investment Strategies

2007-04-27T06:39:00.000-07:00

When I look back on the financial aspects of my childhood I recollect always having what I needed, and most of what I wanted. I considered myself most fortunate to be an only child and completely never understood the concept of sharing. My upbringing consisted of the concept that I must work to obtain the things I wanted. The first job I had was at the age of 15 and it was not considered cruel or unusual punishment. My parents were not abusive because they felt I should be expected to pay for my car insurance and gas. They did provide the food and housing and trips to the mall so it was the least I could do.
The financial basics were taught at an early age. Save, Save, Save was all I can remember. I still haven't figured out why I never listened to that one. My assumption is that the parental figures failed to calculate in the cost of living expenses that I would incur. Hence, I am failing in the future savings department. (This just makes me feel better to blame it on someone else.)
Listen to all the financial adviser's, parents included, and one major factor is the least focused on.The fact that you must invest in yourself first and foremost and the rest will come. You may have all the support from friends and family you could possibly need, but unless you believe in yourself your true goals may never be reached. The biggest supporter of your aspirations, financial or otherwise, stares back at you every time you look in the mirror. Get to know this person and take time to listen when that little voice begins to speak to you.
My inner being never bothers to speak up until I am so tired I just want to pass out. But for me that is the best time to get my attention. Right before I am to the point of wanting to give up, or wonder why in the world do I keep wanting to try, or think maybe the single girl has it better than me, that other part of me begins to remind me of all the reasons. She is my best motivational speaker and best yet I didn't have to listen to a late night infomercial.
If you are like me with a spouse, children, career, and worries dropping by to visit on a regular basis you need to consider my advice. You are more important than any amount of money that could possibly be put into a mutual fund. However, no early withdrawals and your beneficiaries will most certainly be the ones around you.

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By Melody Myers

Does The Fat Flush Diet Plan Work Or Is Just Another Fad?

2007-03-26T07:09:00.000-07:00

The Fat Flush diet plan was devised by nutritionist Ann Louise Gittleman who believes that the keys to being overweight are liver toxicity, waterlogged tissues, fear of eating fat, excess insulin, and stress. Despite Gittleman stating that her plan is “as easy as 1-2-3”, the Fat Flush diet plan has been described by one reader as “incredibly complex in its explanations and expectations of its followers”.
The Fat Flush diet plan instructs followers to avoid white flour, white sugar, margarine, vegetable shortening, artificial sweeteners and caffeine and emphasizes 8 ounces or more of protein including two eggs a day, healthy fats such as Omega 3 and 6, vegetables, spices, water, and 8 glasses a day of diuretic beverages.
Like the South Beach Diet and similar diet programs, the Fat Flush diet plan is divided into three phases with the first phase being extremely restrictive. In phase one of the Fat Flush diet plan, you are told to consume 1,100 to 1,200 calories a day, which for many people will be far less than what their body requires. You also eliminate grains, bread, cereal, starchy vegetables, dairy products, alcohol and oils/fats (except flax seed oil).
After two weeks on the Fat Flush diet plan, or four weeks if you have more than more than 25 pounds to lose, you gradually increase your calorie consumption and add healthy carbohydrates and dairy products while avoiding the bad foods mentioned while following certain rules, such as having one protein food with each meal, not eating vegetables and fruits together, not having milk and meat together, and not drinking water with meals.
The Fat Flush diet plan claims that it "melts fat from hips, waist and thighs in two weeks" and that it reshapes and detoxifies the body. However, there are no clinical studies to support the Fat Flush diet plan’s effectiveness for taking weight off and keeping it off. Detox diets usually have very little evidence to support their wild claims and most experts do not buy into the whole concept of “fat flushing”.
Therese Franzese, M.S., R.D., director of nutrition at Chelsea Piers Sports Complex in New York City, says you cannot detox your liver or speed up your metabolism with specific foods. She also says that any weight loss that results from the Fat Flush diet plan stems solely from a calorie deficit.
In terms of physical activity and exercise, the Fat Flush diet plan recommends walking and bouncing on a mini-trampoline in the initial phases, with weight training coming in phase three. While I agree with the weight training recommendation, I'm left wondering how walking and a mini-trampoline, as the Fat Flush diet plan suggests, can be effective for a world where at least 400 million are obese.
Another factor to take into account is that the Fat Flush diet plan would be very challenging you are vegetarian or vegan as animal proteins play a big role in this diet. In addition, the Fat Flush diet plan can be costly since you have to shell out big bucks for supplements, powders, and oils, in addition to more fish and meat you may be used to buying.
In summary, the Fat Flush diet plan teaches some very important lessons such as the importance of drinking water, consuming healthy fats, eliminating junk carbs and caffeine, and limiting alcohol. However, like many diets the Fat Flush diet plan makes the mistake of recommending a low-carbohydrate and low-calorie initial phase which for many people can have lasting health consequences.

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By Joseph Cole
Joseph Cole has blown the whistle on the weight loss industry. Find out why 95% dieters fail within one year, why fat burning bills are a complete waste of money and why you don't need to count calories to lose weight. Download his brand new revealing industry report for FREE right now at: http://www.theantidietplan.com/1

Morning Sickness Symptoms: No Need to Panic

2007-02-03T00:35:00.000-08:00

Think of a day in early pregnancy. You are ready to go for your regular activities, when a sudden churning of the stomach suddenly stops you in your tracks. You feel nauseous, then without a warning throw up whatever you ate the previous night. Fear not, for this is one of the symptoms to signal that you are in your first flush of pregnant hood. This is morning sickness.
Morning Sickness Morning sickness strikes about 50-80% of mothers-to-be. Though known as morning sickness, for many women the term is a misnomer because it continues to hit them through the day, not just in the morning. These women are placed at a disadvantage when it comes to dealing with the regular bouts of vomit that strikes at them repeatedly from their 4th-6th week, until the 14th to the 16th week of their pregnancy, when it usually stops.
Just as every pregnancy is different for each woman, so also do symptoms of morning sickness vary from woman to woman. The large number of women who do experience this pregnancy problem will have bouts of nausea and vomiting. These primary symptoms may be accompanied by a host of other minor ailments. These include backaches, constipation, darkening of areola or breast nipple, too much of salivation, exhaustion or suffering sleep deprivation symptoms, food cravings, frequent urination, headaches, increased sense of smell, lower abdominal cramps, and/or tender or swollen breasts. By the second trimester of pregnancy, when you begin to accept your condition more readily, Morning sickness has usually subsided.
In the case of some women, the nausea and vomiting persist or worsen. The symptom of continuing vomiting might indicate that the woman may be suffering a rare condition called Hyperemesis Gravidarum. This is an exaggerated form of morning sickness and it occurs in fewer than 1 in 250 pregnancies. This condition is accompanied by frequent and severe nausea and vomiting, spewing out the contents of the stomach instead of being able to keep them down, weight loss, and signs of dehydration. The last will mean severe thirst, dry lips and tongue, confusion, rapid breathing and an increased heart rate. Hyperemesis Gravidarum is treated by immediate hospitalization with intravenous liquids until the woman can tolerate foods and liquids consumed through means of the mouth.
While it is said that morning sickness symptoms indicate a healthy pregnancy, the absence of morning sickness does not indicate there is anything wrong with your pregnancy. If you are bothered about the no morning sickness symptom exhibiting itself, talk to your doctor about it so that your fears may be allayed. Even without having any experience of morning sickness, women carry to full term and give birth to healthy babies. If you don’t have morning sickness, count yourself one of the lucky few women who did not experience it and learn instead to enjoy the first phase of being pregnant.

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By Apurvashree Jain
Apurva Shree is the online editor of free pregnancy information resource http://www.earlypregnancy-symptom.info She has developed this site to provide valuable information on pregnancy and useful methods to enjoy your pregnancy period and the ways in which you welcome your new world of motherhood. Early pregnancy symptom.Info is your free resource that not only provides information on pregnancy period but the other aspects of pregnancy as well.

Teen Weight Loss Taking It Slow To Go Fast

2007-01-26T07:37:00.000-08:00

According to recent studies more kids nowadays are mild to severely overweight. The 1999-2000 National health survey indicates that 15 % of children and teens are overweight.
The figure is nearly double that what was recorded a decade or so ago. Some blame their present lifestyle while others blame the lack of discipline in teens nowadays. Regardless of the reasons, teen weight problems are real.
But unlike weight loss programs for adults, teen weight loss programs are a little tricky since such programs when left uncheck can be potentially dangerous for their health. Because of the potential danger, dietitian and nutrition experts approach the subject with caution.
The basic problem with teen weight loss is that their bodies are still growing and developing and cutting down food intake will greatly influence their growth. It is therefore important that diet programs for teens should cover all their nutritional needs.
For teenagers, they generally need to grasp some basic concepts about eating right. If they eat too little, their health will be put at risk. But similarly, if they eat more that they should, the extra food turns into body fat causing weight issues. Teenagers should learn to eat food less with saturated fats.
These foods include those fried in fat and oil like fried chicken, burgers, potato chips, french fries, potato chips and other fatty meat. Meanwhile, they also should avoid foods that are high in fat and sugar contents like cakes, chocolates, butter, cream, peanut butter, pies, cookies, and generally any sweets and sweet based desserts.
A lot of diet programs claim to be the best solutions for over weight teens. These claims generally revolve around two basic concepts: the right diet and regular exercise. In reality, the quickest and easiest way for teens to loose weight is still the having the right diet and right exercise. Teens should always avoid diet pills.
Most of the kids or teens today eat fast foods, get exceedingly large food portions and are really extremely lazy lacking the necessary activities to build a healthy body. Simple outdoor activities for teens can help them loose some of their excess body weight. When you cut grass use a push mower, for example. Engage in activities like playing Frisbee which would help you exercise without even realizing it.
There's really no quick way to loose weight. You need to work the excess fat off your body. It is the right combination of diet and exercise which will help you loose weight. But the problem with dieting and exercising is keeping motivated and goal oriented. Kids find dieting intimidating and regular exercise boring.
This is why full family support is necessary if you want your kids to loose some weight. You need to keep your kids and teens motivated. Encourage them and help them overcome their cravings by cooking, serving and eating the same food diets that they eat. Get them to be more active. If they find regular exercises boring, join them in other activities such as sports.
Teach them what to look for when they eat outdoors. Tell them the benefits of foods and teach them how to read food labels. You may be able to control their diet while they stay home but when they go outside and eat with friends, then you might have a problem. It is therefore important in any diet to implant a sense of self discipline and pride in what they do.

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By Chris Ryerson
For more great information on Teen Weight Loss Programs check out our site chocked full of articles, tips and helpful info about Teen Weight Loss

Negative Effects of Alcohol and Fertility

2006-12-01T01:59:00.000-08:00

Consumption of alcohol comes under lifestyle factors that affects both male fertility and women's fertility. Though it is not yet established, what is its total effect or actually how much of it can affect infertility, but its effect behind some women's unexplained infertility cannot be denied.
Effects of Alcohol on Women's Fertility
Alcohol consumption has already been seen as a dread for women because of its established relation with the cause of some of the diseases. Like liver disease, breast cancer, heart disease and depression. Now another potential hazard for women has been added to this list in the form of infertility. It is not just a problem for women who are heavy drinkers but also for those, who are just moderate drinkers. It is still difficult to establish any safe level of maternal drinking.
Even very low levels of alcohol consumption can make alcoholic mothers a curse for their children, who may be born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Its characteristics are deficient growth, mental retardation, a typical heart shaped facial appearance and behavioral changes in the newborn baby of an alcoholic mother. In addition to this, there are 30 to 40 percent chances of the birth of a baby of alcoholic mothers with brain anomalies or congenial heart defects. It happens due to alcohol consumption, during or before pregnancy by the mother of these babies. Leaving genetic causes, alcohol consumption has been noticed as one of the most important causes that can lead to mental abnormality in babies.
Adverse effects of alcohol consumption cause different kinds of infertility threats. It can increase the risk of spontaneous abortion or cause impaired fetal growth and development. Research results show that the probability of conception in women decreases in proportion to the increase in alcohol consumption.
Excess intake of alcohol can cause numerous ovulatory dysfunctions. Alcohol consumption should certainly be avoided if infertility has been recognized and especially if its anovulation (lack of ovulation) disorder. Alcoholism has also been undoubtedly associated with hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian dysfunction resulting in amenorrhea, i.e. absence of menses. Luteal phase defect (abnormal development of the endometrial lining), and hyperprolactinemia are some other infertility related dysfunctions caused by alcohol abuse. It can also change estrogen and progesterone levels.
Effects of Alcohol on Male Fertility
Alcoholism in men causes increase in abnormal shaped sperms that can lead to impotency. Abnormal liver function and high estrogen levels may cause interference with sperm development. Like a toxin, alcohol may destroy the sperm-generating cells. In addition to this, alcohol abuse can also have adverse effects on the hormone levels in men. However, these effects may be reversed in most of the cases by abstinence. Sperm takes at least three months to develop. So, one should go for a semen analysis once again, after three to four months of abstinence, to get the current semen count and shape.

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By Chelsea Aubin
Get our FREE report on "Fertility Poisons" that will give you the Fertility Help you need. Also find lots of other helpful Fertility Calendars and Other Tools

Set Off Instant Weight Loss With Phentermine

2006-11-07T00:47:00.000-08:00

The heading of this article might seem a bit over-the-top, but when you delve deeper into the issue you would realize that Phentermine is the real weight loss tool and is capable of providing you relief from obesity within a short time frame.
Phentermine is prescribed for 7-12 weeks and as such it becomes very much easier for a weight loss enthusiast to wage a potential war against obesity with Phentermine. During the initial phase of weight loss, the patient loses lots of water from the body. The water that a person loses in his weight loss regimen is stored up in grouping with glucose molecules. The compound formed by the combination of water and glucose molecules is known as glycogen.
The first energy source that the body uses is this glycogen and thereafter for energy, the stored fat in the body is aimed at by the body. The initial loss of water in the body doesn’t influence the actual weight loss process and so by the time the stored fat is used up the patient gets totally fatigued. At such a critical stage, only Phentermine provides you a welcoming relief as it is prescribed for a short term period to treat obesity. Instead of Phentermine if you administer other medications, your battle against obesity would remain ineffective.
Various fitness centers and weight loss programs are also mushrooming vigorously but how far they have proved beneficial? Fitness centers are full of machines for rigorous exercising and these appliances will be useful for weight loss only if a wealth of effort comes from your side.
And even during the continuance of your weight loss by jumping and exercising at fitness clubs, if on your way to home, your insatiable appetite overwhelms you and you gorge on pizzas, hamburgers and other fatty stuff you would not be able to lose even a single kilogram of bodyweight. Here, Phentermine can help you out as it is a suitable appetite suppressant for obese people.
A plethora of instruments like the BMI calculator, body fat calculator, calorie calculator and many others are available in the market which you can use to measure your weight loss progress with Phentermine. You even don’t need to step out of your home. Each and every bit of information on Phentermine, weight loss and obesity is a click away from you. You can surf the internet and get hold of whatever information you are looking for relating to the drug.
Phentermine along with morning strolls in the garden, a few exercises that won’t burn you out and dieting by decreasing the intake of fat and carbohydrate laden food will lead you to lose weight in no time. But never try to adopt a haphazard approach to your Phentermine usage. Arrange a meeting with a physician, intimate him in detail about yourself; your weight, height, your dietary schedule, diseases you are suffering from, medicines you are already taking, if any etc. Then listen to him carefully and follow whatever advices and recommendations are given by him. The instructions by your doctor should be the final say in all matters and only then weight loss is possible along with the diet pill, Phentermine.

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By Earnshaw Peters
Earnshaw Peters is a weight loss expert and a plethora of articles written by him on obesity, weight loss and other health topics are online now. Viait http://www.phentermine-effects.com for a view of those articles.

American Women Earn Less Than Men

2006-11-07T00:43:00.000-08:00

Men will probably grin and women will naturally grumble, but a new study reveals the fact that in the USA, women professionals earn less than their male counterparts. And here’s what takes the cake: it may actually be the women’s fault why they are making less than the guys.
According to the survey released recently at the annual meeting of the Academy of Management, women do not charge as much for their professional services as their male counterparts despite providing the same kind of work. The study said the reason for this is the woman’s “concern for relationships with clients.”
Citing a random sampling of 536 veterinarians, the study said female vets tended to charge their less privileged clients less than what they would charge their more affluent customers. Males, on the other hand, had a standard set of charges which did not change depending on the client’s situation. About one third of the study’s respondents were women.
The study said the women vets brought down their prices out of concerns for their customers and because they “cared more about their relationships with their customers than did the men.”
The study involved the vets answering questions about a hypothetical situation wherein a 12-year-old dog with advanced kidney failure was brought to their attention. The hypothetical client was described either as a young professional or an elderly widow. The study found that the women charged the widow less than the young professional for the same service.
The study also mentioned, though, that in the bigger veterinary practices, women vets tended to charge their clients more because they “took into consideration the needs of their co-workers as well.”
The study noted that women made price adjustments after taking into consideration the situation of their customers and that of their colleagues. Apparently, the relationships of women with their various publics held greater weight than the relationships of men with theirs.
The study cited a similar instance in 2003 when a separate research study produced the same results. During that instance, researchers found that female mortgage lenders earned $575 less per loan compared to male mortgage lenders. According to that study, women brokers “were more concerned about establishing good relationships and being nice” than their male counterparts.
Overall, the study also mentioned the fact that based on US government statistics, women earned about 80 cents for every dollar that the men made.

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By Kadence Buchanan
Kadence Buchanan writes articles on many topics including Women, Beauty, and Aging

Natural Anti-Aging Formula Against Bacteria And Viruses

2006-10-13T22:24:00.000-07:00

Normal aging is accompanied by several physical changes in the body, including decreased muscle mass, increased fat mass, and a decrease in bone density. While the physiological processes behind these changes are very complex and not completely understood, it is now known with absolute certainty that they are governed, at least in part, by the presence of growth hormone (GH) in the body.
This knowledge has triggered a lot of research in recent years, reflecting both scientific enthusiasm and public interest in the possibility of manufacturing human growth hormone for use as an anti-aging formula. The results of this research can be summed up like this: we now know with absolute certainty that hormones are tricky, and that supplementation with growth hormone to stop or reverse aging can have contradictory and even harmful consequences.
This has changed the focus of research and interest from GH to more natural anti-aging treatments. Of all of these, colostrum has proven to be a superior anti-aging formula in many ways. The reason for this seems to be that colostrum addresses not only the physical signs and symptoms of aging, but also the underlying processes that hasten their arrival with age.
Colostrum’s ability to thwart the outward signs of aging stems from hormone-like substances called growth factors. There are several growth factors in colostrum—including the growth hormone GH—and together they show many of the anti-aging properties of growth hormone therapy, with none of its harmful side effects.
The regenerative abilities of colostrum’s growth factors extend to nearly all structural cells in the body—they directly regulate processes that increase lean muscle mass, metabolize fat for fuel, stimulate cellular and tissue growth and repair, and repair damage caused by injury and disease.
In fact, we now know that the growth factors in bovine colostrum stimulate the formation of DNA, making them essential for the survival of every cell in the body. This is all good news, but colostrum’s superiority as an anti-aging formula is not limited to the activities of its growth factors.
In addition to growth factors, colostrum contains several immune factors that provide a natural immunity against bacteria and viruses, and allow us to rely less on the use of antibiotics. This ability of immune factors to replenish antibody stores and boost immune response gives colostrum even greater potential as an anti-aging formula.
Immune factors aid immune system function without irritating or damaging the digestive system, and without altering or weakening the immune response. Together with colostrum’s growth factors, they restore health to the gastrointestinal tract by healing damaged tissues and providing adequate local immunity where pathogens enter the body. This means that colostrum supplementation not only prevents a decline in our ability to fight infection and disease, but also prevents further damage to our muscles, skin, and cartilage caused by gastrointestinal disorders that can affect tissues and organs throughout the body.
In this way, colostrum supplementation affects the outward signs of aging by healing the inward problems that often accelerate it. There is no other substance that can do this, and that’s what makes colostrum is a superior anti-aging formula.

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By Farrell Seah
For more information on Bovine Colostrum, Goto :
http://www.BuyBovineColostrum.com
Feel free to use this article with the author name and website included. http://www.BuyBovineColostrum.com

The Seven Realms of Love

2006-10-13T22:12:00.000-07:00

The First Realm of Love – The Physical Realm
I love you. I Love the look of you. I have got to have you in my life. I can’t live without you. I am desperate for you. You are everything I have dreamed and more. I am aroused by you, and therefore, cannot live without you. You are perfect. I am yours and you are mine. You have no fault. I cannot think of any reason that our love will not last. I want to own you, marry you, posses you. I give up my life for you. I am infatuated with you.
I know this is highly charged. I am blinded by this love. I will throw away my dreams, my passions and my ambitions just to be with you. I also know, as people have warned me, that this love, this passion, this fire is unsustainable, but I am blind. I am blinded by my emotion and the chemistry that rushes through my veins. I have been warned, but my life was hell before I met you, and now it is heaven. Oh, even for just this one day, this love, this fire, this mindlessness, is worth it.
The passion is physical, the drives are uncontrollable. The problem is that it can't last, it's life shattering when it breaks and there is really no way to avoid it. This is the lowest most primal level of love and subsequently the most extreme.
The second realm of Love – My mind
I love you. I think like you. Our dreams are so similar. I believe what you believe and I think what you think. I know we are right in our way of life. We are on common ground, we live to this code, and this code is ours. We agree, we like the same paintings, we like the same holidays. We are of the same mind, we are in love.
I have told people that they should be like you. They should be good and they should be happy. I have told brothers and friends and family what they should be doing. Now I have met you, there is no need, because we agree. We agree the world should be as we dream it should be.
This level of love is so intellectual. It is based on ideals. If you fit my picture I love you, if you don't I hate you. This is religious love. Righteous and conditional. There are so many expectations at this level one of the two partners has to be submissive and therefore inevitably become resentful. This is the typical, western, good citizen, relationship. A perfect lie.
The third realm of love – Emotion
I love you. I cry at the thought of you. I write these poems of love for you; poems that express this romance, this beauty, this feeling so deep inside me. From the moment I met you I knew I loved you. I felt it deep in my core. I am sad without you, I am angry if I can’t be with you. I feel good around you, you make me happy, I want you near me all the time because it makes me feel so good, I need you in my life.
You are my sun, my morning, my every breath. You are the dew on my skin and the sun in my heart. I breathe you, and these roses, this gift, this meal, this wine, this touch on your shoulder, sends shivers down my spine. I hold your photograph close to my heart and I celebrate you with happiness. I wait for your call.
I am sorry for my reaction when you came home late. I am sorry for being angry. I can’t help it. I feel so wonderful and I feel so vulnerable. I feel you when I walk. Oh my love, may this feeling, this romance, last forever between us. I am sorry about those swings in my mood. They are totally unexplainable. Oh, my love, be mine forever.
The joy is uncontrollable, the surrender is complete, the love feels merged and soulful. This level of love is mesmerizing. Two lovers will fall into each others arms and the romance is wonderful. Great holidays and great idea, great romantic nights and more. However, emotion has no substance. The same emotion that gets a couple into this love, is the same emotion that burns them out, or attracts them to others. Emotional people cannot hold integrity. Emotions are environmental reactions. Never trust emotion. (or emotional people)
The forth realm of love – The heart
I love you. Whether you come or go in my life, I love you. No matter whether you are well or sick, for better, for worse, for richer or poorer, all the days of my life. I will love you. I will love you no matter what happens. I will love you. I know I love you. You and I are in love. It is destiny, we are friends for life, I love you.
I want you to be happy my love. Yes, why don’t you travel and see the world. Why not move to Africa and work, I will always be here for you. I want the family to be happy. I care so much for you. I want to hold you close, keep you warm. I want your life to be wonderful, and even more wonderful because of me.
I am happy that you are moving on from me. Yes, we are close friends. We have achieved a wonderful depth to our love, so much so, that you feel like my sister, or brother or something. I want you to be happy, and our friendship is vital. We can work together, be friends together forever.
I am a bit sorry that the romance went out of our relationship. That we are such wonderful friends is amazing, but I really hoped that we would stay passionate. We grew away from that passion we had when we first met. Maybe we should have spent more time playing. I love you always, my love and my friend, forever.
The beauty of this love is that it is honoring. It honors individuality. It honors self, this love is based on independence. It is the domain of the hurt, the afraid, the self created ego master who claims spiritual or self actualization. People in this level of love are forever lonely, in spite of being convinced they are able to love, unconditionally. Here there is simply no surrender.
The Fifth realm of love – Devotion
I love you. Deep in my heart I have known that one day I would find you. I knew that there was a lover, somewhere, whose life mission, whose life passion would weave with mine to create something magnificent on this earth. We are like two musicians whose life purpose apart is quadrupled in value together.
We will serve our mission in life together. You bring gifts and I bring gifts and with these together, our highest calling will be to share these with the world. I love you deeply; I celebrate all the four realms of love with you, and now, this, our purpose in life.
This is more than me, this is more than you, this is sacred, our purpose together. We can do what we love in life and share that journey together. Thank you for opening your heart and your life for me. We are bound together by more than a contract of intimacy and love; we are bound by our commitment to something bigger than both of us. I devote my love to you, I know in this way we will give what we are born to give. My love is eternal, thank you.
This relationship appears to lack the physical grunt and pump of the infatuated lovers. But these two people love each other because they live and work and share the journey of life together. They need to be careful to make sure they don't drift through life and forget those lower levels of love that are required as a foundation for this one.
The Sixth realm of love – Inspired
I love you. Oh stillness of the night, let my mind be calm, my soul be content, let my love become one with yours. We were two, we are one. We bind at all levels, from the physical and romantic to the emotional and fantastic. But most of all, we bind in light.
I walk with you, no matter where you go. I sleep with you no matter what you know. I am with you, always, awake or asleep; this is my eternal love. More than a pledge, it is real. I know your breath, I know your heart. I am not away, I am in your thought, in your realm, we are one, and we are bound.
Know me my love and you will know you. Dive each day through the emotion and challenge and anytime you choose, you will find me. Choose love and I am here. It is one step beyond, yet more real than they know. Let me hold you without arms, let me touch you without sound, see me without eyes, I am you, we are one, in love.
There is no me, I or you in this level of love. It is a rare relationship that reaches this level. Too many distractions, drawn down to lower realms by the ego, by the fear and search for God. This level of love is only for those ready to throw themselves into something sacred, and make their relationship the pinnacle of their spiritual and religious journey. Religious and guru worshiping people cannot reach this level of love in relationship.
The Seventh Realm – Unconditional love
I love you. Emptiness. I cannot know time. I love you. Emptiness. I cannot know space. You are not in form, although I know your love. You are not in sound, although I hear your call. We are one soul, one love, one now.
Beyond the realms where voices speak, we are bound more strong than lovers who weep. We sit without mind; we sit in that time and we know each other. I know you when I see mountains so high, a lake so still, a wind so kind. I know you when nature reminds me, I am loved, I am loved, I am loved.
I look to the stars and there you are. I look to the moon; it’s not so far. I look into nothing, to the beauty of all, and there you are, not so far at all. Invisible one, I can see you in the beauty of the simplest world. Never so far. Never so far.
The third mind, the soul, the human spirit knows no sense of self, other, right or wrong. It is mesmerized by the beauty of existence and hence it is beyond the boundary of distraction. The glimpse of the infinite is found in this realm of love. Lovers rise for seconds to this place in orgasm. The sacred relationship holds that as it's most potent truth.

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By Christopher Walker
Synopsis of Chapter in Sacred Love, a book about relationships that last forever.
Chris Walker http://www.chriswalker.com.au

7 Secrets to Work-Life Sanity

2006-10-13T22:11:00.000-07:00

Do you ever feel like Wonder Woman? I have. As a woman juggling a ton of things I've wondered "what the heck happened to my life?"
In fact, there have been times when I wondered if I had much of a "life" at all.
You know what I mean. As a woman you play multiple roles. You're a daughter, grand daughter, sister, niece, girlfriend, wife, business woman, gal pal, volunteer….and sometimes community leader, politician, or in the ministry. And you're exhausted! You want to do it all and do it all well. You don't want to let anyone down, and yet you're losing it. Okay, so maybe you don't need to be checked into to a hospital, but your energy and enthusiasm is slipping, your health is waning, and you wonder if you can keep it all together.
The solution to the problem I've often heard is to have "work-life balance." I understand the intent, but striving for balance hasn't worked for me. The idea of balance is that I evenly divide up my time and energy for every area of my life, like a see-saw with a whole bunch of sides to it with equal weights. But, my life isn't divided up evenly, nor do I think it should be. Right now for example, to grow my business takes a better chunk of my time than, let's say, making dinner, working out, or taking care of pets.
I say forget "balance". Strive for sanity instead! Sanity is feeling at the end of everyday feeling internally satisfied that you used your time and energy on what's most important to you. Here are seven secrets to getting there.
Secret #1 is Know What You Want
Be clear about who and what's important to you. Then make choices to support your decision. If you don't know what I want, there will always be someone who will try to determine it for you.
Secret #2 is Say "No" Without Apology
When you're saying "no" to what you don't want you're saying "yes" to what you do want. Saying no doesn't mean you're being mean or hurting someone else. It means you're taking care of yourself and, often, those you most care about. That's something we should never apologize for!
Secret #3 is Focus on What's Going Right
Focusing your attention on those things that are working and helping you feel good about yourself gives you the necessary self-esteem and staying power for dealing with difficult situations and creating sanity.
Secret #4 is Stay Away From Whiners
Life is too short and requires too much of us to be spending lots of time with people or in situations that don't cheer us on to the best we can be and go for our dreams.
Secret #5 is Get Someone Else to Do It
You really don't have to do it all! Get someone to do the things in your life that really can be done by someone else.
Secret #6 is Take Care of You and You and You
Take care of all of you – the physical you, the emotional you, the mental you, the social you, and the spiritual you. Taking care of yourself gives you staying power. You're not only worth it; you are the only you you've got.
Secret #7 is Be Serious About Not Being So Serious
Don't miss the fun along the way. Be playful! Laugh as much as possible and find the humor that's begging to be discovered. The demands of your fast, full life temporarily melt away.

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By Mary Foley
Copyright (c) 2006 Mary Foley
During a successful, demanding, rising through the ranks 10 year career with America Online Mary learned that the only way to thrive in today’s world is to be bold, positive, and courageous – bodacious! Today Mary inspires women everywhere to be bodacious in their lives, careers and businesses. You can be inspired, too! Get a free copy of Mary’s e-book “How to Be Courageously in Charge of Your Life and Lovin’ It!” at http://www.gobodacious.com/!

How to Choose Your Sexy Lingerie

2006-09-25T23:56:00.000-07:00

So you have decided that it is time to purchase some new sexy lingerie. If you are a regular consumer of lingerie than your previous purchasing experience should be your guide to your future purchases.
As you add to your collection of lingerie, you will begin to get a feel for what types of lingerie you enjoy wearing. For those of you who have limited or no experience in purchasing lingerie, there are many things you should consider.
Keep in mind that there is one main reason for anyone to purchase lingerie. That reason of course is to look as sexy and seductive as possible to whomever it is you want to entice. With that in mind, you will definitely want to find something that flatters your particular body type.
With so many different body types in the world, it is no wonder that there are just as many different types of sexy lingerie to choose from.
Some common types of lingerie are corsets, bustiers, baby dolls, gowns, teddies, camisoles and chemise to name a few. The important thing to consider though is how each type of lingerie will show off your particular figure.
Each lingerie outfit will show off different parts of your body in a different way. Some might draw attention to your breasts while others might show off your buttocks. This is the beauty of being able to choose from a large selection of lingerie.
You will probably want to experiment and try out different styles until you get a better feel for what looks good on you.
Once you have found the style that you feel will be most complimentary to you, the next thing you should consider is comfort.
It used to be that lingerie was extremely uncomfortable for the woman wearing it. Sure, it looked great and served its purpose, but why should you be uncomfortable when you don’t have to?
Lingerie today is much more comfortable than in the past. There are also many different material types to choose from so keep this in mind as you consider making your purchase.
For example, wearing leather lingerie will feel a lot different than wearing satin or lace. Once again, this will be a personal preference that you will determine over time as you try out different styles and fabrics.
So now it is time for you to have some fun and get yourself that sexy lingerie you have been craving. But remember, when choosing your Sexy Lingerie, you will want to stick with the items that highlight your most attractive features while providing you with the comfort you deserve.

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By Mike Harader
Mike Harader is an expert author who writes on several topics including Sexy Plus Size Lingerie, sexy shoes and Leather Lingerie as well as other related and non-related topics.

Learning To Let Go

2006-09-25T23:54:00.000-07:00

Learning to let go
I am a control freak.
Admitting this is absolutely no problem for me, it's a personality trait that I make sure and warn people about if we are working together on almost any level. It's only fair.
To be happy and calm, I organize things the way I need them to be so they make sense for the way life plays out in my existence.
I bring this up because I am having trouble with this broken foot thing. Since this accident, I have had to release my control and hand it over to several others who have always been very happy to let me take the helm. Namely my significantly patient other half (I have not been the easiest of patients), our son (he has had to arrange his limited free time to help out), my co-workers and even my furry children (meal times and walks are no longer part of the things I can do) have had to make adjustments to accommodate me.
Letting others do for me is difficult. I like to pick out my own fruits and vegetables. Cooking is a pleasure for me, not a chore. Power-walking with my beloved Labrador mix has never been a bugaboo, it's a recreation that is just as much a part of me as breathing. So handing over the reins on these activities is making me very cranky.
Okay, it's also probably the 5 pound hot pink weight on my right foot and the damn (pardon the language) walker that has added way more pain than I would like to various joints, but I believe I'm making a point: I do not like having others do "my job"!
Plus, I am finding that, similar to when I was pregnant, many strangers come up to me and tell me their experiences of horror with the "same injury". One lady even told me to just go back to the doctor and insist on taking off the cast and tell him to let me wear a tight tennis shoe and I'd be fine, "look at me, I'm perfectly normal".
And then, she shut the heavy bathroom door to the outside world, so I had to open it while balancing on the walker!
There was also the comments of passersby about a "woman that age wearing a bright pink cast"
Excuse me! This came from two women about 20 years older than me wearing low-riding, sequin embellished jeans! Talk about calling the kettle black!
It's very hard on another plane, I thought once my RA (rheumatoid arthritis) was under control, I would never have to be "out of control" again, so I'm very sure this is playing a big part of my uncertainty about what life will be like in the next couple of months. However, since I have no choice, I guess I'll learn to let go.

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By Carine Nadel
Carine Nadel, 48, is rejuvenating her writing career. Her life gives her plenty of fodder for women's interests, humor and columns. For more of Carine's writings, log on to her blog: http://www.Carine-whatscooking.blogspot.com It and many of her articles may also be read on http://www.fabulously40.com

Coping With Anger and Depression During the Menopause

2006-09-07T02:45:00.000-07:00

Menopause. The word is a scourge to many women. It is the shifting of one stage of life to another – from being a creator of life to a point where that is no longer possible. There are many changes which take place on the biological level which can lead to alterations in mood.
In addition to common symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes, many women develop rapid mood changes, anger, and depression. These mood swings are the result of hormonal changes brought on by menopause. While there is no ‘cure’ for menopause as it is an entirely natural process, hormone therapy is recommended by some doctors. Even with available treatments to ease this potentially troubling period of time, it is necessary for women to learn to cope with the emotional fluctuations associated with menopause.
When a person is angry or depressed for an extended amount of time, and the menopause can last a number of years, it can lead to negative changes in body chemistry. To gain insight into your anger or depression, it is probably a good idea to get a journal or notebook and keep a running list of things that you believe are causing you to feel this way. By externalising what you are feeling, you can give your emotions a more concrete display and you can examine them.
One way to cope with menopause is to join a support group. Since every woman will one day endure menopause, there are plenty of groups available where women can share their experiences with others like them. Not all women experience significant mood changes, however, many do. It is important to speak to others who may be going through the same trials and tribulations as you are.
In addition, it is a good idea to explore methods of keeping yourself at ease and reducing stress and anxiety. Think about heading to a day spa, getting a massage, floating in a pool, meditation, purchasing a relaxation tape, taking a warm bath, learning breathing exercises, and taking up yoga.
If you have never heard of the Bach remedies, it may be a good idea to check them out. When you take Larch, Wild Rose, Gorse and Gentian together, it may help alleviate some of the symptoms of depression. There are many holistic remedies available that have provided excellent results.
You can also look into aromatherapy and acupuncture, which not only can provide relief from symptoms of menopause – they can also help you feel better all around. Hypnosis is also an interesting avenue to explore. Through hypnosis you may be able to eliminate some of the behaviors that are troubling you. Hydrotherapy, light therapy, and sound therapy are also treatments that may help you feel better and give you the peace of mind to combat the emotional symptoms of menopause.
If you are depressed for an extended period of time it is suggested that you contact a mental health professional such as a psychologist. Just a few sessions of counselling may help you get in touch with your feelings and realize that they are essentially a reaction to hormonal fluctuations. While it may be difficult to control at all times, encountering your issues up close and personally may give you the strength to overcome them.
Anger and depression are common symptoms of menopause. With help, knowledge, and support you can overcome them. There is no reason that you have to remain feeling angry and depressed for an extended period of time. You owe it to yourself to take control of your situation by seeking the help that you need or implementing coping strategies. Waiting around for things to get better won’t change a thing and will probably make your life and the lives of those around you more difficult.

______________________

By Kathryn Whittaker
Kathryn Whittaker has an interest in Menopause. For further information on Menopause please visit http://www.natural-menopause-relief-secrets.com/menopause.html

Infertility Testing in Women

2006-09-05T04:41:00.000-07:00

Measurement of hormone levels not related to blood or urine may also yield information about infertility. For example, certain conditions that are associated with abnormally high male hormones such as testosterone or cortisonelike hormones can cause infertility. Also follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) are two messenger hormones that play essential roles in the delicate ovulation mechanism. If these are presenting slightly reduced or elevated amounts or do not fluctuate appropriately during the month, infertility may result. The hormone prolactin (which plays an important role in breast milk production) may be abnormally elevated and be the cause of infertility. Treatment of this elevated hormone level with the drug bromocryptine will in many cases cure the infertility.
A hysterosalpingogram is a test used to study the uterus and fallopian tubes. It can be done in a hospital or in the office of a radiologist. A speculum is inserted into the vagina and the cervix is grasped with a tenaculum. A dye-injection apparatus is then attached to the cervix, the dye is slowly injected into the uterus and X-rays are taken. Most women feel the injection of the dye to be about as uncomfortable as moderate menstrual cramps. The X-rays show the internal outlines of the uterus and fallopian tubes as the dye fills them. If there is any abnormality in the shape or size of the uterus or a blockage in the fallopian tubes, this may show up on the X-rays.
This test also gives valuable information to a DES-exposed woman prior to a pregnancy. The degree of abnormality of the shape of the uterus is predictive of the chances of premature labor during the pregnancy and will help determine how closely such as woman needs to be monitored during pregnancy.
A postcoital test (PC test) is a painless, simple test that often can yield important information in the evaluation of an infertile couple. This test is done around the time of ovulation. You must come to the physician's office within a specified number of hours after intercourse. A speculum examination is done and a small sample of the cervical mucus and vaginal fluid is taken and examined miscroscopically. This examination will show if the cervical mucus is normal and if the sperm are active and alive. If sperm are alive and active, this is presumptive evidence that sperm antibodies are not a problem.
Laparoscsopy is often the final step in an infertility workup. This is done in a hospital, usually with general anesthesia, although local anesthesia can be used. A small incision is made just below the navel and a long needle is inserted into the abdominal cavity. The abdominal cavity is filled with carbon dioxide gas. The laparoscope, a long, narrow, lighted tube, is inserted into the abdominal cavity to permit viewing of the pelvic organs. Dye is injected into the uterus. The physician can look through the laparaoscope and see whether the dye spills out of the ends of the fallopian tubes, thus determining if the tubes are open or blocked. In addition, laparoscopy can diagnose endometriosis, pelvic adhesions and previous pelvic infections.

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By Michael Russell
Michael RussellYour Independent guide to Infertility

Understanding Women with ADD

2006-09-05T04:39:00.000-07:00

According to recent studies, men are more prone to ADD than in women. Even with such a fact in mind, it is important to look into women suffering from ADD more closely. Attention deficit disorder (ADD) is said to be a neurological disorder rather than it is a psychological problem. The first signs of ADD would be noticeable as early as childhood. It is characterized by impulsiveness, hyperactivity, and lack of concentration. In most women, symptoms include forgetfulness and procrastination. In the office setup, she may have difficulty handling paperwork, may seem disorganized and often late for work. Although a lot of studies are conducted in the quest for creating a direct solution to ADD, up until today, there is no clear treatment for this disorder just yet.
Why are women at risk? Woman by nature are thinking persons and they tend to internalize more than men do. Society dictates that woman should play the role of a wife, a mother, a homemaker and a career woman. Such responsibilities can add up to the stress and depression that she may keep deep within.
The symptoms of ADD may prove to be an advantage in some cases. The spontaneity and reserved energy of a woman can do her good when doing most household activities. At some point ADD may cause a woman to be disorganized and eventually misbehave in some aspects. When this happens, one should seek the help of a professional.
A woman may not be aware that she has ADD. When diagnosed with such a disorder, then she would learn to accept and understand her own behavior. At this point, her family, especially her loved ones, should provide strong support system to minimize and finally eradicate the symptoms of ADD.
When diagnosed with ADD the first thing a woman should do is to accept her limitations. Prioritize what you need to get done and focus on the job at hand. Never crowd your mind with problems. From time to time, take a break and relax. Make use of planners or boards to jot down your day’s activities. This way, life would seem more organized and well planned. Doing one duty at a time makes life more livable.

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By Jason Rickard
Jason Rickard is the owner of Your Favourite Shop - Offering White Noise and Relaxation CDs - Visit Hapa Health for more articles.

Relationships between Women

2006-09-05T04:23:00.000-07:00

Love relationships between women and men are difficult, complex, and sometimes overwhelming, and authors, experts, and friends are always willing to offer advice on how to overcome them. In a welcome and overdue twist on the old theme, many authors have decided over the years to explore the intense nature of friendships between women, so widely experienced yet traditionally downplayed.
Experts suggest that women's friendships are rooted in the bonds between a mother and a daughter. Subconsciously competing for the love of the same man, husband and father, the relationship of future women friends is directly related to the experience a woman had while growing up. With this backdrop of keen identification, a woman can often "feel" the very pain or joy that her friend may be experiencing. But along with this astonishing intimacy, however, come the usual strains of mutual dependency between mother and daughter. As numerous examples illustrate, a woman may be scarred for life and never forget the devastation she might feel in case she gets betrayed or abandoned by another woman. As many women can regretfully attest, these negative and stressful feelings are generally associated with the pain of ending a love relationship with a man due to a friend's act.
Most frequent than in men's friendships, feelings of jealousy, competition, anger and guilt inevitably arise in women's friendships, due to the threat they feel in balancing a relationship with another woman and yet maintain a healthy, open and intimate relationship with a man. Moreover, these competitive feelings might arise when one friend gets a new job while another does not succeed the same, if one falls in love and the other feels extremely lonely at that time, in case one wants to have a child and has yet to stand painfully by her friend's pregnancy. Psychotherapists advocate that women friends openly acknowledge the negative feelings between them in the belief that differences, if are successfully sorted out, can lead to a much fuller friendship.
If you are interested in exploring this provocative subject and you feel secure enough to discuss it with your female friend, try opening up some of the hidden and more difficult aspects of your friendship and you will probably be amazed with the things you will discover for the other person's inner feelings apart from your own thoughts. In fact, such matters are daily the main subject of discussion between many women friends who want to explore them further, with the help of their good female friend.

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By Kadence Buchanan
Kadence Buchanan writes articles on many topics including Women, Beauty, and Women's Health

Menopause and Diabetes

2006-08-17T22:43:00.000-07:00

Menopause can cause hormone levels to change, and can also cause blood glucose levels to change. Hypoglycemia can be one of the first signs of menopause for a diabetic woman. During menopause, women often have to change their medication or insulin dosages. Monitoring the blood glucose levels is the key to managing diabetes during diabetes.
Women with type 1 diabetes may experience menopause earlier than other women. Women with type 2 diabetes may go through menopause later than other women, particularly if they are above the suggested weight. Estrogen levels do not decrease as rapidly in heavier women.
Sometimes during menopause, women find they have negative sexual side effects. These can include vaginal dryness, increase in yeast infections, and urinary tract infections. See your doctor to discuss how you can manage these side effects, with possible hormone replacement therapy, or changes to your insulin and medication.
During menopause, it is important to maintain an active lifestyle. Some women stop exercising during menopause, and then they begin to gain weight, which in turn affects their ability to absorb insulin. It is also important to keep track of your diet during menopause, because having a well-balanced diet not only helps with diabetes management, but also with coping with menopause.
Consider cutting alcohol and caffeine out of your diet to limit hot flashes. Both alcohol and caffeine alter your body’s natural homeostasis and, as such, can worsen many problems associated with menopause. Eating legumes and soy products can help you during menopause as well. These contain phytoestrogen (plant estrogen), and as such, can help you stabilize your hormones.
One of the major difficulties for diabetics in dealing with menopause is the fact that some of the symptoms of diabetes and menopause can be very similar. Both menopause and low blood sugar can cause dizziness, elevated body temperatures, moodiness, and short-term memory loss. High blood sugar, like menopause, can cause fatigue. The way to tell if your symptoms are diabetes related or menopause related is to test your blood sugar. This means that you will have to do more blood testing than you are used to, but it also means that you won’t accidentally give yourself a surge in blood sugar because you mistook your menopause symptoms for signs of low blood sugar.
While many doctors treat menopause as a medical “condition” or “problem” that needs to be treated, remember that menopause is actually a natural transition for a woman. Try to change your lifestyle before changing your medication.

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By Vivian Brennan
Vivian Brennan is an expert on diabetes, and is currently an editor at The Guide to Diabetes (http://www.theguideto-diabetes.com/living_with_diabetes/) She is living with and managing her diabetes. She believes in educating people about diabetes to help manage diabetes, prevent complications, and improve lifestyles.

Factors in Deciding on Cosmetic Surgery

2006-07-31T05:32:00.000-07:00

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?

2006-07-20T06:47:00.000-07:00

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

2006-07-11T02:27:00.000-07:00

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

2006-07-11T02:24:00.000-07:00

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.

The Allure of the Unavailable Man

2006-06-21T03:28:00.000-07:00

DATING ADVICE
You’ve heard this story a bunch of times, right? Of perhaps lived it yourself? The irresistible man who sends mixed signals; one minute he’s crazy about you – calling and showering you with all kinds of attention. Then, when you find yourself succumbing to his charms, and let yourself believe he’s completely into you, he doesn’t call you for a few days/weeks. And you just can’t seem to pull away…he’s got a magnetic pull that is so strong!
How can you break this pattern?
WE KNOW MORE THAN WE THINK WE DO
It is my observation (and belief) that we know things about people the instant we lay eyes on them, even though many of those aspects of their personality don’t “appear” in the beginning. When those qualities finally “emerge” out of left field, we feel betrayed, confused, or heartbroken.
I see women as powerful, intuitive beings. One of the key ways to observe this power is in the fact that most women repeat the same story with men (or as one saying goes: “same guy, different haircut”). It is NOT an accident, or a coincidence. It is your uncanny attraction system at work.
THE LAW OF ATTRACTION
Simply put, the Law of Attraction states that “like attracts like”. So, if you have been attracting the same type of man, the best thing to do (as painful or frightening as this may seem) is to ask yourself what you could learn about yourself by understanding what you’re attracting in men. Remember that the truth shall set you free; it’s going on, whether or not you want it to be true. You may as well receive the gift of the feedback you’re getting about yourself, because if it’s true, it’s impacting your life everywhere.
Of course, you probably also want to stop putting yourself in the situation of being with a man that is unavailable. Do whatever you must so that you can stop spending time with/around him. It is hard to sail into your brilliant future, while tethered to the mooring of your patterns of attraction.
LEARNING THE HARD WAY
My profound learning about this came years ago, when I was married for the first time. As I was going from marriage counseling to divorce counseling, I was trying to figure out HIS issues, and how it was that HE was so unavailable that it made the marriage impossible. As I slowly unearthed the truth about my own lack of availability to intimacy, it became clear how inevitable it was that I ended up with a man like him.
THE ROAD TO CONNECTION
I’m happy to report that it IS possible to change the pattern, so you can have an intimate, loving, committed relationship. Hey, if I could do it, anyone can!
There are five steps that will get you there:
1. Acknowledge the truth about your own lack of availability – you cannot get where you want to go, if you are not clear about where you are to start with!
2. Get into some type of supportive environment where you can take risks with being intimate and vulnerable...you may be “faking it ‘til you make it” at first, but you will get there.
3. Have a clear vision about the kind of relationship you really want – it is a wonderful way to keep yourself on track, and moving towards your dream.
4. Be gentle with yourself through your growth process – it can be daunting to learn to consistently BE what you are seeking.
5. Celebrate ALL your successes...big, small, and anything in between!
IN CONCLUSION
You will attract who you are. Paying attention to the types of men you attract is a very powerful way to learn about yourself – and it requires honesty and strength to do so. With the right support, and with the right vision, you can get there. Just remember, if you have been that consistent in attracting the same type of man, imagine what is possible when you focus that power towards what you intentionally want!

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By K Jones
KAREN JONES is the founder of The Heart Matters, a relationship coaching and seminar company that’s been successfully helping women since 1997 have the relationship they’ve always dreamed of. To learn how Karen can help you enjoy the dating process, understand who the right man is for you, and/or create (or maintain) a fulfilling marriage, please visit her website: http://www.TheHeartMatters.com. To receive the complimentary monthly newsletter, “Ask the Coach”, and also get the immediately downloadable bonus gift “Three Things You Can Begin Doing Right Now to Dramatically Improve Your Relationships with Men” please go to: http://www.TheHeartMatters.com/Newsletter_Signup.htm.

Mindfulness and Love: A Pierced Heart

2006-06-02T00:56:00.000-07:00

Our 18-year-old daughter has fallen head over heels in love here in Mexico. We've all learned a lotfrom the experience, but Tara hasbeen forever changed because of her relationship with Gustavo. In the beginning, we had our doubts. Tara first saw Gustavo when she wentto Black House, a local store selling band t-shirts and body jewelry. Shewent to get her nose pierced, and despite the fact that she bled a bitmore than she expected, she was completely smitten by the piercer. Now, most parents of 18-year-old daughters don't take it too seriously when they hear that someone is "so cute" and "so nice". We completely dismissed her initial interest. However, Tarastarted going to Black House almostevery day to "check out the t-shirts"and it became apparent that she hada crush on the piercer. After a few weeks of this, Tara'sno-nonsense German friend, Lisa, gotsick and tired of the swooning and decided to take matters into her own hands. On one outing to Black House, she asked Gustavo what he was doingthat night, and then dragged Tara toJungle Juice where she proceeded to knock their heads together. It was the beginning of a truly beautiful and unique relationship with someone Tara would never have even talked to two years ago. It turns out that Gustavo is a 22-year-old high school drop-out from a very poor family. But he's not at all what you'd think of based on that description.This is a guy who reads the works ofShakespeare, Kant, and Nietzsche
and though he isn't at all religious,
he has read the Bible three times in
order to, as he puts it, "know what it's
all about." He writes poetry. He keeps
notebooks full of drawings and ideas.
He memorizes lyrics--in English--even
though he doesn't speak the language at all. He looks up each word he doesn't know so he will be able to understand what the songs are meant to convey. Tara's previous crushes tended to bevery white-bread suburban American boys who played soccer, went to their parents' church, and planned to study sports medicine in college.Tara was always a straight-and-narrow kid with little tolerance forthose she might regard as slackersor weirdos. At 16, she spent a yearin Brazil, which gave her a much greater appreciation for culturaldifferences and a zest for nightlifeand international friendships. Still, she came down to Mazatlanthinking she'd spend what would havebeen her senior year (she graduated early) improving her Spanish with nochance of meeting anyone worthyof her time or interest.She never expected to connect withanyone deeply, and she certainly didn't have any idea that love wouldcome and pierce her heart.Gustavo (we dubbed him "Pierce" for obvious reasons) is a deep thinkerwho is romantic, gentle and kind. He has a warm and loyal group of friends who are also self-educated and passionate about ideas. He is very close to his sister and brother, and works extremely hard to earn a living and help his family while his father remains unemployed.Because of Pierce, Tara has been introduced to a world she never knew existed. She has become part of a group of friends who love and support each other and live their ideals. Theyhave intimate all-night gatherings on the beach to talk, laugh, drink beerand watch the moonlight reflected on the ocean.Back in Oregon, Tara would be having intimate all-night gatherings of girlsin pajamas watching chick movies and giggling over pizza and ice cream. She viewed the whole black t-shirt crowd as too angst-ridden, and wasso focused on her education that she'd never consider going out with someone who had dropped out of school in the ninth grade. A month from now, our family willbe moving to Argentina and Tara will be on her way to Europe, where she will reconnect with the Belgian and Austrian friends she met in Brazil and spend a semester going to the University of Marburg in Germany. From there, she'll head to college in Canada, where she is likely to enter as a junior. Tara was born in Japan, has traveled in India and Nepal, lived in Brazil and Mexico and is likely to explore a dozen more countries. Pierce has never left Mexico--and probably never will. Tara speaks English, Portuguese, and Spanish and is learning German. Pierce speaks only Spanish. Tara corresponds with her friends around the world daily via email and IM. Pierce has no computer--nor any computer skills.Tara has learned about privilege and parity. She sees that she was born lucky, essentially winning the global lottery by virtue of her U.S. passport and American middle-class family. She knows that school isn't the only way to learn, that money doesn't make you smarter or kinder, and that income has nothing to do with the quality of your relationshipsor the depth of your soul.I've watched Tara's heart expand exponentially these last few months. I've seen her grow from a cynical teenager to a tender, thoughtful adult. As a mother, I am deeply grateful to have had Gustavo in our lives this year. He has stretched our minds, expanded our views, and pierced our hearts. There's sure to be some excessive bleeding as we say goodbye.

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By Maya Talisman Frost
Maya Talisman Frost has taught thousands of people how to pay attention. Her playful, eyes-wide-open approach to mindfulness has been featured in over 150 publications worldwide. To read her free tips and tricks for practical awareness, visit http://www.Real-WorldMindfulness.com

Acupressure Reduces Many Signs Of Aging - It's Plain Healthy

2006-05-26T01:46:00.000-07:00

Is Acupuncture Real And Useful or Not?
Yes. It doesn’t replace Western Medicine with this ancient Eastern art, but the proof is that it works on specific maladies.
“Acupuncture is an effective, non-pharmacological method to reduce intra-operative nausea during elective cesarean section in the awake patient.” BJ Stein, St. Luke’s Hospital; and Columbia University, college of Physicians and Surgeons.
This research was published in 1997, and has been continually cited in other scientific reports through 2005, on ‘morning-sickness’ and ‘motion-sickness’.
Dr. Robert O. Becker, twice nominated for the Nobel, said in “Cross Currents: The promise of electro-medicine is: our bodies are filled with electromagnetic energy; meridians, and pressure points contain large amounts of such energy - that non-acupuncture do not exhibit.
Does it impress you that the use of acupuncture, and its sister system – acupressure,are 3,000 years old? Acupuncture is the use of needles at the ‘meridians’, while acupressure is the application of manipulation of the pressure points using the fingers or a tool.
One thing to remember is that acupressure is based on the ‘pulse’ being felt because the spot underlies an ‘artery’. It is neither voodoo nor random massage.
Acupuncture was first reported in the U.S. when Nixon went to China in February 1972 to meet Chairman Mao. In 2006 there are almost 10,000 physicians practicing acupuncture in the U.S., and the federal government endorses research by offering grants.
Auto-Acupressure
We suggest that you can gain the benefits of acupressure without the help of a physician, using your own hands. Another method is using simple tools to trigger the healing reflexes of our body, when linked to our mental imagery strategies.
Grab a tubular stick, the wooden part of a mop or broom, or a foot massage ‘roller’sold in sporting goods and natural health stores. Some of our graduates manipulate one-foot at a time, others want to release the stress or initiate massage in both feet simultaneously. Your choice.
The areas to use a ‘roller’ for acupressure are: your feet, hands, face, and ears. A pen or pencil produces excellent results on the face and ears.
Reflexology
Millions of people worldwide act on the belief that the foot, face and ears contain links to the organs and glands of the body. They believe that massage of one produces an efficacious effect on the other. There is no scientific evidence that massage of ‘reflex points’ on the foot produces an improvement of a particular organ’s condition.
The only good result of daily massage is improved circulation, and flexibility of the manipulated muscles, tendons and ligaments. Still, it is non-invasive and potentially useful.
Two-Minute BIS™ Behavioral Intelligence Strategy
Step #1 – find a foot roller or use a tubular-stick to place under your naked feet.
Step #2 – sit down, hands on top of your thighs, and drop your shoulders in relaxation.
Step #3 – eyes open, focus on your feet, and begin to do a log-roll using the palms of your feet. Move from your toes to your heel, and back. Continuous massage by rolling your feet back-and-forth often produces warmth in your abdomen or other areas of your body. You have one-minute and about 25 slow rolls to perform.
Step #4 – Simultaneously inhale a diaphragmatic breath, hold it for a count of five, and slowly exhale – while rolling from toes to heels. This releases stresses and excites the activation of ‘endorphins’ of deep relaxation.
Step #5 – Now, close your eyes while simultaneously rolling your feet from toes to heels, and mental visualize on the movie-screen of your imagination in great detail exactly what you are physically doing. The goal is both mentally-seeing the virtual reality, and physically exercising. You have one-minute and about 25 slow rolls to perform.
Step #6 – Prior to opening your eyes and getting back to work, mentally repeat and hear subvocally – “And it is so!”, with great enthusiasm. This Target Affirmation doubles the strength of your acupressure exercise.
Endwords
You are responsible for your own experiment. The results improve if you follow the law of 21, practicing this six-step exercise for three-weeks until it becomes an ‘engram’, a memory-trace. After that you may use this acupressure method to randomly improve your immune system and perhaps relieve pain at specific times.
Speedlearners are interested in strategies that produce stressbusting, and perhaps increase the activity of our immune system. For many years we have been offering this strategy to graduates. Many have embraced it, and none have complained of any negative feedback.
We have received scores of recommendations about the roller acupressure system.
“It’s not that some folks have willpower and others don’t.
It’s that some people are ready for self-improvement, and others
are scared of change.”
Evelyn Wood
Can you remember the last personal-growth skill you added to your arsenal?
Would it improve your career to read-and-remember three (3) books articles and reports in the time your peers can finish just one?
See ya,
copyright © 2006www.speedlearning.orghbw@speedlearning.org

------------------------------

By H. Bernard Wechsler
Author of Speed Reading for Professionals, published by Barron's Educational, partner of Evelyn Wood, creator of Speed Reading, graduated 2 million, including the White House staff of four U.S. Presidents.

Relief for Premenstrual and Menopausal Tension

2006-05-26T01:44:00.000-07:00

Clary Sage (Salvea Sclerea) - An especially inviting, softly floral and sweet oil! Clary Sage can have a deeply soothing effect on nervous tension in both men and women.
Clary Sage is well known for having a natural affinity with the female reproductive organs and is especially helpful for release of premenstrual and menopausal tension in women.
Clary Sage has a balancing effect on hormones and a reputation for easing painful contractions during labor and birth.
Traditionally it has been added to Geranium to help regulate and relieve female complaints associated with hormonal imbalance, such as irregular menses and menopausal symptoms, including headache, nausea, tearfulness, moodiness, bloating, indigestion and depression.
Clary Sage also has a balancing effect upon circulation and aids circulatory problems like high blood pressure and varicose veins.
For some people Clary Sage has an especially hypnotic effect on the mind and emotions producing exceedingly tranquil and peaceful states. It is especially helpful for relieving stressful or tense physical and emotional states of mind.
AROMATIC BLENDS: Geranium, Petitgrain, Lavender, Bergamot, Atlas and Himalayan Cedarwood, Chamomile, Frankincense, Sandalwood and Vetiver.
CAUTION: As Clary Sage can make some people feel exceedingly woozy and faint please avoid using it with alcohol, or when driving, or needing to focus. Because of its hormonal effect avoid during pregnancy, or when nursing. Due to its estrogen-like effect it may cause complications with conditions sensitive to estrogen.
Please note: There are many cheap chemical copies of essential oils available, but these are not recommended for therapeutic use. For best results always use ethically wild crafted or pure, organic essential oils that are pesticide free!

___________________________________

By KG Stiles
Aromatherapy is a gentle and noninvasive complementary and alternative health care system used for balancing and synchronizing your body, mind and spirit to enhance your health. Please consult with your physician regarding your health concerns.
KG Stiles is a certified aromatherapist practicing in Ashland, OR USA PurePlant Essentials is her line of pure organic and ethically wild crafted essential oils. KG's DVD & book, "Your Aromatic Signature ~ How to Formulate Blends that Heal," are scheduled for release in 2006. To learn more & purchase: Order Organic Clary Sage Please refer to KG's Essentials Safety Guide before using any aromatic oils! KG invites you to Subscribe to Health Mastery Ezine to WIN FREE Aromatherapy Products. To learn more visit Subscribe To Win Contact: KG Stiles Springhill Wellness Center, 2520 Springhill Drive Ashland, OR USA (541) 941-7315

I Am Woman, Hear Me Set Off The Airport Security Metal Detector

2006-05-26T01:41:00.000-07:00

As I write this I'm sitting in Dulles International Airport waiting for a flight that departs so early it should be illegal. At least it's a cheap ticket. And even though I've only had three hours of sleep I was amused when the security guard surprisingly said "No beep?!" after I walked through the metal detector. Kinda sounded like an airport security pick-up line. This time I got off lucky with no additional wand scan or bag check. That's not always the case, and when I'm "wanded" there's always one article of clothing that sets off the monitor and declares "I am woman!" - my underwire bra.
Increased airport security has stirred some of my female friends to take action. One gal pal is purposely buying a bra without underwire. Another is ready to offer her design ideas to Victoria's Secret for another type of Miracle Bra - one without metal hooks. For some women it's a practical matter of getting through security as fast as possible. But, for others it's a matter of not being embarrassed by drawing attention to the fact that they have breasts, breasts that often need help to stay put and to postpone the effects of gravity.
Bras are considered a necessary item for women, at least for the last 100 years or so. And remember, good girls demonstrate modesty; they would never NOT wear a bra!
Actually, I don't think it's really about modesty, particularly since I'm no longer 13. I think it's about being embarrassed that you're a woman, that you've got body parts that are attractive to about 50% of the population, and that it's your fault you can't better manage those parts so you're not setting off metal detectors. Follow that line of thinking and pretty soon you feel bad for taking up space, ta-tas and all.
This is one time I'm glad the term bodacious is sometimes associated with ta-tas. Bodacious Women know they have breasts and aren't ashamed. They may wear form-fitting clothing or they may not. They may feel sexy some days because of their breasts or they may find them inconvenient protrusions. No matter the choice, their attitude is the same: no apologies for being a woman.
Growing up a tomboy, I had an adversarial relationship with my chest. Basically, I didn't want one. Breasts didn't help with sports and they made it all too clear to the world that I would no longer be mistaken as Daddy's "little fella." The last ten years I've grown to like the fact that I'm female and that includes breasts. I also don’t take them for granted as I know there's a one in four chance of losing one or both to breast cancer. So, while I have them I'll wear the bra of my choice, or none at all. Hmmm…perhaps that's what was behind the security guard's remarks. Well, for him it will remain a mystery. For me, I'm glad to be a woman knowing I have bra-related and other choices. And, that's bodacious!

____________________________

By Mary Foley
Copyright 2006 Mary Foley
During a successful, demanding, rising through the ranks 10 year career with America Online Mary learned that the only way to thrive in today’s world is to be bold, positive, and courageous – bodacious! Today Mary inspires women everywhere to be bodacious in their lives, careers and businesses. You can be inspired, too! Get a free copy of Mary’s e-book “How to Be Courageously in Charge of Your Life and Lovin’ It!” at http://www.gobodacious.com!

Self Defense For Woman--Fight To Survive An Attack

2006-04-28T06:53:00.000-07:00

SELF DEFENSE FOR WOMEN rnrnby Yoga Kat aka Katheryn Hoban rnrnIf there is ever a moment that you need to physically rndefend yourself, I say don’t hesitate. Fight back. It could save your life. Many physical attacks have been averted because the victim fought back. Statistics indicate thatthe woman who fights has a greater chance of survival andgetting away then a woman who does not resist. If a man is out to attack you, he is out to do you harm anyway. Fighting him will surprise him and because he wants to get away with the least amount of resistance in many cases he will let go of you to escape himself. An attacker doesn’t like a lot of noise, so make a lot of it. Yell as long and hard as you can. Say things that will attract attention.
“HELP HE’S ATTACKING ME!” - “I DON’T KNOW HIM!! HE’S TRYING TO KIDNAP ME! SOMEBODY HELP ME” - “CALL THE POLICE HE’S HURTING ME!” “HELP ME THIS MAN IS FOLLOWING ME!”
If you are in a public place and you are aware that someone is following you or trailing you. Look fully at his face. Make sure that he knows you see him. Say in a very loud voice “I SEE YOU. LEAVE ME ALONE NOW.” “POLICE!! POLICE!!” He will think twice about jumping you. Also if you are alone and you feel someone is following you don’t get yourself coered. Get into an open place, a public place, near people or a person. If you can ask someone to walk you to your car or train take the company and assistance. Again it could mean the difference between being vulnerable alone or avoiding attack with the company of someone else. These are some of the suggestions to avoid attack. They may sound obvious but they are for your reference. Avoid going to dark places by yourself if you can. Go with someone when you can. If there is a lit place or a light, stand under it. Move away from someone who is trying to coer you or crowd you, but don’t move to a place that could be more dangerous for you. For instance don’t move closer to the tracks of a train, if you don’t know what this person is capable of doing. Be aware of who is around you and how many are there. Be aware of people and how they are dressed. Be aware of erratic behavior such as drunkenness, hostility, or confrontational behavior. Be aware of alliances, even if a man is not near someone doesn’t mean that they are not a part of a team.
There will be signs of connection if you observe long enough. You will see interaction that they are trying to disguise; you will see signals to each other or looks. But if something starts to go down, they will make their alliance known. They will come after you together. Also don’t assume that just because you see a woman with a man that they cannot be a threat to you. Many times women can be the lure, and when you drop your guard, and then for many reasons, mostly to please the man that they are with, will let the man attack you or they will attack you together. There are lots of Bonnie and Clyde types out there. Just be aware of alliances.
Other suggestions: Don’t open your purse in public; prepare your money or keys before you leave a place. Carry a key firmly between your two fingers and your thumb with the pointed end exposed. If you are being coered don’t blindly run. Before you go in any direction know if there is an exit or a dead end. When you walk, be aware of the environment. Doorways that someone can hide in, aisle ways, hidden entrances, and natural landmasses that could deter youor is a potential hiding place for someone. Also be aware of places that have people that can help you. Are there coer stores that stay open late, restaurants, Fire stations, Police Stations. Be aware of call boxes and really observe if they are working or not. If you need to make a cell phone call, be aware of landmarks to give some good directions. If you carry a purse, it is better for you if your purse has compartments, and you always keep your things in the purse in the same place. Then when you need your wallet, your cell phone, keys or lipstick you can retrieve it with a momentary glance down or without looking down at all. An organized person is less of a mark or target than a disorganized person. A person who is focused and aware is also less likely to be a victim or a target than a woman who is spacey and distracted. Walk with purpose and direction, not like you don’t know where you are going. Have routes plotted out to your home, and school or store etc. But also have alteative safe routes, be prepared to change direction in a moment if need be. The point is if you know a few ways to get somewhere you can take decisive action and not run blindly. If you are attacked be prepared to fight until you have no more strength left in your body or until he is unconscious.
There are three main areas that a man is particular vulnerable his groin, his eyes and his knees. If someone is attacking you, punch, kick, knee, grab, hit, squeeze, strike, claw him or even bite him in his private parts until you can get free. If he drops to his knees from the blow, strike him in the eyes, or grab the back of his head and knee him in the face, or make fists with both hands and drop them on his head as hard as you can until he falls down. Kick him or punch him repeatedly in the groin area. If you go after his eyes, try to claw them out, or squeeze your hands and fingers together like a bird beak and jab your hands and fingers hard into his eyes. Be prepared that he will lash out at you with his fists or available hand.Brace yourself for any strikes or hits that he may throw at you. He is going to hit you and it is going to hurt. But don’t stop, our life is on the line! If he is attempting to hit you in the head or face with something like a hammer or a stick or hard object, cover your head with your arms and your hands. Keep your arms moving over your head to prevent damage to your head and face. It is better to receive hits on the arm than to your face or head. Kick him with your feet or knee him in the groin while he is attacking you. If you can’t reach his groin kick his knee hard with your heel. Keep kicking him until he releases you. If he knocks you down, curl your legs up to your body and keep your arms and fists by your face to protect your head and face. Look at your target and then really kick out your feet into one of his knees as hard as you can or if you can reach his groin. Forget about trying to reach his head or face, he may grab your legs or feet if you kick out at his face. Land solid blows or strikes to his knees, groin, and his eyes.
If you bring him down, also don’t stop now, go on the offensive. Go after him moving with your feet first. Close in on his head or his groin and use your feet like hammers or an ax and chop downward with your heel into his head or his groin repeatedly wherever he is exposed. Jab your hands into his eyes. Don’t think that just because he is down that he will not get up again. Don’t think that just because you kicked him in the groin once that he will not be able to get up again. He may be so enraged that he throws off the pain to come after you. So keep on the offensive until he stops, or he is unconscious, or that you can break away and get help. Even though you are unarmed you are not defenseless. Think of everything that you are holding as a potential tool or weapon. You can catch him by surprise. Even a rolled up newspaper or magazine, can become something of substance if used right. The end of a rolled up magazine or newspaper can be jabbed into his groin area. Your purse can also be slammed into his groin. A wooden umbrella handle can cause some pain if jabbed into his groin. A broach pin can be jabbed into his eye. A pen or a key can be jabbed into his groin or his eye. If you are wearing high heels, or a shoe with a strong heel, stomp on the instep of his foot. Slam a book or a briefcase into his groin. If he picks you up off the ground, from behind, elbow him repeatedly into his ribs, kick your heel back into his knees or kick up into his groin. Bite him on his hands. Use your hands like fist and slam your fist down and backwards into his groin area, or up and back into his nose. Use your hands like claws and make your hand firm in that claw and throw the hand back and down into his groin as hard as you can. Be aware of everything that you might be able to use.
If you get a hold of an object that is hard like a rock don’t throw it at him, because you may miss and not have another chance with it. Instead hold it firmly in your hand and when he comes at you smash it against his nose, or smash it into his groin. Hold onto the rock because after the first blow, he may not become unconscious, and he may try to use it on you. Don’t give him any advantage. You be ready to use your tool or weapon again until he stops, or the tool becomes a hindrance rather than a help to you. Even if he manages to get you down on the ground the situation is not lost. Keep your wits about you and your focus. He will expect you to fight and when you are down on the ground, you can pretend that you are cooperating, and then when he is sees that you are not resisting, he begins to ease up, then you twist your body out of his grab, roll onto your stomach, get your legs free, tu, look at your target and kick him either in his knee or his groin. If he is sitting on top of your chest towards your head, swing your legs up on either side of him and grab him across the chest with your legs and pull him backwards with your legs. When he falls backwards, release him with your legs, and once again go on the offensive with your feet, chopping him in the groin, or smash your feet down on his head or nose, since he is now on the ground, he will be lower and more easy to reach.
If he takes you down do your best to avoid getting your hands tied or handcuffed, but if that occurs you still have your legs available. Choose your moment, and then fight with all you got. Tell him that you have AIDS or HERPES. Anything to make him think twice. Remember if he is coming after you, it’s his life or yours. His intention is bodily harm. Your intention is to escape or defend yourself, your friend or daughter. When push comes to shove this calls for no-holds bar. There is a great self-defense course that I strongly recommend to all women. You can lea about a lot or all of the techniques that I have just described. In NYC it is called Prepare Inc, and in Boston it is called Impact Model Mugging. It’s website is www.prepareinc.com. The Boston website is www.impactboston.com. It is a course that is designed for women to fight with everything that they have, and it simulates real attacks, from men that are heavily padded and highly trained so that they can receive your blows and strikes with full force. It simulates all sorts of scenarios such as; grabs, takedowns, one person or multiple attackers, rapes, intimidation, robbery, and even the trash talk that the attacker might say. They teach you in a safe environment with a coaching system. You are with a coach the whole way who talks you through it, and if you can’t handle the simulation, it is halted for you. They teach you how to use your body, feet, legs and voice with power, from a standing position or after you have been pulled to the ground.
After the course, you know exactly how to react and what to do, and more importantly how to fight if you need to. It’s an intense 25 hour course and at this time it cost about $500.00 to $600. But you lose your fear and indecisiveness; and develop your confidence. When you finish you know that you can handle anything. It was the best course that I have ever taken and when you are old enough I would certainly enroll you. I have recommended it to my friends and sisters and students. So keep alert and remember keep this article as a reference. It could save your life. You can reach Yoga Kat aka Katheryn Hoban at katscoolcoer@yahoo.

_______________________

By Katheryn Hoban
Yoga Kat also known as Katheryn Hoban survived just such an attack. This article was written to prevent other women from being attacked. She can be reached at katscoolcorner@yahoo.com or 201 970-9340

How to Captivate a Man

2006-04-26T06:06:00.000-07:00

You've gone on one or two dates with a guy, and you're crazy about him. Now how do you keep him interested? How do you keep him coming back for more?
It's easier than it sounds. You don't have to be able to speak a foreign language, live in a loft in a trendy neighborhood, drive a hybrid, or be able to bolt tequila shots without flinching. You don't even have to be particularly great looking. Or funny.
You don't have to be anything but yourself.
Sure, you may be thinking, but I'm not all that interesting. In fact, I'm actually kind of boring.
At the end of the day, who isn't?
The key to captivating a man is to cultivate and maintain interests of your own. This means:
1) You never cancel a night out with a friend to go out with him--ever. (Why don't you just tell the guy you're desperate and afraid to let him out of your sight?)
2) You continue to pursue your hobbies, your career, and your relationships with friends and family at the rate you did before you started dating.
In other words, you keep a full life.
If the guy tells you he can't see you this weekend, don't ask him why. Let him volunteer the information. If and when he does, tell him to have a good time and mean it. Chances are, he'll be intrigued enough to ask you what your plans are for the weekend. Keep your answer vague (especially if you don't already have plans). Tell him that you may go out with friends, and then go home and call one or two to line something up.
It's also quite attractive to a man when you are not available to pick up every time he calls. If the phone rings while you're in the shower, let him leave a message and wonder where you are.
I do not advise you to lie or to play games, and I do not advocate manipulation, but ask yourself:
Do you like men who follow you around, hang on your every word, and call you more often than necessary? Are you turned on by a guy who shows up after you've told him you need a night out with your friends? A guy who's afraid to let you out of his sight?
Of course not.
All of us--men and women--want a "prize" when it comes to dating and relationships. We want someone who will treat us well, but who isn't overly available. Overly available people are not interesting. People who have places to go and people to see are exciting--and a bit mysterious.
Keep a full life, and you will be interesting. You will be captivating. That man you're so crazy about will definitely come back for more!

____________________________________

by: Terry Hernon MacDonald
Terry MacDonald is the happily married author of "How to Attract and Marry the Man of Your Dreams." Sign up for free dating tips at http://www.marrysmart.com. Check out her blog at http://happygirlmusing.blogspot.com.

Celebrity Skin Care Products

2006-04-26T06:02:00.000-07:00

If celebrities know one thing, it is how to stay beautiful. Just imagine the pressure they must be under to always look their best. In the case of the A-list actors and actresses, they can barely leave their homes without being photographed. Those photos end up on the covers of every magazine in every supermarket checkout in America. Poor Britney…
In recent times, a number of celebrities have launched their own skin care and cosmetic lines. It makes a lot of sense, if you think about it. Why not capitalize on the fame they have established in their respective careers? Smart celebrities have taken the endorsement scenario to another level entirely. Instead of endorsing existing products, many of them have simply launched their own lines.
Cindy Crawford is one such example. After a highly successful modeling career, Cindy dropped out of the modeling scene to settle down and start a family. A few years later, Cindy decided to capitalize on her name by launching a line of specialized skin care formulas. She partnered with the famous French cosmetic surgeon, Jean-Louis Sebagh, to create Meaningful Beauty. They offer a wide range of skin care products designed to reduce free radicals and stimulate the growth of collagen, both of which are necessary to fight the effects of aging. Well done, Cindy!
Fresh-faced freshmen, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, are everywhere these days. These girls have been in the entertainment industry since they were just a few months old, and they have build up a veritable cosmetic and fashion empire in recent years. These girls are highly influential with the "tween" crowd. They have a wonderfully fun line of cosmetics for young girls, that includes metallic mascara and sparkle applications that are crayon-like in their appearance. Smart kids, indeed!
Jessica Simpson has also started her own line of skin care products. After her recent television and movie endeavors, there is no doubt that she should be exploring her career options. Her line of skin care products is called Dessert Beauty, and is produced in conjunction with a fellow named Randi Shinder. This line is more focused on lotions and lip balms with scents like strawberry and vanilla bean. It's good to see that Jessica has plan B in effect!

__________________________

by: Alisha Burke

Alisha Burke lives in NYC, and is completely obsessed with Gawker Stalker. When she is not keeping tabs on her favorite celebrities, she writes for yourskin101.com – an amazing resource for information about skin care for teens ( http://www.yourskin101.com/specialized-skin-care/skin-care-teens.aspx ), skin disorders ( http://www.yourskin101.com/skin-disorders/skin-disorder-chart.aspx ), acne prevention ( http://www.yourskin101.com/zit-zone/tips-preventing-acne.aspx ) and more.

How to Captivate a Man

2006-04-15T03:22:00.000-07:00

___________________________________

by: Terry Hernon MacDonald

Terry MacDonald is the happily married author of "How to Attract and Marry the Man of Your Dreams." Sign up for free dating tips at http://www.marrysmart.com. Check out her blog at http://happygirlmusing.blogspot.com.

20 Reasons Women Choose Self-Defense At Home

2006-04-15T03:17:00.000-07:00

Self-defense is a necessity. Crime and violence is on the rise and no neighborhood is immune from this terrible onslaught. Why take years to learn the basics of self-defense when you can learn some highly effective, deadly accurate moves in just a few hours. Practice them periodically and refine your knowledge.
Why Learn the Art of Self-Protection at Home?
1. Increase in your self-confidence.
The more you learn and understand the basics of self-defense; your self-confidence levels will increase. When your confidence goes up it will spill over into all areas of your life. People will notice a change in you. Your step will have more spring to it.
2. You work in areas where you have to walk alone at night to your car.
Most places women work at don’t offer security guards to accompany you to your car after work; you are on your own. Attacks in parking lots and parking garages are increasing. Those are areas that are usually semi isolated and not well patrolled or lit. They’re a prime place for attacks.
3. Reduce your worry so you can sleep better.
When people are plagued with fear and worry their sleep suffers. Lack of sleep creates anxiety, depression and a general bad mood. You get mad easy and your temper flares up quickly. Your relationship with your family and friends can suffer because of your lack of sleep.
4. Get more exercise.
Today our country has the most obese, out of shape and tired people, in the entire world. Heart attack rates have dramatically increased over the years. A lack of sleep can shorten your life span considerably. The exercise you get with our program isn’t a lot. But we do find that people start to feel better about themselves as they start to put more effort in the exercise portion of their lives. This in turn leads to greater health.
5. You’ll learn in your in your own home and at your own pace.
Most women today are very busy, as both husband and wife need to work to make ends meet. That just doesn’t leave a lot of time to travel to a dojo to workout several times a week.
6. You can invite a friend to workout with you.
It really takes dedicated people to drive themselves and workout trying to accomplish a goal such as self-defense. The chore turns into a fun task when you have someone to share the experience with. Invite a friend over and both can learn the program together. It makes the process that much more realistic too. Having a real person to practice the moves on is the way to go.
7. Violent crimes are increasing and happening in all neighborhoods.
It doesn’t matter where you live anymore; all neighborhoods are experiencing some sort of increase in crime. Granted, some areas are much safer than others, but the trend is still everywhere. You owe it to yourself and your family to prepare for any encounter.
8. Want to loose weight.
It’s a proven fact, any type of activity is good for you and most activities will help you hold or even loose weight. I understand some people have medical problems with their weight and I’m not talking to that segment of the population. The rest need to work in this area. How about being around to enjoy your grandkids?
9. No monthly fees.
With our program at PDS Personal Defense Systems you pay once and never have any monthly fees like you would have at a dojo or gym. Put the money you’ll save into a new wardrobe as the weight comes off and you tone up.
10. How to instantly spot potentially dangerous situations and avoid them.
It’ll surprise you, as you become more aware, how many dangerous situations are happening all around you. Learn to spot them and avoid them. If you can’t, learn how to deal with them in your favor with self-defense.
11. You’ll learn how to keep your mind active, alert, and open.
As your mind becomes more active, your senses start to open up and you’ll naturally become more alert to dangerous situations. You’ll spot them instantly and avoid them completely.
12. You’ll learn how to be in control and stay in control.
As you practice you’ll learn what control is, and when that happens you’ll know how to stay in control. Sometimes in a panic situation it won’t look like you’re in control, but in fact you will be. If things happen to get out of control, you’ll learn how to regain the upper hand.
13. You’ll learn you don’t have to be perfect to be extremely effective.
Unlike traditional martial arts, perfection isn’t necessary. Execution of each move, geared to your particular body style, is what makes this system work. If a particular move doesn’t feel right to you, keep the basic structure but change it to fit your body style.
14. You’ll learn to function automatically.
As you gain confidence and skill, through the action of the mind training the body training the mind, you’ll notice you’re starting to just react to certain situations. Women who don’t know how to react in panic situations tend to freeze up. Some will try to fight back but will actually only make the situation worse because they don’t know how to effectively strike their attacker.
15. You’ll learn how these techniques can be taught to every member of the family.
Once you learn the system, teach it to your family members. If they aren’t interested in learning everything, teach them some of the most lethal and important moves.
16. You’ll learn that self-defense is actually fun.
As you progress through the various lessons you’ll start to enjoy what is happening to you and your training partner. You’ll have a lot of fun as you progress in knowledge and understanding of women’s self-defense.
17. You’ll learn how to end every assault quickly and get back to safety.
An assault is generally won or lost in the first 5 seconds. You need to know the deadly moves to use during that time frame. If it drags out too long, you’ll become too tired and won’t be effective. Learn to strike quickly and precisely at the most sensitive pressure points on your assailant’s body.
18. You’ll learn about preventive defense, and how to stay out of compromising situations.
It’s better NOT to ever get into a fight. By noticing bad situations before they come your way you start to understand the art of preventive defense. Drive away from a questionable area; don’t walk through a crowd if it doesn’t feel right to you.
19. Learn to trust in your instincts.
This area is ignored much too often. Pay attention to that inner voice all of us have even if it seems silly to you at times. It is always better to be safe, than sorry.
20. Learn to always smile and look at the good in all situations.
This doesn’t mean you bury your head in the sand. It simply means start to become a positive person. Life is much too short to be a grump. Smile and enjoy what you have. If you don’t have much, smile and know that it’s up to you to move to a higher level in life.
The high paced world we are living in is becoming increasingly unsafe across all racial and class barriers. It is time to get the knowledge to fight back and regain our freedom.

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by: Ken Keiscome

Ken Keiscome has been studying martial arts since the mid 1970's. His training includes karate, wing chun kung fu, and defensive knife and stick fighting. He is the author of the workbook for the PDS Personal Defense System and has narrated and produced several self defense CD's. He believes that all women need to know a few lethal techniques to effectively defend themselves and escape to safety.
kenkeiscome@pdsPersonalDefenseSystems.com

How to Prevent Your Nipples Needing Band-Aids

2006-04-03T05:10:00.000-07:00

In the olden days, mothers were told to toughen their nipples to avoid pain when the baby started breastfeeding. Rubbing with a wash cloth, pumping and even alcohol was once used to toughen the nipples.
The number one reason a new mother has sore nipples is poor positioning and latching, not the lack of preparation. Possibly, the baby is not turned toward the mother or the baby’s mouth is not over the nipple but on the tip. Some babies go onto the breast with a wide mouth, yet slide down to the tip of the nipple.
Another reason for sore nipples may be that the mom is feeling exhausted and doesn’t think she can deal with one more demand, including sore nipples. Some women are so happy that the baby is sucking, and accept the pain. Pain with latching is not normal and needs to be addressed. The sooner the mother fixes the problem, the sooner she will have pain-free breastfeeding.
PREVENTING SORE NIPPLES:
• First of all, the baby’s body needs to be completely turned in facing Mom. The baby's ear, shoulder and hip needs to be in a straight line. Occasionally, when observing a latch, I notice the baby's body facing away from Mom, yet the head is turned in toward the nipple sucking on the tip. Ouch! Make sure the baby's bottom is also tucked in close to help prevent this.
• You want to have a good breastfeeding pillow to help bring baby’s nose level to the nipple. The baby can not latch properly if the baby is sliding down. If you don’t have a breastfeeding pillow, use about 3-4 pillows.
• When an infant is skin-to-skin with its mother, the baby knows what to do instinctively. Not only will the baby wake up sooner, she will breastfeed more efficiently.
• The baby's mouth needs to be as wide as if eating a large sandwich. With one hand hold the baby’s neck and with the other hand, hold your breast in the "C" position. This position is called the cross cradle and the best position to use if you are experiencing sore nipples. With your nipple, tease the baby. Move the nipple from the baby’s nose to chin in a straight line. When the baby opens wide, as if eating a large sandwich, bring her into the breast quickly. This will not hurt the baby. It is like falling into a pillow. If the baby does not open wide, then you are to repeat this until she does.
• Make sure that you are holding your breast properly. Hold your breast in the "C" hold. Bring your four fingers completely underneath your breast and lift up. With your thumb, lay it on the top line of your areola. Remember to have your fingers stay on the edge of the areola.
• Sometimes, mothers feel discomfort during the first 10 seconds of an initial feed. This may or may not be normal. However, if pain continues throughout the feed and/or the nipple looks like a ski slope after the feed, then perhaps the latch and positioning need evaluating.
• You can also fix the latch while the baby is latched onto the breast. Get the baby to open wide first, bring her in and then check the lips. You want the top and bottom lips to be flanged, over the nipple, not tucked in. Depending on which breastfeeding position you are using, use your thumb or pointer finger to help flip the top lip out. To bring the bottom lip out, use your pointer finger and pull down in front of the baby's chin. You may need to do this several times during the feeding to teach the baby to keep her mouth open.
HEALING YOUR NIPPLES:
• With an improved latch, the soreness will improve immediately. If there is damage, it can take several days.
• Moist healing is preferred.
• Express your colostrum for its antibiotic factors.
• Small amounts of nipple ointments dapped into the nipple and surrounding areas
• Silicone comfort gel pads that go over the nipples
• Alternate between ointments and gel pads for soothing relief
• Air Dry
Have patience during this time. If you need more support, seek out your nurse, a Doula, Le Leche League, or an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant.

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By Julie Johnson
Julie L. Johnson is a wife and mother of three who has experienced every pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum and breastfeeding situation there is and has lived to tell about. She is a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator, Certified Doula and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant practicing in Southern California. Her website http://www.mybirthangel.com provides services and products to help ease the transition into motherhood.

How To Visit A New Mom And Have Her Love You Afterwards

2006-04-03T05:05:00.000-07:00

Going to visit a new Mother and her tiny baby? As a Mom who has been there 4 times, I've had great and not-so-great experiences when friends came to visit postpartum. Make your visit a blessing instead of a drudgery with these tips.
1) Call beforehand and ask what you can bring her to eat
A new Mom, especially if she's breastfeeding, is hungry! Don't ask if she wants you to bring her anything. Most new Moms in our culture are unlikely to ask for help. Tell her that you ARE bringing her lunch and would she prefer Italian or Chinese? And make sure, if you're preparing something, that it's not loaded with empty carbs. New Moms have enough trouble going to the bathroom in those postpartum days! She needs good nutrition, not junk.
2) When you arrive, don't smell like a bouquet on overdrive
Newborn babies have sensitive skin. Some of them break out when they are held by someone with a lot of synthetic perfume on. When you go visit a new baby, don't smell like you've been attacked by Chanel No. 5. Skip the perfume. You're not on a date, ok?
3) Wash your hands
New Moms are particular about their babies, and neither she nor her newborn needs your germs. Wash your hands first and then ask if you may hold the newborn. And for goodness sakes, leave a sneezing, snotty nosed child at home!
4) Don't hog the baby
The new Mother's job is to rest and bond with her baby. Don't grab the baby and try to jolly her out of her cries when she obviously wants her Momma back. Hold the new baby briefly, perhaps while Mom uses the bathroom or cuddles her toddler, then give baby back. Now.
5) Do something useful
Ask Mom if you can watch her older child for a half hour so she can nap with the baby. Ask if you can load the dishwasher, or fold a load of laundry. Insist. Don't say "Is there anything I can do?". Say "What can I do?" At the very least, bring paper plates and disposable flatware. She may have forgotten to buy that, but it sure makes those postpartum days a little easier.
6) Keep your visit brief
Mom is tired, recuperating from childbirth and above all needs to rest and learn about her new baby. Counting fingers and toes, cooing, crying, breastfeeding and changing diapers takes all day! A new Mom doesn't need to play hostess. Don't stay more than about 15 minutes unless you're her best friend or close relative, and even then, keep it very brief.
If you remember these tips, the new Mom will really appreciate you, and she'll return the favor the next time you have a baby!

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By Carrie Lauth
Carrie Lauth has a lot more to say about new babies at http://www.NaturalMomsTalkRadio.com, a free Internet talk radio show and podcast for the natural mom, available on demand, 24/7.

The Model of Behavior of Women According to the Mahabharata

2006-03-30T05:05:00.000-08:00

The Mahabharata is the longest epic in the world literature and is one of the greatest works of Indian literature, which incorporated philosophical, religious, and social basic ideas of the traditional Indian society. This work is very interesting from different point of view and it is so huge and informative that it seems that the entire life will be not enough to fully research this epic, not surprisingly that “what is found here, may be found elsewhere. What is not found here will not be found elsewhere”
It is necessary to define what the Mahabarata appeals women for, what model of behavior is promoted. At this respect the epic is quite controversial. On the one hand there is Ganga who kills her sons, leaves her husband and ruins the family. On the other hand, there is Gandhari, who seems to be in the other extreme for she joins her husband in his blindness. Furthermore, the fate of Amba reveals the idea that active model of behavior, boldness and disobedience from the part of women will be obligatory punished, since she is abandoned by her husband and rejected by Bhishma. Quite symbolically, in her attempt to revenge she spends 12 years standing on one toe in the snow to learn the secret of Bhishma’s death and she gets a chance to revenge only when she changes sex with a demon to become a man. In such a way, it is obvious that active and bold actions have to be done by men while women should primarily care about the family and moral norms traditional for Indian society and protect them as Draupadi does when she gets abused by Dhritarashtra.
Anyway, on reading the Mahabharata, a reader realizes that women characters are depicted quite critically and mainly their behavior is criticized and condemned basically because they violated social norms and fail to contribute to the family unity as Ganga, Amba and, in a way, Draupadi did while Gandhari is rather a symbol of an ideal woman as Indian society view it.

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By Aaron Schwartz
Aaron is a senior writer at Custom Essays Writing Network. He is an experienced writer of custom essays and will be glad to share his experience of custom essay writing with you.

Women as They Appear in the Works of Jonathan Swift

2006-03-30T05:03:00.000-08:00

Jonathan Swift, one of few prominent figures of the 18th century tries to uncrown romantic ideal of femininity, peculiar to that epoch. Along with scornful attitude to women’s mental abilities and their limited social roles, women beauty and femininity was romanticized and idealized in the 18th century. Woman beauty was idealized and women itself were treated like goddesses. Such an attitude was based only on their appearance, and, having no other opportunities to realize themselves, women spent inconceivable time and efforts to look beautiful by any means. In his novels and poems, Swift centers on natural, physiological aspects of human life and depicts women like ordinary human creatures, made of flash and blood, with their merits and demerits. Sometimes, his naturalism is hyperbolized and exaggerated to absurd, which made his contemporaries shocked. In his scatological parodies, for example, he satirically depicts the difference between appearance and inner filling.
“The Lady’s Dressing Room” one of the most famous Swift’s scatological poems, which reflects his attitude to women. In this poem Strephon, admiring his beloved women Celia can not stand the meeting with reality, when he gets to her dressing room. Strephon becomes more and more disgusted with every find, which destroys a goddess-like ideal of Celia. Swift describes in detail all manifestations of Celia’s physical part. Dirt and sweat smock becomes the first shock for Strephon, when he enters the room. His inner creature revolts, not able to admit that this smock can belong to his beloved Celia. This is only beginning, and things he finds later, such as combs “filled up with dirt”, “a forehead cloth with oil upon’t”, “filthy basin” and “alum flower to stop the steams/Exhaled from sour unsavoury streams” step by step destroy his romantic ideal and make him disgusted not only of Celia, but of all females in general (Swift, p. 448). Strephon is shocked by the difference of ideal image, Celia creates on public and dirt and stench in her dressing room. All the details are intentionally exaggerated in order to underline the contrast between reality and beautiful ideal, glorified by the poets. Swift destroys romantic myth of femininity but he doesn’t aim to humiliate women. His main goal is to uncover the contradiction between ideal image created mainly by the men and reality.
Same attitude to women we find in other works of Swift. In the second book of “Gullover’s Travels” we find the following description of women. “These Maids of Honour ... would strip themselves to the Skin, and put on their Smocks in my Presence, while I was placed on their Toylet directly before their naked Bodies; which, I am sure, to me was very far from being a tempting Sight, or from giving me any other Motions than those of Horror and Disgust. Their Skins appeared so coarse and uneven, so variously colored when I saw them near, with a Mole here and there as broad as a Trencher, and hairs hanging from it thicker than Pack-threads; to say nothing further concerning the rest of their Persons” (Swift, Gulliver’s Travels, p129). With these lines, he tries to destroy the admiring attitude to the beauty of English women. Later he states, that women may seem attractive to men only because they can not see all their vices and demerits. He states that only one look from the position of Gulliver in the country of Brobdingnag could destroy all charm and beauty, if to look at the enlarged bodies. Through his character, Swift underlines that “appear so beautiful to us, only because they are of our own size, and their defects not to be seen but through a magnifying glass, where we find by experiment that the smoothest and whitest skins look rough and coarse, and ill colored”(Swift, p.130). The main effect of this chapter in his book and also all his depictions of women is to shed light to the hypocrisy and unnaturalness of beauty. Being one of the best political and social satirist of the Eighteenth Century, Swift blames society in lies and hypocrisy, women have to use in order to correspond to the ideals of femininity and beauty, created by men.
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By Aaron Schwartz
Aaron is a senior writer at Custom Essays Writing Network. He is an experienced custom essay writer and will be glad to share his experience of custom essay writing with you.

Psychology of Clothing

2006-03-24T07:12:00.000-08:00

A woman is walking along the street, her attire catches everybody’s eyes: she is clothed in the latest fashion. She draws everybody’s attention, including yours, not only with her toilet, but also with conscious superiority. Are you delighted? Are you envious?
Vainly! In fact, her appearance – is an evidence of her deep inner complexes. There is a science “psychology of clothing”, where the concept “fashion victim” – is not a popular phrase, but a clinical diagnosis. Orientation exceptionally on the last word in fashion – is a sign of heightened hypochondria, a woman’s psychological dependence on other people’s opinion, uncultivated self-respect.
According to psychologists, a man, whose costume is extremely considered (no matter which one, even a skiing one), often tries to hide his colossal diffidence and prove his value, attract attention and sometimes to confirm his superiority with the help of some attire.
All-sufficient, steady people with various interests usually dress in rather simple way, not showing off, and interest in new trends reasonably, not hunting for new labels. They feel quite comfortable wearing as old jeans, as an evening toilet (as a rule, rather reserved).
Moreover, to psychologists’ opinion, one can discern some certain type of self-consciousness behind each style.
1. Classic style. Its main feature – are moderation and traditional nature in combination with fashionable trends without carrying to extremes. Quite self-confident people, who do not feel any heightened necessity to prove their magnitude to other people, moreover using clothing, keep to this style.
2. Sporty style. Prominent organization men, bankers and other rich men, who always used a style “costume-cravat”, suddenly began sweeping away jogging shoes, sporting cloth, rucksacks or sportive bags from counters. Yes, of course, today an idea of youthful appearance and healthy way of living has seized a strong hold on our minds, but this does not mean all these people decided to go in for sport or invigoration. This cloth became a standard not only for exercising, but also for rest, vacation. A turn to visible simplicity and liberation means striving of well-to-do sections to “complete with poor”, as psychologists consider.
3. Grunge style. A style of “shabby cloth” gave designers a good task! They are cutting off and out, ripping up, soaking cloth in chloric acid, pressing, imitating spots and patches knowingly – they do all these things only because a “grunge” style has come into fashion. Tattered pullovers, dresses, coming unraveled, dirty jeans are sold in leading couturier’s shops and ordinary boutiques. This is a challenge to elegance, struggle with stylishness, expensive refined cloths and impeccable seams. If earlier it was impossible to go out wearing the same dress more than once, now “grunge” style praises scruffiness, as if it is saying: we are wearing the same cloth all the time!
Nevertheless, all this crude “old” cloth surpasses all reasonable prices. Some Levi’s models cost more than 6 thousands of dollars! This trend, often causing associations with hippie from Beatles days, displays neglect to cloth and a challenge to social inequality. However, psychologists consider that a style of “chic rubbish heap”, which bourgeoisie added to its arsenal, says about its self-destruction and can even be treated as asking forgiveness for sins – similarly to medieval monastic rags.
4. Exotic (ethnic) style. Hindu, Chinese, Arabian and other oriental motives can be just a fashionable detail for one people, and a completed style and manner of clothing for other people. Such choice testifies to one’s thirst for traveling, mental escape to exotic countries, where everything is not so grey, like around. Exotic style, covered with bright national legends and traditions, says about one’s wish to live in a fairy-tale, escape from reality to some dream world. But it can also be a sign of belonging to culture, philosophy of some country, for example, Buddhism.
5. Military style. Khaki color, camouflage pattern, details, peculiar to military cloth, high heavy boots – some women do like this style. You have not to be a psychologist to understand that this means escape from feminine, a wish to gain a foothold in such masculine qualities, like decisiveness and power. A clue to one’s love for uniform (and for man’s style in general) should be searched in childhood, in too strict father’s upbringing, often military people, or fathers dreaming about son and bringing up daughters, like she was a boy…
6. Country style. Variegated skirt, loose blouse, decorated with patterns, laces or drawn-work, shoes without heels, simple beads, straw hat – these are attributes of natural, or country style. Simple, natural cloths and simple-minded, plain patterns are typical for it. This style can be a sign of one’s nostalgia on country life or testify about one’s ecologic views. A straw hat and a chintz skirt are saying with one accord with their possessor: we are not synthetic, we are natural!
7. “La Femme Fatal”. This style is everlasting, but it is marked with fashionable attributes: high-heel shoes, skirt with cut, deep décolleté, strings and open-work stocking. A woman-temptress, a woman-vamp, oversteps the limits of elegant moderation venturesomely, and self-affirms, as an object of men’s lust. Strangely enough, the choice of this style does not always mean a woman’s heightened sexuality. We can rather say that such woman does not see any other advantages in herself, which could attract men’s attention to her and cause their delight.

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By Yana Mikheeva
Yana Mikheeva is the creator of the WomansPassions site for women and about women at http://www.womanspassions.com, it is an on-line resource for women and about women. Here you can find articles on various subjects, such as: diets, receipts, health, cellulite, figure, aromatherapy, wholesome food, psychology of relationships, pregnancy, parenting, fashion and many others.

Sedu Hair Straighteners Make Great Graduation Gifts

2006-03-19T22:32:00.000-08:00

Yes ladies, there is a proper way to blow dry your hair! It's possible to do a good job at home, if you follow a few simple steps and remember that every good style starts with a proper blow dry! This will create a great setting for your tiara at your prom! Remember, you're not going to get a professional looking job the first-time as it takes practice and patience. To begin, here's a small checklist of the things you need: sectioning clips, straightening balm, hair spray, large round brush, and a blow dryer that offers between 1200 and 1500 watts. If your hair has an unwanted wave or curl, apply your favorite straightening balm. Take tangles out gently by creating a part and allowing it to air dry 90%. Section your hair horizontally and leave a section free. Pull up the remainder of your hair up to the top of your head. At this point, you might even be able to use your Sedu hair straightener instead of the blower.
Next, divide your hair in four manageable sections depending on its length and thickness. Hold a brush in one hand and your dryer in the other. Move the brush and blow dryer vertically by choosing one of the four sections and direct the airflow down the hair shaft. By closing the cuticle, you will create shine. A great shine in your hair will even add luster to your prom jewelry.
Move from section to section of free hair until all of it is smooth and dry. Remove the clips and section off more hair horizontally and allow this new section to fall loose. Once again re-clip the damp hair on top of your head and continue the drying steps as outlined above until your hair is completely dry. And finally, style with the brush to coax desired movement and then spray it to hold. Also, it's important to get a light-weight blow dryer as holding your arms over your head can get tiring. Remember to not get your hair too crunchy with spray, as your hairstyle should be strong enough to hold itself. Your gorgeous hair will really enhance your sexy prom dress. That's it, now go and have a ball!

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By Terry Price

Infertility and ICSI

2006-03-03T07:06:00.000-08:00

In recent years significant developments have occurred in the field of reproductive technology as one in six couples seek assistance with conception. The increase in demand for infertility services may be related to several different factors. These include the tendency of women to delay childbearing because of career opportunities, so that desired reproduction is condensed into a shorter interval than before, an increased awareness of different treatments for infertility and an increase In the number of physicians with infertility interests (Mikulincer and Nathanson, 1990).
Many of the advances in this field have focused on the treatment of women and deal specifically with the reproductive problems of the female. Infertility services are often associated with gynecology services and infertility clinics may be Linked with gynecology clinics. Despite the improvement in infertility treatment generally, there is still a lack of tangible treatment for the male partner when a so called “male factor” is involved, despite the fact that male infertility is One of the commonest causes of infertility, with a relative incidence of 32% amongst couples presenting with infertility problems (Prosser 1995).
In the past, when problems such as azoospermia or oligospermia were diagnosed, Donor Insemination (DI) was the only treatment available for couples. Recently Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) has enabled more couples to have their own genetic child. Both these treatment options, however, circumvent rather than treat the problem of male infertility, as DI avoids the Male partner’s involvement in the reproductive process and ICSI involves the female partner undergoing aggressive drug therapy and a surgical procedure. Due to Infertility Clinics apparent preoccupation with the female partner and the treatment of Women, I feel that the needs of the male partner are not being fully appreciated or considered and I aim to discuss this issue specifically in relation to ICSI treatment.
Whilst many couples will cope effectively with a diagnosis of infertility, its management is experienced by many as an ongoing chronic emotional difficulty which requires major coping skills. Menning (1975) argued that infertility is “a complex Life crisis, psychologically threatening and emotionally stressful”. Clearly the degree of stress and the extent of the threat perceived by the individual will vary as the individual’s response to the situation. Men and women will respond and cope differently with infertility, and their emotional response may be significantly influenced by a gender specific diagnosis. (Nachtigall, Becker and Wozny, 1992).
Assessment of male infertility is based on history, physical examination, semen analysis and other ancillary investigations. A semen analysis involves assessment of the number of sperm present in the ejaculate, the motility of the sperm and their morphological appearance. This test will confirm the presence or absence of sperm, and that ejaculation is occurring normally. Following the semen analysis, normality may be confirmed, or a number of problems may be identified such as azoospermia, oligospermia, asthenozospermia, or teratozoospermia.
As Lee (1996), points out, semen analysis does however give little information regarding actual sperm function, as 5 - 10% of men with normal semen analysis will fail to fertilise ova during IVF treatment, and 25 - 40% with oligospermia or asthenozospermia will demonstrate the ability to fertilise ova during IVF. Opinions regarding male infertility vary enormously, and there appears to be some confusion regarding recent reports of a decline in sperm counts.
Carlsen, Giwercman, Keiding and Shakkebaek (1992) from their review of 61 papers published between 1938 and 1990, have suggested that there has been a progressive decrease in sperm count over this 50 year period. Factors responsible for this Decline includes the effect of oestrogens and environmental factors on testicular function, and an increased prevalence of genito-urinary abnormalities such as testicular cancer. Sexually transmitted diseases may also affect male fertility.
Critics of this review include Forti and Serio (1993) and Bromwich, Cohen, Stewart and Walker (1994) who argue that this decrease in count may not necessarily have been accompanied by a reduction in the fertilising potential of the spermatozoa, and highlight that the introduction of unified procedures by the World Health Organisation may have improved the laboratory methods for conducting semen analysis. They therefore point out, that rather than there being an actual increase in male infertility, laboratories are becoming more efficient at actually performing semen analysis.
Following a diagnosis of “male factor” infertility, several options may exist depending upon the problem identified. DI for example, is the only option if the male is azoospermia. When oligospermia or asthenozospermia exists, in some situations IVF may be appropriate but ICSI would be the treatment of choice. ICSI was developed in Brussels and is more efficient than other micromanipulation techniques, such as zona drilling, partial zona drilling and sub-zonal insemination (Palermo, Joris, Deroey, and Van Steirteghem 1992). The treatment involves a period of down-regulation with GnRH agonists and then the administration of Gonadotrophins to the female partner in order to stimulate multiple follicular development. Oocytes are then collected from the ovaries by transvaginal ultrasound guided follicular aspiration 36 hours after administration of hCG.
The sperm sample is obtained on the day of oocyte recovery, and is usually prepared by high speed centrifusion. The oocytes will be denuded of cumulus in order that those at the correct stage of maturity, i.e. Metaphase II can be identified. The injection of one sperm into the cytoplasm of each oocyte will take place on the day of oocyte collection. Prior to injection the sperm motility may be retarded and the sperm that most closely approximates to normal morphology will be immobilised by crushing its tail. This is undertaken as it is thought to damage the cell membrane and invoke subsequent physiological and biochemical reactions that may promote decondensation of the sperm head and activation of the oocyte.
The oocyte is held flat against a holding pipette using gentle suction and the injection pipette with the immobilised sperm in a position near the pipette opening is pushed steadily against the zona pellucida until it pierces the zona. The sperm is then injected into the cytoplasm of the oocyte. Fertilisation rates will vary, but rates of 60 - 70% and clinical pregnancy rates of 24% may be achieved when the injection technique has been optimised. ICSI treatment has given men who have an epididymal blockage or congenital absence of the vas deferens (often associated with a high incidence of mutation in the cystic fibrosis gene) a hope of having their own genetic child as sperm can be aspirated directly from the Epididymus and used for ICSI. This technique known as Micro Epididymal Sperm Aspiration (MESA) may also be used if the male partner has had a vasectomy previously and wishes to have a child with a new partner.
Edelman, Humphrey and Owens (1994) point out that there are many factors that affect motivation for parenthood. There may be a sociobiological desire to reproduce in order to maximise genetic representation in subsequent generations. In some cultures children may be viewed as an economic necessity as they provide an additional income or member of the workforce, although in our society, in contrast, children may be considered by some to be a drain on a families economic resources. Social and personal identity needs are, however, far more significant motivations for childbearing and the male partner may have motives which I feel are not generally appreciated or understood.
In order to understand how a diagnosis of a specific male factor problem and subsequent progression to ICSI treatment can affect the male and his partner, a clearer understanding of male ideology is necessary. Hite (1991) describes men as being rational, logical, scientific and objective and afraid of their emotions. Further adjectives include responsible, capable, brave, virile and macho. Men seek to have power and control by being emotionally distant, and work, independence and dominance are all important to them. The male ideology described above has developed as a result of socially constructed behaviour and is usually assimilated throughout early childhood. Obviously not all men will exhibit all these characteristics, but a diagnosis of male factor infertility can be devastating for some men as many of their ideals and expectations will be threatened or challenged.
Many of the emotions associated with infertility and discussed below, will be experienced by men undergoing any infertility treatment, but some are specific to men participating in ICSI treatment. Connolly, Edelmann and Cooke (1987) report greater emotional and marital difficulties when the cause of the infertility lay with the man, and these findings are supported by more recent research (Connolly, Edelmann, Cooke and Robson (1992). Some sexual dysfunction may be reported when a diagnosis is made and Link and Darling (1986) discovered 84% of females and 88% of males to be experiencing sexual difficulties. These findings may relate to the fact that for some couples sex may somehow lose its meaning as it does not produce the desired child. The male partner’s feelings of powerlessness and helplessness may lead to feelings of sexual impotence and Berger (1980) reported a 63% incidence of transient impotence following a diagnosis of azoospermia.
Some men will become very absorbed in their work and work long hours as they may feel confident and in control within that environment. This may result in tiredness and avoidance of their partner, which may cause conflict and sexual difficulties. There may, conversely, be an increase in sexual activity and sexual satisfaction as both partners express an increased need to be loved and valued. The process of investigation itself has been reported to be beneficial in certain situations in helping reduce marital and sexual problems, as it may be perceived that some positive steps are being taken to deal with the ongoing infertility (Raval, Slade, Buck and Lieberman 1987).
The loss of self esteem together with feelings of guilt reported by many men, may relate to their perceived inability to fulfil their expected role in society, i.e. to procreate. They may experience feelings of failure as they are unable to provide their partner with the role of parent. Fertility is often associated with virility, and the man who is unable to father a child may feel others will doubt his masculinity (Mahlastedt 1985). In order therefore to retain a brave/macho image, many men may turn difficult issues into a joke, or appear outwardly light-hearted about the issue of infertility. Alternatively men may ensure that no-one knows about their problems and this can result in the only means of support being their partner. This may lead to feelings of isolation and frustration as the female partner copes with her own feelings and those of her partner.
To admit to feelings of distress and to needing help and support goes against the male needs for displaying power and control, and whilst women will often seek help and support, men may try and avoid the issue and often do not attend with their partners for counselling (Lee 1996).
The longer the tests on the male partner continue the more likely they are to report feelings of anger, guilt and diminished success (Connelly et. al. 1987). This fact is particularly relevant when dealing with men participating in ICSI treatment, as following an initial semen analysis it is likely that they will be required to provide further samples in order to confirm certain findings. These repeated investigations will be stressful for both partners.
ICSI was developed to help men with severe male factor infertility, or when the fertilising ability of the sperm is in doubt i.e. when previously failed fertilisation has occurred during IVF treatment. Lee (1996) points out that men have more difficulty coming to terms with their infertility when their are some sperm in the ejaculate. This may be because they have limited understanding regarding the process of reproduction and fertilisation, and the nurse specialist may help men appreciate how their specific problems are contributing to their infertility by discussing in detail this process with them. When severe oligospermia is present, the male partner participating in ICSI treatment may have further anxieties about whether their sperm sample will be adequate on the day of oocyte collection. Counselling regarding the use of donor sperm as “back up”, if indeed insufficient sperm were isolated, may cause conflicting emotions as the male partner may, despite this new treatment, have to come to terms with the fact that he may after all not have his own genetic child. In such a situation an acceptance of the need to use donor sperm may be reached too readily, and this may lead to problems in the future in terms of acceptance of a child. Owens and Edelmann (1993) highlight that both men and women have anxieties about future rejection of the child when the use of donor sperm is being considered, and the nurse specialist must ensure that couples reach their decisions having received sufficient counselling.
ICSI and IVF is concerned with women despite the infertility being on the part of the male, and in order to increase his feelings of involvement, and control the male partner should be involved as much as possible in the planning and Organisation of the treatment if appropriate. The male may be distressed at seeing his partner undergoing the surgical procedure, and some women may even resent having to take drugs and experience oocyte recovery when they may consider themselves blameless. It is possible that men who have previously undergone vasectomy, and therefore require ICSI to enable them to have further children, may experience heightened feelings of guilt and distress at the time of oocyte recovery, as they witness their partner’s discomfort.
In my experience some couples report that as ICSI is still a relatively new treatment, their families have very limited understanding and acceptance regarding the treatment and this can be perceived by some as a lack of support and encouragement from family members. Parents of the male partner may have feelings of guilt and blame, and may be trying to identify how or when their son’s problem may have developed. Men may also search their past for some explanation, and any unresolved guilt about past behaviour should be identified and dealt with if necessary.
Any feelings of low self esteem and failure that a man undergoing fertility treatment may be experiencing could be further compounded if the couples are unable to afford ICSI treatment, as there is often no NHS funding available for this treatment. The male partner may feel that he has failed in his role as financial provider and conflict may occur if DI is then the only option for the couple. Schover, Thomas, Miller, Falcone, Attaran and Goldberg (1996) make the point that the development of ICSI has created a two tiered system of care for men with severely limited fertility: a genetic child if you can afford to pay for one, and otherwise the options of a child who is not biologically related or living without technology have not been accompanied by an increase in awareness of the relationship between infertility and psychological factors particularly when male factor infertility is involved. This may be a reflection on medical training, in that there may be generally more emphasis on diagnosis than on the social and sychologicaldimension of infertility. Further research is required to assess the impact male infertility has on a couple but it may be that the development of ICSI has redirected funds that may have been used for research in this area.
Doctors within the field of reproductive medicine predominantly males who could have problems relating to the infertile male due to their own beliefs and experience of male ideology. There is often a rapid turnover of staff within Assisted Conception Units, and there are few specialists in male infertility. HFEA, within their Code of Practice (1993), identify and emphasise the need for counselling, and this is an area where improvements could be made in the field of male infertility. Counselling should be readily available, promoted in a positive manner and should be encouraged for all couples undergoing ICSI.
The infertility nurse specialist has an important role in ensuring that the emotional needs of the male partner are clearly identified from the outset. A non-threatening environment is essential in order that men do not feel powerless and out of control when attending clinics. Continuity of care may enable both partners to express their anxieties more readily, and if the male partner feels that a named nurse specialist has a clear understanding of his feelings relating to the infertility, he may be more willing to seek help and advice. Within an ACU it is extremely beneficial to have a nurse specialist who has a good understanding regarding all the aspects of ICSI treatment, as this will ensure that couples will always know who to liaise with about their treatment.
The acceptance of infertility is difficult regardless of diagnosis, but Lee (1996) that some men may never come to terms with their infertility. ICSI, despite being seen as a revolutionary treatment is still not very successful and may not even be perceived as an option for many couples due to financial constraints. This technology may therefore be giving some men unrealistic hope that a solution for their infertility may be found, and the nurse specialist should ensure that all couples should have the relevant facts relating to their chances of success. Discussion regarding coping strategies for the couple will be useful in the event that the treatment will fail, and more long-term follow up and counselling should be available to ensure that all specific emotions are being dealt with, and other treatment options such as DI are being considered in a rational and logical manner.
Carole Mallinson is a healthcare professional offering webmasters products with full resale rights.

_________________________

By Carole Mallinson Bsc Hons

Does Work/Life Balance Really Exist?

2006-02-03T04:39:00.000-08:00

If you look at almost any issue of nationally published women's magazines, you'll find article upon article trying to convince the American public (and American women) that you can have it all -- a brilliant career/business and a marvelous family life -- and then follow with instructions on how you can accomplish this easily.
I am just not buying into this train of thought. In order for most successful business people to get where they want to be in their businesses, something has to go. For me, it's been a personal life. As a single woman of 40 with no children and no significant other on the horizon, I've got much more flexibility than most. I can make a conscious decision to forego some aspect of my life on a shorter-term basis to reach my goals. Most of us aren't quite that lucky, however. You have children you have to get dressed and to school each day, or a spouse who needs more attention than just daily feeding and watering, or an elderly family member whose health might be failing. leaving you with caretaking responsibilities.
What we all need is a really great wife. Now, before all the women seek to lynch me, think about it for a moment. Wouldn't it be great to have a June Cleaver at home taking care of the children and all the household responsibilities, which would leave you with the freedom to do what you needed to do to get your business where it needs to be? No more worries about getting the kids to soccer practice or packing for that trip to Baltimore or having to come home and fix dinner after a very long day at work? Great fantasy, isn't it?
So, given the reality that the "wife store" is permanently out of stock, how do today's business owners still achieve the objectives of their business without ending up in divorce court or having an emotional meltdown? I've discovered the hard way that being selfish is the key. Yep, that good ole' selfish word -- the word our mothers have led us to believe was associated with being uncaring and unfeeling of others. For me, that translates into weekends that I spend alone engaged in activities that I enjoy. Sure, it's difficult to turn off business, and it can be a challenge to turn down invitations with friends, and some weekends I'm more successful than others. But as a card-carrying INFP on the Myers-Briggs scale, I know that I can tolerate only so much of being around other people at networking events, meetings, classes, and etc., and I have to recharge and get grounded again in order to get up and do it again on Monday morning. So, I spend my weekends going to festivals, the museum, a great movie, out to eat at a favorite restaurant, or reading a new book.
I will guarantee you that if you are not getting your needs met and engaging in active self-care, you won't be pleasant to be around. I've been there, done that, bought the T-shirt, and moved on. Do yourself and your family a favor -- figure out what self-care means to you and strategize with your spouse or significant other about how you can achieve that without unduly burdening other family members. It's all about taking care of you--if you're not willing to do that, who will?

_____________________________________

By Donna Gunter

Copyright 2006 Donna Gunter
Online Business Coach Donna Gunter helps self-employed professionals make more profit in less time online. To sign up for more FREE tips like these and claim your FREE ebook, TurboCharge Your Productivity: 50 + Tools To Help You Automate Your Business and Make More Profit in Less Time Online!, visit her site at http://www.OnlineBizCoachingCompany.com

A Woman Isn't

2006-02-03T04:37:00.000-08:00

Calling a woman “hey, chick, wassup?” doesn’t get her upset, just make her feel really, but really strange. Something that looks like an… well… object. Yes, object!?! What’s so difficult to understand? A woman is not an animal: a chick, a deer, a foxie. God, and neither a simple word as: a bit, a hottie, a mommy. She’s not your mommy.
Anyway, it seems that these last months - so often - I found a lot of topics, different articles on the Internet about women’s desire. Is it so hard to figure it out? We don’t think so. We, as women, of course. What all should remember and know is that a woman will ALWAYS want what she doesn’t have. That’s simple. If you learn this law and you’ll never forget it, you might have any woman you desire.
Is she short? She wants to be tall. Is she brown? She wants to be blond . Does she has green eyes? She wants black eyes. Is her boyfriend always thinking? She doesn’t want her boyfriend to think. Is she engaged? She wants to be married. Is she married? She only wants to be engaged. And so on… that’s such a simple theory. Just remember it every time when you see the woman you like or the woman that you would like to have.
What’s the point of this article? It is made by a woman, that has so much to say about men and life, that an A4 page would be nothing comparing to her life. It is an article for men. For all these types of men: shy, happy, optimistic, hot, ugly… it doesn’t matter. All the men has the same base. They are built on the same base…just with different ‘rocks’. That’s all that makes a man different. His ‘rocks’. That was all folks.
Just a person that has a lot to say. :)

____________________

By Chersin Catalina Ana

Who Needs Men!

2006-01-26T22:30:00.000-08:00

Is this a question most women ask themselves? I know I ask myself maybe twenty or fifty times a day. Sometimes I think I don’t need them, and at other times I want them so badly I could taste them.
In my survey with other women, out of fifty women, 25 stated they could live without a man, and have done it, and survived, but the other 25 percent wouldn’t catch themselves without a man in their lives.
So twenty-five women are putting up with mess to have a man because I know their lives are battling demons and then some. It can’t be easy with a man in your life.
The men I’ve dated along the way weren’t worth a grain of toothpaste, thank you very much. They are dense as a zombie, and don’t understand the dynamics of a woman, and the way they tick. Instead of them trying to get to know the mechanics of a woman, they go out and find the next one.
A friend of mine just got married, but he’s the most flirting man I’ve ever met. He flirts with every woman that breathes, and I feel sorry for his wife. I guess flirting doesn’t mean anything as long as he doesn’t take it up to the next level. Maybe flirting is harmless, and his wife can’t worry about what he’s doing when he’s not with her. He should be worried about what the heck she’s doing.
Men come in all categories. Here are a few:
The Old Man – these kinds of men live for a young woman on their arm. They like to feel young again, and brag about this gorgeous woman being interested in them. The only thing about an old man is the fact that most of them are impotent, and they can’t get it up, so where does that leave the young woman?
The Young Man – he’s searching for an older woman to take care of him like a mother figure. An older woman is more established and he wants someone to show him the ropes. The problem with these kinds of men is that most of them can’t keep up, and the older woman is feeling like she’s wasting her time with a baby.
The Money Man – he wants a young woman on his arm, but he doesn’t want to do anything with her. His prize is just giving her money to keep her happy. As long as he gives her the money he doesn’t have to entertain her, but he wants sex. This sounds like a prostitute to me, and who needs it.
The Playa Man – he wants you, Jane, Tammy and all the other women in the city and then some. He can’t survive with just one woman, and the fact that he’s not going to marry you is another story all by itself. And most of the time he can’t keep the names in tact. He’s a dog in every sense of the word.
The Marrying Kind of Man – now this is the man most women dream about finding when they grow up because he’s going to search for the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with. He wants to get married, and has no problem with making the commitment. He’s our man.
The No Commitment Man – this is a man who doesn’t know the meaning of getting married or committing to anyone. He’s going to use you until he gets tired of you, and then he’s going to move onto the next woman. He will never marry you, or date you for long. You’re truly wasting your time with this kind of man.
The Dog Man – he is worse than a dog and will hurt you in an emotional way. He can’t be trusted, and you’d need a condom in place because he’s a snake in every sense of the word.
The Only For Sex Man – I don’t want a relationship kind of man. I just want a booty call. Give me sex, and then have a great day. This is the kind of man you run as far away from as possible. He’s just not the one.
The Staring Man – this is a man who just looks at you from across the room, down the street, on the bus, in a lounge, at a bookstore, in the park/beach, or at a movie theater. He doesn’t talk to you, or ask for your number, but he continues to gaze at you with his black eyes. Who wants a man like this? I met one on a bus once, and he just continued to stare at me for weeks. When he finally spoke to me, he explained that he was trying to size me up, and find out what makes me tick. How was he going to find out what made me tick if he didn’t get to know me? Of course our relationship didn’t last that long, but men like this is afraid of rejection, so they just give you the eye. If you not man enough to get to know me, then you’re not man enough for me. Get lost!
The Long Distance Man – he has a woman in every city because he likes this. He’s a traveling man and when he goes to Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles, he wants to know Michelle, Danielle and Kimberly is waiting for him. Of course, Michelle, Danielle, and Kimberly think he’s the only man for them. Too much distance for me, so I definitely don’t need this kind of man in my life. I prefer my man in the same city, thank you very much.
The Mystery Man – this is a debonair kind of man, who has so many secrets you don’t know what to think. Of course he intrigues you and you’re dying to get to the bottom of his secrets so you’re going to date him until you find out what makes him tick. Is he worth it? Maybe and maybe not!
The Married Man – now this is a man that every sane woman should avoid and then some. Who wants to be with someone who is already spoken for? I dated a man once, and didn’t find out that he was married until a month into the relationship. Common sense told me to leave him alone, but he was so good to me, and I continued to be with him. Eventually when he couldn’t keep up, our relationship ended. I shouldn’t have gotten involved with him, and it will never happen again. The heartache and your morals aren’t worth going to hell for.
The Live Together Man – he wants to see how it’s going to be living with you before he ties the knot, if that happens, thank you very much. I don’t think so. I have to admit I made a mistake of moving in with a man, and it lasted for a year and three months. It was good for a while, and then it ended up going to hell in a basket and then some. Of course we weren’t married, so I couldn’t expect the relationship to last. I moved out, and it’s wonderful living without a man, unless you’re married to him. I do believe in holy matrimony.
The Same Age Man – I have to admit that I haven’t dated anyone my own age. I married a man who was three years older than me, but the same age syndrome doesn’t work. This is because the men my age have women that are twenty-five years of age. Why would they want a 43 year old woman when they could have an 18 year old one?
The High School Man – you met him in the 9th grade, and you spent four years of your life with this man. He’s the apple of your heart, and the passion in your world. After you both graduated from high school the wedding is on, and you spend twenty or thirty years together, not, because the man wants someone younger. He divorces you and moves in with a younger chick, or the woman does the same thing. Some couples stay married, but most divorce.
The No Trusting Man – he has had so many bad relationships he’s not in the market for another one. He’s going to dog out the women he’s with, and ends up being alone because of his past. He’s not going to believe that you’re the woman for him, and you’re not like the other women in his past, of course.
The Divorced Man – he’s not so anxious to get married again because of his past. He’s going to meet women, and let them know that if they’re looking for a husband, he’s not the one. I just want to have some fun with sex along the way. I won’t buy you a ring because I’ve been down that road and it wasn’t pretty.
The handsome/Sexy Man – this is the kind of man that you just can’t trust for all the money in the world. He’s to fine and women are throwing themselves at him, and his black bull-headedness is busting at the seams. You’re not going to be the only woman in his life. His looks will be the downfall of a relationship or madness. You just can’t trust him.
The Lying Man – everything out of his mouth is a lie, and he wouldn’t know the truth if it electrocuted him on the butt. This is a man you couldn’t trust, or listen too. He’s probably married, or has a woman, or whatever. He can’t be trusted.
The Engaged Man – he wears a ring so he’s supposed to be taken. But when he’s out there in the streets, the ring comes off, and he’s stepping out on the woman he’s supposed to marry sometime in the future. I feel sorry for the engaged woman.
The Con Artist Man – he’s talking to you for a reason because there’s something he wants from you and sex isn’t the only ingredient. It plays a major role, but he has more objectives, and right now you are the key to his developing plans.
The Rich Man – he has so much money he doesn’t know who he can trust. He’s searching for someone who doesn’t want any of it. He likes an independent woman who can take care of herself, and doesn’t need him to do it. He’s not a sugar daddy for any woman.
The Gay Man – he’s someone who doesn’t want to admit he’s gay so he has women and men in his life. His preference is men, and he will come to terms with it, or play a lying game within himself. He sleeps with men and women.
In reality who needs men because they have more problems than a mental patient. I just don’t need the stress or the headaches. I rather be alone, and then some. It’s the best policy for me, and I’m sure most women will agree. Do you really want the headache? (1,845)

________________________________

By Carol Ann Culbert Johnson

I am the published author of I CONFESS, EVERYTHING AND MORE, REJECTION, and coming soon, TORN BETWEEN TWO LOVERS. Visit my website at http://www.freewebs.com/jcarolann and take a ride with me.

How to Keep Your Husband Happy

2006-01-26T22:27:00.000-08:00

Every person says that marriage is a trouble, a curtailment to our freedom; still no one wants to live without a spouse. There is a great thrill in the beginning years of romance or marriage life. After some time husband-wife relation starts lacking romance and warmness. They feel a sort of chill in the relations. There are more fights and boredom. Both are obsessed with routine works and daily tensions. But a wife can take initiative and improve the relations with a simple five step plan. If you keep thinking that the husband should take the first steps then problem may linger on.
1. Kiss Him and Discuss about his Feelings
It has been found that most of the ladies are more concerned with the feelings of their own. They need attention and care, agreed. But they will get more satisfaction if they realise that their hubbies are also human beings passinig through the swings of various feelings. If they continue getting special attention (that you provided in the begining of relationship) they will love you more.
2. Daily Appreciation
To satisfy the ego of your husband you need to give him daily appreciation. OK both of you are having weaknesses and hit eachother. Now find out the plus points of your husband and praise. See how you get a new zest in your married life.
3. Often Make Picnic Programmes
It is good to go out together, especially on picnic programmes. You will get in ithe habit of enjoying eachother together. Although it is good to take your children with you yet go only both of you now and then.
4. Buy Gifts for HIm
Always give surprise gifts to husband. Even if the children are grown up he needs a feeling that someone is having a special value for him. Gifts show it warmly.
5. A Special Attention Always
Don't treat your partner as a common thing that you see daily. Give special attention on your dresses, and beauty (like you used to give before marriage and just after marriage). And provide more attention to the needs of your loved one. With this habit even your children will respect you more.
If take all these five steps regularly both of you will have undying love between you.
"Love seems the swiftest but it is the slowest of all growths. No man or woman really knows what perfect love is until they have been married a quarter of a century." ~Mark Twain

_______________________

By Anandrahi JS

Anandrahi CEO: News of India NetworkDirector: LSE-India, Global English Training.Best-selling Books written by Anandrahi:
1. Think Your Way to Wealth and Power,
2. Billion Dollar Personality. (To get an e-book write an email).
email:

anandrahi@yahoo.co.in

http://www.globalbusinesstimes.blogspot.com

http://www.newsofindianet.blogspot.com

Indulge Yourself with Lingerie

2006-01-04T01:14:00.000-08:00

As women, we spend most of our waking hours serving others - our mates, our bosses, our children, and even our parents. On our mental checklist of priorities, our needs are all too often relegated to the bottom of the list. Over time, neglecting our own needs takes its toll, not only on us, but also on those we love. When our own proverbial well is empty, we have nothing left to give to others.
That's why it's important that you make a commitment to indulging yourself at least once a week. Carve out time to take a bubble bath, go on a nature walk, spend quiet time journaling, or going solo to a movie. Once you've gotten into the habit of a regular indulgence, expand your self-care to include buying yourself a special gift from time to time.
While there may be many items on your wish list, there's a case to be made for indulging yourself with lingerie. In the process of serving others, we often lose sight of our womanliness. Our femininity takes a back seat to the roles we play in our lives, and beautiful lingerie can help us reconnect with our feminine nature.
Although lingerie can certainly be sexy, giving yourself the gift of lingerie isn't intended to be sexual. Whether or not you have a partner, wearing a beautiful bra and panty set can make you feel terrific. Having a supply of teddies doesn't mean you have to parade around in them. Instead, wear teddies under a dress or blouse and feel the silky smoothness against your skin. Instead of wriggling into pantyhose every workday, switch to stockings and garters. Stockings are guaranteed to make you feel womanly. Others may wonder where your secret smile is coming from, but you don't need to tell.
Remember that you don't have to have a model's body in order to enjoy lingerie. There are bustiers, teddies, stockings, and bra and panty sets made for plus-size women. There's no room in life for body shame, so enjoy your curves! Regardless of your size and shape, you're entitled to indulge your feminine nature.
We have wondrous opportunities to enjoy life's bounty. We have an obligation to ourselves and to those we love to reap both joyful moments and secret pleasures. When we do, we become more fulfilled and are better equipped to meet the demands placed on us by our families, friends, and coworkers.

__________________________________

By Chris Robertson

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Visit this Clothing for Women Website and Majon's Clothing for Women directory.

Friends for the Hot Mom?

2006-01-03T23:32:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest challenges of motherhood is how to remain the kind of hot mom that you used to be without turning your friends away – friends who are not yet moms, friends who are still single looking for a man to fit into their lives. Let’s admit this, the moment we become moms, our lives become different and sometimes in the eyes of our friends, WE become different no matter how hard we try to remain the same. We could be doing the same kind of shopping and yakking and drinking the same kind of coffee after we’ve become mom, it’s just not the same.
Why?
Well, hot mom, here’s news for you
One of the biggest difference as a mom is that it’s hard to remain hot when you’ve got jello-like extra skin hanging out in front of your belly at least for some months to come after the birth. When your friends are wearing hot outfits and extra sexy (midrift revealing) outfits, we get a little HOT under the collar because we can’t wear the same clothes. In fact, this hot mom had to trade her smaller-than-small outfits for hubby’s tracks and shirts for 3 months. It’s hard to be a hot mom when you know you’re wearing a man’s outfit.
No matter how you try to be and act hot with that outfit, it’s not COMPLETELY possible.
Hot mom and hot friends will grow apart for a while
After giving birth to your new baby, the first thing you will want to do is to bond with your new bundle of joy. This newborn baby will rule your waking hours and sleeping hours for some time. So, hot mom, here’s news. You will not be hot with your friends for at least a couple of months.
After a couple of months, if they’re really your friends, they’ll stick around…that’s for sure.
How to get back to being a hot mom
Getting back to your feet as a hot mom is not an overnight thing. You don’t just force yourself to fit into your old clothes, act the way you used to act, go to places you used to go, and work the way you used to work without thinking about the new human being that you’re now responsible for. It’s different – but it’s almost the same kind of hot-ness, if there aren’t any other ways to say this.
First, understand and accept the fact that you’re a mom. You’re still hot but you’re mom now.
Secondly, try your best to separate between time with your family and time with your friends. As much as your newborn needs you, you need you and your friends need you. they need the mom they used to know to be back in the clique with them. I am sure they are sad too that you’re no longer the kind of hot mom that you used to be. And it will take very little effort on your part to bridge the differences.
Thirdly, a hot mom will know that friends are very important pillars of support. When times are down and you need a shoulder to cry on, you should have friends you can count on to answer your calls in the middle of the night. Your relationship and friendship with other hot moms is just as important but…the fact is, maintaining your friendship from pre-baby days is JUST AS IMPORTANT.
Non hot moms (as in hot ladies??) is crucial to a mom’s sanity.
Just trust me on this one.

_______________________________

By Marsha Maung

Marsha Maung is a freelance graphic designer and copy writer who works from home. She designs apparel and premium items at http://www.allmomstuff.com and is the author of "Raising little magicians", and the popular "The Lance in freelancing". More information can be found at http://www.marshamaung.com

Walk A Block In My Shoes, Please

2005-12-29T05:38:00.000-08:00

Don't you just love it when other people criticize you for not accomplishing everything they think you should be doing every day? And then they try to pile on even more projects, so you won't have idle hands for the devil to put to use.
Of course, none of us should be sitting on our keesters day in and day out either, without trying to increase our skills or our knowledge in some positive way, even if we're too fatigued to be of use to other people for a time. A day wasted can never be reclaimed. And we accomplish more real projects if we're organized. But not getting enough done?
Some recent studies even seem to show that multi-tasking isn't good for us, too stressful, in fact. Really now? Women could have told the researchers that a long time ago! Unless we are of the total loner mentality, we know we're trying to do too many things at once, and for too many hours a day.
Even losing one's job doesn't free up any time for a person to relax. Outside of the stressful job hunt, once other people find out you're at home, the phone solicitations start: Since you're home right now, would you mind helping us with... A little of that extra load, enough to get you out of the house and feeling good about assisting others, can go a long way.
Man works from the rising to the setting of the sun,
But a woman's work is never done.
There's a reason for all those old bromides! They're true. But since spouses and significant others rarely do the same kind of chores as women do, multi-tasking is the only way for women to survive and keep up with everything we need to get done. This includes reaching out to help other people, when we hear of their sorrows. Nurturing is instinctive with the majority of females in any species.
Truly, most of us are run ragged 7 days a week. There's nothing very restful about the Sabbath even, with religious responsibilities to take care of, including members to visit, then family to telephone, letters to write, perhaps upcoming scriptural lessons to prepare. This is on top of preparing food three times during the day and/or stopping long enough to eat it.
So before you tell me (or anyone else) again that without challenge, there is no growth, would you mind walking a block in my shoes first? I ask because I know you wouldn't survive the proverbial mile in them. Even though you yourself must have time on your hands, a little compassion could work wonders for both of us. And please do keep in mind that I may be almost as much an expert at dealing with challenges as anyone else. I just come at them from a different set of life experiences.
Thank you on behalf of all our harried sisters.
© 2003 Shirley Ann Parker. Reprinted from The Corner Desk, January 2003

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By Shirley Ann Parker

Shirley Ann Parker is a full-time technical writer, as well as an author. Her acclaimed short story collection about the joys and frustrations of family and friendships, Discoveries: A Journey Through Life, is available through Infinity Publishing at http://www.bbotw.com and at http://www.amazon.com Each delightful story contains a strong sense of wonder about the world and a good dash of humor where it fits. Learn more about Shirley's writing and other interests at http://www.shirleyannparker.com

Trying Too Hard to be a Perfect Woman

2005-12-29T05:35:00.000-08:00

You could be setting yourself up for frustration and failure. Six ways to achieve more by doing less. In today’s world, with pressure to do and be everything, who does not want to be Super Women, being a perfect women?
Most, if not all, women feel the need to be perfect, but being a perfectionist is debilitating because we feel, each and everyday, like we don’t measure up. Letting go of your quest for perfection allows you to achieve more and enjoy life in the process. Here are six steps to embracing your less-than-perfect-self:
1. Do it half-rate. Choose an activity and instead of aiming for your typical 100 percent, shoot for 70 or even 50 percent. Every Christmas, Johannah Haney, 24, from Columbus, Ohio, is obsessive about gift wrapping. “I spend weeks and way too much money making my present look window-display perfect,” she says. “People do not even appreciate it that much, so I wind up feeling disappointed.” This year, Haney is taking the low-key route. “I bought some inexpensive paper, and I am going to put on Christmas music and limit the wrapping to one afternoon. I want to make it a fun rather than stressful experience.”
2. Make a list – then minimize it. List everything you feel has to get done today. Then grab a red pen and circle only the items of highest priority. Consider it a successful day when you have completed those tasks.
3. Redefine workout. Chloe Bergman, 28, an artist living in New York City, always strove for intense workout. “Unless I was sweating bullets on the tread-mill everyday, it was enough,” she says. But then a friend took her to yoga class. “It actually helped my running,” Bergman says. “Now I am convinced it is good to vary my workout, in terms of intensive as well as type.”
4. Say no more often. Perfectionist women feel like they should be able to do everything. But they can’t. No one can. So the next time you’re asked to serve on demanding committee or have coffee with someone you don’t really like spending time with, politely (but firmly) decline.
5. Reward yourself for every accomplishment. Channing Dungey, 33, a film producer in Los Angeles, has a hard time acknowledging that she’s finished a work project. “I’ll keep checking and rechecking it to make sure it’s exactly perfect,” she says. To counterbalance these tendencies – and help herself leave the desk – Dungey has created a reward system. “For a small project, I’ll get some frozen yogurt. For a bigger project, I’ll buy a new pair of shoes. It helps me break out of my pattern of feeling like the work is never done.”
6. Share rather than compare. The annoying thing about saying adios to your perfectionist self is that everyone around you still looks perfect. Next time, instead of comparing yourself to your friends, open up to them – confess how uninformed you think you looked in that meeting, how you embarrassed yourself on a date. You’ll be surprised to learn that most people experience the same things. We’re not so perfect after all.

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By Yulia Mark

Yulia Mark from Women Lifestyle, Fashion, Health, Beauty and Personality Network , small group of women journalists on WomenDiary.Net to the World

The Way He Folds His Pants

2005-12-29T05:32:00.000-08:00

Just as a person’s desk is an analogy of her mind so a man’s closet is an analogy of his attitude towards life. From how much time he spends on the care of his clothing to the way he hangs them up, a man often displays his priorities by the way he treats his laundry. Overall, there are three kinds of husbands: messy, organized, and downright obsessive.
The messy husband does not list his wardrobe high on his list of priorities. His clothing is usually not hung up but stuffed in a dresser drawer or flung over the back of a chair. Refusing to abandon his college days, he considers the “sniff-test” a valid assessment of the cleanliness of his chosen outfit. His shoes are often nowhere to be found, unless he remembers that he kicked one under the sofa and set one on top of the TV set while engrossed in the latest show on the SpeedVision channel. The only hangers that grace his memory are the ones that he secured the muffler of his classic Chevy with and the one he used to unlock his sister’s car. This husband’s only hope for order is his wife. If she is opposed to this lifestyle, and not an active participant, she will spend every waking minute cleaning up after this man. She will pick up underwear out of the bathroom, pants off of the bed, and shirts out of the living room. Her only pleasure in this is that she gets to keep the money she finds in his pockets. The messy man sees himself as too busy and too interested in other things to worry about the little things in life. He does not feel the need to worry about how his clothing gets into his closet, or that it even does.
The organized husband treats his clothing with care. He prefers his wardrobe to be neat and structured around a basic format. His pants are hung separately from his shirts and his shirts are organized by style and season. He has specified hangers for his more expensive clothing, but does not worry about how his t-shirts are hung. His shoes are lined up neatly underneath all the hanging clothing and all properly matched. He does not always place his dirty clothing in the hamper, but it is normally found within the general vicinity. His clothing is mostly wash-and-wear, as he does not see the point of paying someone to dry clean something that he could clean himself. His wife still does the laundry, but will be relieved of her duties if she refuses to abide by the general order of the closet. He likes to view himself as an active participant in the way he leads his life. He feels that it is an advantage over the rest of the male population if his clothing is clean, wrinkle-free, and easily accessible. This sense of order allows him to quickly prepare himself in the morning, so that he may spend more time on the important things in life – like sleep or the commute to work.
The obsessive husband takes organization to an extreme. He separates his attire by type, style, color and pattern. He also owns specialized hangers for every article of clothing. For instance, his pants hang full length from hangers with padded clips and his shirts are hung from various sizes of hangers in order to prevent lumps from appearing on his shoulders or back. His wardrobe completely consists of dry clean only garments – and he does make weekly trips to the cleaner’s. Once he receives his clothing back from the cleaner’s, he immediately removes the wire hangers and hangs his clothing the way he likes it and places it in his cedar-lined closet. This closet was specially built in order to repel any cloth-eating insects without that dreaded mothball scent. His shoes are placed in their own labeled, moisture-resistant box, and are neatly stacked in their own shelving unit. He normally does not let his wife near his closet for fear of her soiling his clothing with makeup, perfume, or any other feminine product. The most he will allow her to do is drive the dirty laundry to the cleaner’s. He enjoys order and feels relief once everything is put away in its position, whether it is laundry, work or his marriage. Any sense of disorder could immediately cause a situation worth panicking over.
If I had a choice, and at one time I thought I did, I would choose the organized husband. In theory, he would be able to find the hamper, but not complain about the way the laundry was done. He would be laid-back about the state of the household, but unable to live in filth. I believe that most women would agree that an organized man is the easiest to live with... that is, if men were predictable. After seven years of marriage, I have realized one thing: my husband has been all of these at one time or another and honestly I ride the waves of his moods without choice and all I can do is try and curb the extremities until the next swing hits. We haven't lined the closet in cedar yet though.

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By Cynthia Dollins

Cynthia Dollins works in corporate America and is well known within her company for her training manuals and easy to understand instructions. She rediscovered creative writing during college and is an author on a site for Creative Writers ( http://www.Writing.Com/ )

Stop Smoking Hypnotherapy – Can This Work?

2005-12-26T06:26:00.000-08:00

If you’ve already tried a variety of the stop smoking aids, and you’ve tried quitting smoking without any help at all, you may think it’s just not meant to be. If you haven’t tried quit smoking hypnosis, you should take a minute to consider the possibility.
When the word “hypnosis” is mentioned, many people immediately conjure up images of the comedic hypnotists that make unsuspecting participants quack like a duck or perform some other ridiculous action. Hypnosis stop smoking programs are serious help for those with a serious desire to quit smoking cigarettes.
There’s no doubt that suggestion is a powerful tool. If you doubt that, just think about the amount of money spent on advertising. While it’s not hypnosis in the purest sense of the word, there’s no doubt that advertising works because we are open to suggestion. This is the first major step before turning to hypnosis as quit smoking help – you have to believe that hypnosis will work and open yourself to the power of suggestion.
Smoking cessation is undeniably difficult. One of the most common problems faced by those who seek out hypnotherapy seems to be the expectation that stop smoking help will be easy with hypnotherapy. The truth is that most who undergo hypnosis still report an occasional craving for a cigarette. There’s no doubt that stopping smoking isn’t easy, and there seems to be no stop smoking methods that work without the will power of the smoker. If you want to know how to stop smoking without ever facing any cravings for another cigarette, you’re looking for a magic cure – unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to exist.
That’s not to say that hypnosis doesn’t work - quite the contrary. And there are those people who report that they never again have the desire to pick up another cigarette. Just don’t enter into a hypnosis program expecting perfect results. This, like all quit smoking products and programs, should be counted as one part of the overall plan.
Quit smoking support is another important factor, and you may very well get the needed support as part of the hypnosis program. There could be a group that meets periodically, or the hypnotist may be available for additional consultations at no cost over a specific period of time.
Cost is another factor that keeps some people from seeking out hypnosis. You’ll find that this isn’t a free stop smoking program, but it may not be as expensive as you think. You’ll find plenty of advertisements in most areas for around $100.
Despite what some people think, stop smoking hypnosis isn’t a magic cure. Regardless of what stop smoking programs you try, you’re likely going to experience some withdrawal and there will be times that cigarette smoking is appealing. But if you’re ready for help to stop smoking, hypnosis may very well be just the answer you’ve been searching for.
There’s no doubt that smoking is detrimental to your health, and that there are incredible benefits to quitting. Isn’t it time you considered hypnotherapy?

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By Steve Hill

Steve Hill discusses the quit smoking process. Learn the facts before you decide which quit smoking product to buy. Read more no-hype stop smoking articles and information at: quit smoking.

Stop Smoking Hypnotherapy – Can This Work?

2005-12-26T06:19:00.000-08:00

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By Steve Hill

Steve Hill discusses the quit smoking process. Learn the facts before you decide which quit smoking product to buy. Read more no-hype stop smoking articles and information at: quit smoking.

Heart Disease in Women

2005-12-26T06:16:00.000-08:00

According to the American Heart Association’s Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is still the United States number one killer of men and women of all ethnic groups. The statistical update for 2005 utilized the statistics compiled for 2002, or the most recent year that data are available.
Cardiovascular diseases include high blood pressure, arrhythmia, valve disease, congestive heart failure and stroke. Coronary heart disease (CHD) or hardening of the arteries is the largest killer of Americans. There were 494.4 thousand coronary heart disease deaths in 2002 including 179.5 thousand deaths from heart attack. The deaths from CHD included 241.6 thousand females of which 25.9 thousand were Black females. The number of deaths from strokes for Black females was 9.6 thousand.
CVD* Profile:

• 1 in 4 females has some form of cardiovascular disease.

• Since 1984, the number of CVD deaths for females has exceeded those for males.

• In 2002 CVD caused the deaths of 493, 623 females compared with 433,825 males. Females represent 53.2 percent of deaths from CVD.

• In the United States in 2002, all cardiovascular diseases combined claim the lives of 493,623 females while all forms of cancer combined to kill 268,503 females. Breast cancer claimed the lives of 41,514 females; lung cancer claimed 67,542.

• The 2002 overall death rate from CVD was 320.5. Death rates were ¬--265.6 for white females --368.1 for black females.

• *In 2002 cardiovascular disease was the first listed diagnosis of 3,164,000 females discharged from short-stay hospitals. Discharges include people both living and dead.
The risk factors for CVD are not only common in the African America community, they are also preventable. These factors include high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol profile, overweight & obesity, abnormal blood glucose and the use of tobacco.
Risk factors are preventable at an early age, before manifesting as cardiovascular disease later.
Lifestyle choices for prevention include but are not limited to:
• Exercising 30 minutes daily

• Eat vegetables, fruits and grains

• Eat a low fat, low carbohydrate, low cholesterol, low salt diet

• Eat fish, lean meats, poultry

• Drink eight glasses of water daily

• Eliminate processed foods, sugar, pastry

• Reduce life stressors and/or reaction to stressors

• Engage in spiritual activities

• Give community service
Due to the urgent need for ongoing intervention to reverse the trend of increasing numbers of diabetes and obesity, heart disease and stroke, I have partnered with the American Heart Association to provide a community awareness program to help improve the health and wellness of community residents. This program revolves around the National Go Red for Women and Heart Health initiatives.
To help raise the awareness of community residents and its members at large, of the need for heart health and the prevention of CAD in women, I encourage women to join me on February 3 by wearing red, in accordance with the American Heart Association’s National Go Red for Women Day. In addition I ask women to schedule an appointment for themselves and family members to see their nurse practitioner, internist, or pediatrician.

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By Johnetta Miner

*Source: The American Heart Association
Johnetta Miner, NP, is the founder and President of Johnetta Miner, NP. She is a Jin Shin Jyutsu® Physio-Philosophy practitioner and Jin Shin Jyutsu self help instructor. J. Miner, NP has provided primary care to adolescents and women specializing in prenatal, obstetrical and gynecological care. She advocates preventative health care in an integrative manner, combining traditional and western medicine. Johnetta brings years of experience to the company as a Registered Nurse, Women's Health Nurse Practitioner and Public Health Consultant. She can be reached at http://www.jeminer.com.

Infertility and the Immune System

2005-12-14T07:41:00.000-08:00

The body's immune system is our first and major line of defense against diseases and invading germs. It is comparable to soldiers stationed at the borders of a country, always ready to defend against any form of attack. The body's immune system has the intelligence to differentiate between the normal body cells and foreign/invading cells. It can trigger off a local or widespread alarm response or attack against invading microbes. It can also keep memories of these offending cells, so that it can repel them if they ever show up next time. The body's immune system works like a perfectly set up machine. However, it does have its shortcomings. There may be times when, for some reason, it breaks down and leaves the body at the mercy of invading microbes. There could also be times when the ability to differentiate between body cells and foreign cells goes sour and the immune system will turn its arsenal of attack against normal healthy body cells it is suppose to protect, causing damage to the body system.
The immune system plays a vital role in normal body functioning and the reproductive system is not excluded. Several cells of the immune system help in the reproductive process. For example, some inflammatory cells and their secretory products are important in ovulation and in the preparation of the endometrium of the uterus for the implantation of the fertilized egg. It is therefore not surprising to learn that any dysfunction of the immune system would interfere with the normal reproductive process and by extension, fertility.
As a matter of fact, it is estimated that up to 20% of otherwise 'unexplained' infertility in couples have an immune factor involved. There is not so much scientific evidence to link immune factors to infertility; however, there is a solid scientific evidence to implicate the formation of antibodies against sperm cells as an important infertility factor.
Normally, the sperm cells are protected from the reach of the immune system by tight connections between the cells lining the male reproductive tract, a natural protective mechanism known as the 'Blood Testes barrier'. This protects the testes from having any contact whatsoever with the blood, where the majority of immune cells are housed. Any injury or condition that compromises this barrier gives the immune cells access to the sperm cells. The immune system, not familiar with these sperm cells, because of the barrier separating them, treats the sperm cells as foreign cells and anti sperm antibodies may be formed.
Anti sperm antibodies tend to be commoner in infertile men. Almost 10% of all infertile men have anti sperm antibodies compared to about 1% of fertile men.
The most profound risk factor happens to be surgery on the reproductive tract. Nearly 70% of all men who have undergone a vasectomy reversal would have anti sperm antibodies present on their sperm. Other factors that may also contribute to this condition include:
- Varicocele or dilation of the veins surrounding the spermatic cord - Testicular torsion or twisting of the testicle - Undescended testes - Cancer of the testes - Infections like prostatitis - Inguinal hernia surgical repair, especially before puberty.
It is amazing to note, however, that several men with anti sperm antibodies have none of these conditions. This shows that every man with fertility problems is at risk of this condition, especially when no other reason has been diagnosed for the infertility.
Women also stand a risk of anti sperm antibodies. It is believed that about 5% of women with fertility problems could have these antibodies. What is not clear is who is at risk for their formation. Fortunately, intra uterine insemination, which involved placing 'treated sperm cells' into the uterine cavity of a woman, has not been shown to cause the formation of anti sperm antibodies.
The immune system has also been found to affect the ability to carry pregnancy in some women. In women with recurrent pregnancy loss, there is a group of antibodies that appear to attack an early developing pregnancy, resulting in either a miscarriage or severe preeclampsia with risk of intrauterine growth retardation or even foetal death. These antibodies are collectively called anti phospholipid antibodies and testing for them should be an integral part of the work up for recurrent pregnancy loss. It is still unclear if these antibodies affect the ability to get pregnant, but some physicians are of the opinion that the presence of these antibodies may decrease the chances for pregnancy through an invitro fertilization.
There are still several controversial areas as regards immunological factors and infertility. However, what is clear is that the immune system really does affect your fertility when things go wrong.

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By Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Infertility

Female Infertility and Lifestyle Choices

2005-12-14T07:38:00.000-08:00

There is a growing concern about fertility in the whole industrialized world today. Almost 14% of couples have infertility problems. There is a fear that infertility is on the increase and about 40-50% of these problems are associated with the woman. It is amazing to note, however, that there are many things that can affect reproductive health, that we as humans have control over. Lifestyle choices like smoking, alcohol consumption, caffeine healthy/unhealthy eating habits, weight, sexual practices and so forth all have impact on fertility and it is within our ability to control all these.
Most women are unaware as to how important these choices can be with regard to future attempts to conceive. It will be in order to examine these lifestyle choices and how much they affect our reproductive health.
*Weight ProblemsOver/Under weight On both sides of the scale, body weight plays a vital role in fertility. Obesity has been associated with infertility and menstrual irregularities. Women who are overweight but without Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) suffer the same problems with ovulation and menstrual anomalies as women with PCOS and in most cases, this is found to be inexplicable medically. But it has been shown that group treatment programs that help obese women with diets and exercise plans have caused a return of fertility in many patients. In overweight women with ovulation and menstrual irregularity, a weight loss of 6.5kg (15lbs) has been shown to restore normal ovulation. Therefore, it is believed that the improvement in insulin resistance achieved with the weight loss has more to do with restoring ovulation than the actual amount of weight loss itself. Several studies have shown that a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 23-30 is considered overweight and a BMI above 30 is said to be obese.
Just as overweight is bad for fertility, extreme underweight has also been shown to cause ovulatory dysfunction and thus infertility. In a woman with anideal body weight (BMI of 20-25) a moderate weight loss of 10-15% can cause menstrual irregularity and a weight gain in such underweight women has also been shown to restore ovulation and pregnancy in most cases. A BMI of 17.5-20 is considered underweight and below 17.5 is severely underweight.
*SmokingOver the years, several reports have consistently reiterated that smoking decreases fertility.
Smokers suffer a risk of menopause1.5-3 years earlier than normal, decreased oestrogen with breakthrough bleeding and a shortened luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. All these suggest that smoking exerts some toxic effects on the follicles directly. Also, nicotine, a component of cigarette smoke has been shown to concentrate in cervical mucous and the metabolites have also been found in the follicular fluid. This is believed to be responsible for delayed follicular growth and maturation in smokers. Smoking is also associated with an increased incidence of ectopic pregnancy and an increased spontaneous abortion rate which also suggests it affects the uterine tubes and tubal motility.
*Delayed ChildbearingCivilization also comes with its consequences. It is common to see women in industrialized nations delaying childbearing to pursue educational and career opportunities till later years.
What most women in this regard do not realize is that aging brings with it many effects that affect almost every part of the body and the reproductive system is not left out. Some of the effects of age on fertility include:
- Depletion, over time, of the ovarian follicles affecting menstrual and ovulatory regularity - endometriosis has more time to produce scarring of the ovaries and tubes, reducing free movement of these organs. It can even take the place of the ovarian follicular tissues, if ovarian endometriosis persists and grows.
- Fibroids can slowly grow causing endometrial bleeding that can disrupt implantation sites or even distort the endometrial cavity which affects the ability to carry pregnancy in the early stages.
- Abdominal adhesions from other intra abdominal surgery or ruptured ovarian cysts can also affect tubal motility, required to sweep the ovaries and gather an ovulated egg.
*Alcohol and infertilityThe total effects of alcohol consumption on fertility may not be clear, but what is known for certain is that alcohol abuse does constitute a risk of infertility. In a survey, women with high alcohol use reported more menstrual and gynaecological surgery. Alcohol has also been shown to alter oestrogen and progesterone levels and also cause anovulation (menstruation without ovulation). But what is not clear, however, is how much alcohol consumption is bad for fertility, or alternatively, how much is safe. It is established that during pregnancy, an average of 2drinks per day or more can produce foetal alcohol syndrome birth defects. Another study showed that a consumption of more than 100gram of alcohol a week (1drink per day) is associated with 60% increase in ovulation difficulties.
Also, increased caffeine consumption has been shown to affect the ability to become pregnant and carry the pregnancy. This is because caffeine clearance from the body is decreased during the luteal phase. Animal and human research data also show an increased risk of spontaneous abortions with increased caffeine use and a decreased foetal growth during pregnancy with increased caffeine intake. Consumption of three or less servings of coffee per day may be harmless, but more than this amount i.e. greater than 300mg per day may lead to fertility problems.
Women with Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) stand a greater risk of infertility and untreated STDs especially gonorrhoea and chlamydia, are the major cause of PID.
The choices we make everyday have a positive or negative impact on our ability to conceive.
Decide to make the right decisions today and enjoy a better reproductive health.

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By Michael Russell

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Infertility

Attract Mr. Right: Your Holiday Action Plan

2005-12-12T07:15:00.000-08:00

Holiday season is officially upon us. Here's a quick course to help ensure you spend a romantic, magical 2006 with the kind of man you've always dreamed about:
1) Love yourself. It's been said that you can't love anybody else until you love yourself. Well, I'll go one further: Nobody can love you until you love yourself, either. Until you do, you will continue to attract losers, abusers, schmoozers, and No-Show Joes. Love yourself, and you will attract men who love you and make you happy. It's that simple.
2) Bring to mind all the frogs you've kissed over the years. Write a list of the qualities you didn't like about them. How did they disappoint you?
3) Turn that list around. Write the opposite quality for every bad quality you listed. For example, if your former boyfriends were unfaithful, dishonest, manipulative, unreliable, you'd turn the list around to read: faithful, truthful, respectful of my feelings, and reliable.
4) Write an affirmation around your new list using the present tense. For example, "I am happily married (or involved with) a faithful, truthful, reliable man, who is fun to be with and respectful of my feelings." (Add the word "fun" to ensure you don't attract the nice but boring type.)
5) Write your affirmation 10-15 times a day for at least 30 days. It helps to conjure the sensation of how you'd feel when you are actually with the person you've described (feeling the affirmation helps convince the subconscious that what you're writing is fact). If you're feeling ambitious, try writing your affirmation with your non-dominant hand three to six times.
6) For the next 30 days, speak your affirmation: In the shower, in the car, while you're cooking dinner (but not on the bus or in a restaurant; people will laugh at you). Again, allow yourself to feel it. This may take time, but keep at it.
7) Be the person you want to marry. If you want a truthful man, be truthful. If you want somebody who resists playing head games, don't play them. If you want somebody polite, turn your cell phone off before you go into the movie theater and drive 25 mph in 25 mph zones.
8) Love yourself. Yes, I'm repeating myself, but loving yourself ensures you attract good men (as well as good jobs, good friends, good parties). What's more, you'll be more likely to recognize all this goodness when it appears.
9) Become aware of inner changes. After a while, you'll begin to attract a different kind of man. More important, you'll be attracted to a different type of man. Man-meeting opportunities will suddenly become abundant. Take notice.

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By Terry Hernon MacDonald

Terry Hernon MacDonald is the author of "How to Attract and Marry the Man of Your Dreams." Sign up for free dating tips at http://www.marrysmart.com. Check out Terry's blog at http://happygirlmusing.blogspot.com. .

How To Give Yourself A Brazilian Bikini Wax?

2005-12-12T07:11:00.000-08:00

Before you give yourself a brazilian bikini wax, be warned that most women don't find it comfortable. Pulling out your pubic hair and ripping them out from the roots is not the best feeling – After all, you are dealing with your most sensitive and intimate regions. Make sure that you want to have a brazilian bikini wax – You may get a standard bikini wax or a full bikini which can cause you less damage.
The first step would be to make a long warm shower washing and cleaning your pubic area. Then, trim down your pubic hair with scissors or with a shaver till it will have a length of a quarter inch.
Use a hard wax (A low temperature one) for a less painful process. Smooth the wax with a pre-waxing oil before applying it over your hair. This oil keeps it from sticking to the skin, and allows the wax to be used without strips, making for a much more comfortable experience. As the wax cools, it basically shrink-wraps each hair and pulls it out from the root. You may remove some stubborn hair with a set of tweezers.
Use a big mirror and move into any position you think will be more comfort – put your legs up, on the sides or even over your head. If you feel the pain is unbearable stop until you feel you are ready to go on.
once you finished with the waxing process and you are happy with your brazilian bikini wax, you should apply a soothing lotion on your bikini area.
If done correctly, your pubic area will stay smooth for anywhere between 14 and 25 days. We advice you to go to a professional salon to do your first brazilian bikini wax. After watching the therapist and feeling the discomfort and pain you will be able to decide whether you wish to give yourself the next brazilian wax.

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By Paton Jackson

911 Corp. executed an independent research to find the best method for removing pubic hair. The results were clear. Find out more on Brazilian wax and more.

Thanksgiving Mail

2005-12-09T01:01:00.000-08:00

As we rush through our lives to unknown places, we forget many of the things that bring value to our lives. With how many friends have you lost touch? When was the last time you appreciated the people in your life and told them?

In today’s world with phones, cell phones, Instant messaging and email, we are so in touch that we are out of touch. Communication is so high-speed that it can speed right by us. There’s a huge difference between getting an email and getting a card. When you take the time to go to a card shop, pick a card, write something in it and mail it, you are really showing someone that he or she counts. It wasn’t easy nor was it quick; it showed you cared. It’s also amazing.

There’s something special about getting a card in the mail. It’s like a surprise that took time to arrive. The value seems to grow as it travels through the mail system. Through rain, snow or sleet there are people working to get you that card. A whole system and country seems to be behind the card getting to you, all the way back to the days of the old west, when the pony express raced across the countryside, risking life and safety to bring you that card.

Yes, a card is special, and at this time of Thanksgiving we should slow down and decide to really be thankful for those who bring meaning to our lives. This Thanksgiving, let’s think about the people whom we are thankful for and let them know. Take the time and go card shopping. Buy as many cards as you can think of people to whom you should send them, even to people you know only casually for it would be fun to brighten their day. Then, actually add to the card by writing something yourself. Don’t create pressure on yourself, it as easy as just saying, “I wanted you to know this Thanksgiving how thankful I am that you are part of my life.”

Even if you are married or live with someone, mail them a card. It will really mean something when it comes through the mail, and to the person in your life when they get it. Don’t tell people you sent them a card. Let it be a surprise and enjoy the impact. They will know that they are important, and they will feel special, and you will feel good about it. As John Donne put it, “Sir, more than kisses, letters mingle souls. For thus friends absent speak.”

At the end of the day, it’s not what we have but whom we have to share life with that counts. So let’s be thankful about the people in our lives with Thanksgiving mail.

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By Devlyn Steele

About The Author- As a life coach, Devlyn has made helping people find ways to improve their lives his personal mission and passion. He is a public consultant, a private counselor, an author and creator of Tools To Life. He has hosted his own radio shows called "Tools To Life" and "Love beat" and has been a guest on over 150 various shows. You can read his articles and advice all over the internet. Devlyn has often been referred to as "America's Leading Life-Coach." For more information visit DevlynSteele.com or LifeCoachAdvice.com Send Questions To: CoachSteele@ToolsToLife.com

Changing Your Thanksgiving Chair

2005-12-09T00:58:00.000-08:00

You can change your life by simple changing the seat that you look at your life from. Thanksgiving taught me this as a child.
Growing up in Manhattan was an obstacle course of speed, traffic, hustle and bustle. It was an exciting place with tons of energy. The abundance of energy pointed in a billion different directions and you could often feel alone in your individual pursuits.
Then came the magical time of Thanksgiving where the city transformed.
As the days grew closer the excitement could be felt in the air. People seemed warmer, nicer, and though the pace remained fast, it seemed to slow down. The stranger smiled as he pushed you out of his way. The cabby honked at you but left out the crass comment, and you knew things were different.
Walking down Central Park, No Parking Wednesday and Thursday signs were posted about and the benches and barricades were dropped off in piles along the sidewalk. The cold air was just starting to find its way in and the city smelt fresh and clean.
Then came Wednesday and it seemed that everyone was on the same mission. The energy, instead of being pointed in a billion different directions, had a common purpose. You felt a connection, a bond, as everyone did smile and the pushes and shoves changed to helping hands. The smiles were everywhere and everyone wished you well on your holidays. You couldn’t help but feel excited and happy.
The city changed into a town. It felt like Anywhere, U.S.A. where you knew everyone and everyone knew you. Living on the Upper West Side, Wednesday night was a special time when the parade balloons were blown up all night along side the Museum of Natural History. Traffic was gone and the people took to the streets. The shops sold hot apple cider with cinnamon sticks and you would clasps your hands around the cup for warmth. Then you could get a peek at the magnificent balloons and everyone was one big family.
Early the next morning I’d be out walking the dog; Central Park would be empty and quite. In just a few hours millions would poor into the city as the nation gathered to see the magnificent Macy’s parade. But in those early morning hours the world felt completely at peace to me. I felt the goodness of the hearts of my neighbors and I felt safe.
Then the parade and crowds did roll through and it was a celebration like no other with children perched atop their parents’ shoulder clapping and gasping with amazement at the passing parade. We showed appreciation for all the high school bands from all over the country. Then we cheered for the all the familiar characters that brought us so many moments of laughter and joy.
After we celebrated as a city and as a nation, it was family time. Time to gather and sneak a few bites of stuffing before the long awaited meal was served. What a time to feel good and appreciate being with each other. A time to give thanks! It was a feeling I learned well and one that has always stayed with me.
The question I have for you is, what really changes during Thanksgiving? Did the people really change? Did the city really become a town? What was the event that changed?
When working with clients I often perform the following exercise. I ask them to move from chair to chair in my office and take a look at the room, finally retuning to the original position. Then I ask, “From each chair the room looked different, didn’t it?” The answer is always, “Yes.” Next I ask, “Did anything really physically change in the room?” The answer always being, “No.” The point being that nothing in life really has to change for you to enjoy it, other than the point of view you choose to take. What chair do you want to look at your life from, the chair of have nots and disappointment, or the chair of opportunities, appreciation and gratitude?
Change your point of view and you change your life. What changed the city into a town was everyone taking on the same point of view. When large groups take on the same point of view, whether negative or positive, you feel the common energy. What transforms Thanksgiving is the abundance of positive energy and you can feel it in your bones.
It is time for all of us to change our attitudes!
Did you know that the Macy’s parade was not started by Macy’s? The employees of Macy’s were once made up mostly of immigrants who were truly appreciative of their lives and opportunities here in the United States. All from different backgrounds, countries and religions, they gathered at 125th Street dressed as clowns and other costumes carrying balloons. They marched in celebration and gratitude to Macy’s on 34th Street. 250,000 people came out to watch them and be part of the celebration of life itself.
It was such a success that Macy’s fully got behind it the following year and it has been part of our tradition ever since. That was back in 1927. It’s amazing how we can affect the world with our individual initiative and actions. Yes, you can also affect your life with the actions you take. We do not need a specific holiday such as Thanksgiving to be positive and come together. The Pilgrims did so whenever the occasion called for it.
We are here and living freely as we do so tell yourself every day, “I’m having a great day!” That means “I want to do my best everyday and look at life from the chair of opportunities and appreciation!”
“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.’
-Cicero

Change the seat you look at your life this Thanksgiving. It’s simple; get up and sit in a different chair and think about all the blessings and opportunities you have in your life and be thankful.

_____________________________________

By Devlyn Steele

The Dating Box

2005-12-09T00:55:00.000-08:00

Weather you are actively dating or just getting back into dating, it is a world full of possibilities. However, most of us are creatures of habit and our patterns keep us in a dating box, searching for and dating the same types over and over.

Making contact online, you first have to find people that interest you by searching the dating website’s membership. Online the dating box is literal, as you have to fill in web forms to find potential dates. Most dating sites give you two ways to search – quick or advanced. Quick searches are just that – they’re small web forms that let you search based on just a few criteria, like location or age. Advanced searches are larger web forms that let you search using lots of more specific criteria, like hair color, eye color, education, body type and more.

Just remember that the more criteria that you use for your searches, the fewer results you’ll get. Searches are unforgiving – they’ll return exactly what you ask for. We call them “harsh numbers”. When you choose an age range of, let’s say, 30-39, the person who just turned 40 will not show up in the search results. If you want to find someone with light brown hair, those great dark brown haired people…like me…will be cast aside.

Also, many sites let you use keywords as part of the search criteria. This allows a search for words in a member’s profile that match your areas of interest. You can search specifically for words like “tennis”, “skiing”, or something else. This lets you be super-specific if you wish.

Although you want to find someone that attracts you and that you share things in common, don’t limit yourself to what you think is “your type”. After all, the “type” that you have gone for in the past might have not worked out. Think “outside your box”. What we often think is “our type” is the same person we have been chasing unsuccessfully, through one bad relationship after another, our whole life. Even if your type was a successful relationship in the past, you cannot repeat a relationship you once had with someone new. Unless you date outside your box you will never know if maybe someone different just might be your “type.”

When going over your wants, there is the numbers trap that we need to watch out for as well. Offline we often use the _expression, “numbers don’t lie.” However the new culture of online dating, numbers often do lie.

For instance the harsh numbers of weight, height and age when in black and white may make a person appear unattractive to you online, who you would find very attractive offline.

When we meet people in person we don’t say,
How old are you?
How much do you weigh?
How tall are you?
How much money do you make?

In person someone may carry his or her height, weight or age off in a very attractive manner. But when you look at the numbers online you think too old, too heavy, too short, too tall etc and that simply may not be the case. You have the right to want what you want, but I tell you this so that you can allow yourself to look past the numbers and be more open.

If you’re not finding people that fit, try expanding your horizons. You are not making any long-term commitment when meeting people, so be open and meet more people and who you fall for might surprise you. So get out of your dating box and don’t restrict yourself. Allow the incredible opportunity of online dating to work for you. Contact and meet a lot of people and leave yourself open to the possibilities…

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By Devlyn Steele

About The Author- As a life coach, Devlyn has made helping people find ways to improve their lives his personal mission and passion. He is a public consultant, a private counselor, an author and creator of Tools To Life. He has hosted his own radio shows called "Tools To Life" and "Love beat" and has been a guest on over 150 various shows. You can read his articles and advice all over the internet. Devlyn has often been referred to as "America's Leading Life-Coach." For free E-books and more information visit DevlynSteele.com Send Questions To: CoachSteele@ToolsToLife.com.

Envy

2005-11-10T03:47:00.000-08:00

So many women take it upon themselves to be the judge and the jury, according to their opinions of other women. Some of these women don’t even know the women that they have the audacity to attempt to judge and talk negatively about. What is really their problems? They are very insecure women who are envious with no self-confidence and they are just dying to be you... The Confident Woman.
These women... the ones who envy... are looking for identities and they want so much to be like you. They want to emulate everything that you do from the way that you dress to the way that you talk and walk. It is something isn’t it? They will talk negatively about the way you wear your hair or something that you are wearing and will try to come back the next day looking exactly like you. Stupid idiots! Theses type of women really don’t know what it is they want in life. They haven’t accomplished much and they are angry at you because you’ve worked hard to get where you are today.
It should seem that these women would use their envious feelings for other women as some sort of motivation to better their lives. After all, the reason why they are envious is because of what you have ....right? If they tried to accomplish a little of that, maybe their lives would get better. If they used that negative envious energy to go back to school, get a better job, or get a makeover or something, they would probably be on the road to more self-confidence and less stress from the envious energy they are carrying around.
If you are an envious woman, you really don’t accomplish much by trying to make other women lives miserable because you aren’t happy with your own life. The first step for you is to try to improve your life and yourself altogether. Being envious of other women should be motivation to get your lives the way you want them so you wouldn’t need to envy other women. If you don’t have what they have right now.......you know you are working toward it. Don’t try to be like the women you are envying, instead inspire to be better.
If you are The Confident Woman whose being envied, then you continue to do you and be you. You haven’t done anything wrong. You can’t help it because you are attractive, smart, and the center of attention. You deserve it! You have worked hard and sacrificed. You continue to do what’s necessary to keep yourself happy. If you are envied in the process, then oh well. They can either join the party or they can take a trip where the weather is al ways extra hot!
Copyright2005 Monica M. Burns. All Right Reserved.

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By Monica Burns

Monica M. Burns is a Writer, Expert Author, and Editor of Monica M. Burns, Inc. Information Publications, small web based businesses providing informational self-help products for women. She is also the Editor/Owner of Independent Women Online Magazine and Sweet Stimulations Online websites. She has authored several eBooklets and other reading information materials and is a featured Expert Author on many websites and magazines. She has also contributed to several Poetic Anthologies. If you would like to publish any of this author's articles electronically or in print to your websites, ebooks, newsletters, or ezines, you MUST include this resource box.
To find out more about this author, please visit her websites at:
http://monicaburns.tripod.com http://www.monicamburns.vstore.ca http://monicaburns.tripod.com/sweetstimulations/
You may also email her at monicaburnsinc@yahoo.com.

The Hormone Replacement Therapy Debate

2005-11-10T03:45:00.000-08:00

In recent times, there has been a heated debate within the medical community regarding hormone replacement therapy for women suffering from the effects of menopause. The debate is centered around a number of studies that have concluded that hormone replacement therapy may not be near as effective as was once promoted. Other studies have gone even further, by suggesting that there is a direct correlation between hormone replacement therapy and an increased risk of cancer. For women suffering from this dreaded condition, it is often very difficult to determine fact from fiction.

Many women place a great deal of trust and faith in their doctors. Naturally, they expect their doctor to have their interests at heart and to facilitate a treatment regimen that will benefit the patient and hopefully cure them of what ails them. Sadly, this is not always the case. Many doctors have special relationships with pharmaceutical companies, and in some cases it is suspected that they receive kickbacks for promoting new products. The pharmaceutical industry is not interested in your health. They are in the business of making money, not of curing illness. No illness = no profits. Take what your doctor says with a grain of salt…or perhaps some vitamin C.

This is not to suggest that all doctors are of this mindset, but a great many are. They, too, are in the business of making money. They issue of central importance is your health and wellbeing. The pharmaceutical industry seems to try to create new classes of conditions with each passing quarter. Menopause is not an illness. It is not a disease. Menopause is naturally occurring maturation process that affects women from all walks of life. It is a natural part of the aging process, and natural process is deserving of a natural treatment. Women have found ways to cope with the side effects of Menopause, long before modern medicine tried to turn it into yet another illness to be treated with expensive and potentially dangerous drugs.

There are a number of natural ways to deal with the effects of menopause. Explore your options. Vitamin E is very effective at easing the effects of Menopause. Vitamin B6 works by increasing your body’s natural progesterone production. It also boosts your serotonin production, thereby inducing a sense of calm. Try some Evening Primrose Oil to help alleviate headaches, irritability, cramping, and water retention. It is recommended that you explore every natural treatment option, before you compromise your health further with unnecessary drug therapies. Educate yourself. Your body will thank you for it!

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By Caren Killtral

Caren Killtral is an active enthusiast of natural health therapies. When she is not researching the latest information on natural health care, she writes articles for http://www.menopauseinsight.com – a menopause resource site with information about Menopause Information, Signs of Menopause, Early Menopause Information and more.

Are Our Young Women In Trouble?

2005-11-10T03:43:00.000-08:00

Today’s Illusionary Icons
My generation grew up watching Mary Tyler Moore proudly hold her own in the boorish business world, Edith innocently defy Archie’s intolerance, and Maude argue for social reform. We read about the “women’s movement” in Cosmopolitan magazine, while Cher broke new ground with her unabashed sexuality. Over the years, the struggles of our older sisters made it possible for us to open doors, to attain more than they had, to soar. As we grew up, we dreamed of meeting our Prince Charming, but we also envisioned working in the city or becoming a doctor or a lawyer. Indeed, over the years we made important strides in our quest for equality with men in business and in society, but what about in relationships?
Science tells us that women’s domesticity and nurturing qualities are instinctive, however, we also learned ways of thinking and interacting with others from our mothers, who had, of course, learned from their mothers. But what had we learned? Thirty years ago, most of us saw our mothers cater to our fathers, while dismissing their own ideas, and neglecting themselves. They did what was expected of them, but were they happy? As one woman said, “I’ll never forget that look on my mother’s face… she couldn’t have been happy.” We told ourselves that things would be different in our relationships, and they are, to some extent. But had the freedom and independence that had finally bubbled to the surface made us wiser and more connected to our inner selves, or did it just give us more outside choices? Had those achievements influenced our roles as loving and lovable companions?
In discussing this subject with women as young as thirteen and as old as never mind, I could see that the older women who had been influenced by our pioneer sisters, knew how important individuality and respect were to women. The younger ones, however, seemed to demonstrate the same self-effacing behavior as in years past, putting the needs and desires of men ahead of their own. This new breed of female seemed unprepared, naïve, and oblivious to what women before us had accomplished. Accordingly, if how we think and behave is a result of what we were taught and exposed to as children, what does that tell us about girls growing up today?
Have you noticed how obsessed most young women appear to be with having the best body, face, and hairstyle? Why is physical “perfection” such a priority today? Could it be the dozens of makeover and plastic surgery shows on television or the constant marketing of products consuming the airwaves and billboards, luring our young women with false promises of happiness and everlasting love, and almost hypnotizing them into buying their magical potions and gadgets -- look like your favorite movie star, and have a wonderful life! Those kinds of deceitful messages are shameful and potentially harmful to women who try futilely to reach the media’s ideal archetype. Our young women need to believe that they don’t have to look, think, or behave like the rich and famous, or do what the so-called “trendsetters” dictate just so advertisers and retailers can make a buck.
I am also concerned that a lot of girls feel they need to have a man (actually, a boy) in their lives in order to feel complete. Part of the reason is age -- the dawn of hormones -- but could it also be a result of reality shows where a dozen women compete for one man by using any means necessary? These shows have turned meeting and winning the heart of a man (a/k/a “falling in love”) into a spectator-driven, cut-throat event featuring ruthless women who act as if men were almost extinct!
Now, I admit that as young girls we wanted to have boyfriends and we wore makeup (remember that black eyeliner and blue eye shadow?), but I also remember that all of that was just a part of our lives as budding young women. We were also curious about the world, about finding out who we were, and what we would become. One reason for the somewhat distorted thinking of young women today could be that the world around them is not teaching them about integrity, confidence, or self-esteem. Parents today work really hard and can only hope that their children will listen to their words of wisdom and experience. It’s a losing battle when young women are then bombarded by self-serving, deceptive messages emanating from the media around them.
Please know that when I state my case I am not advocating censorship here. Nor am I in favor of producing a class of male-hating women -- far from it. I am talking about taking responsibility for teaching our young people the difference between what is true and appropriate for them in real life, and what is put out there for “shock value” and entertainment purposes. We need to spread the word to our young women that they have a choice not to be that woman in the video dancing half naked and that they will still get a boyfriend (and one of better quality). We have to tell them that it’s okay to refrain from using (and listening to) offensive and disgusting language, and that Britney and Christina are dressed like that because they are on stage (not in a classroom), and that yes, blow jobs are sex!
We have to teach our little sisters how to be comfortable in their own skin by shouting Be kind to yourself! Don’t obsess about your looks or berate yourself because you’re not model-thin. As women, we are our harshest critics and hold ourselves to ridiculous standards. Be independent! Don’t just say, “Wouldn’t it be nice to…” Do it! Set limits! Don’t let anyone mistreat you -- stand up for yourself and keep your word. Express your appreciation! When we embrace gratitude and humility, even more goodness and love comes to us. Listen to your inner voice! Don’t be someone who jumps to conclusions, but if you have that “feeling” deep down, don’t ignore it -- trust your instincts. Believe in yourself! Decide what you want, go after it whole-heartedly, and stay committed. Let ‘em see your joy! Joy comes through in our smiles and our eyes, and enables us to attract even more love into our lives. Remember, what you give out, you get back.

____________________________

By Audrey Valeriani

Audrey Valeriani is the author of two gift titles, as well as a third more substantial book which takes an in-depth look at women and relationships. SIMPLE WAYS TO A WOMAN’S HEART: Movie Star Maneuvers That Will Take Her Breath Away!© and IT’S NOT EASY BEING ME! Random Thoughts of the Modern Woman© were received well and were featured in various Boston-area newspapers, including the prestigious who’s who Inside Track column of the Boston Herald. She also appeared as a guest on a popular Boston radio station, 93.5 FM. Currently, although her latest book is not yet published, Audrey’s website http://www.theaccidentalexpert.com is up and running and shares some personal experiences, romantic advice, and allows site visitors to contact her with relationship questions, ideas, and opinions.

Getting Rid of Bikini Hair: Why Waxing is King

2005-11-10T03:41:00.000-08:00

I have asked several of my male friends whether they would wax their bikini lines if society decided that men looked better that way (I admit, I’ve also enjoyed describing what a wax would be like to these guys, just for the joy of seeing them turn several shades of sickly green). The answer has always been a positive no. One friend went so far as to say that he would not get waxed “there” even if someone held a gun to their head. Well, many women head to the salon for a bikini wax with no gun-toting maniac in tow and many even chat pleasantly with their aestheticians while the deed is done. The reason is that women want the smooth and clean look that waxing gives. In fact, in my opinion, waxing is one of the very best options out there for pubic hair.
The process of waxing a bikini line is pretty simple. Hot wax is applied over the bikini area and a strip of cloth is pressed into the wax. The skin around the strip is pulled as tight as possible, and after a moment, the strip is pulled rapidly off. Hair, wax, and even bits of skin come off with the strip, leaving smooth skin. In some cases, women opt for cold wax, where strips of cloth come with wax already attached. The strips are pressed onto the skin and pulled off - much like a bandage.
Many women are fine with waxing their bikini line at home. If you go this route, remember to pull the strips off fast - hesitating and jerking the strip off will hurt even more and may damage the skin. You will need to use a mirror to ensure that you have a clean, even line. Apply powder to the area afterwards and give yourself a well-deserved rest.
For many women, going to a salon makes a lot of sense for a bikini wax. Professionals can get at spots that are difficult to get at. They can also see you better, so they can tell where little bits of hair are sticking out. At most salons, aestheticians will pluck hairs that are too small to wax (anything under 1/4 inch) and will pluck the wiry hairs that are too tough to wax. It is awkward to go in for a bikini wax, since you are generally there in just your underwear and shirt, but it is the only way to get a perfect bikini wax.
There are several advantages to waxing your bikini line. First, the results last a long time - several weeks, in fact. The actual process takes less time than shaving and produces a much smoother effect. Since wax is made up of fairly simple ingredients (oil, paraffin wax and rosin, usually), there is little chance of chemical or allergic reactions. Some women may take comfort in knowing that both the wax and strips used in waxing are non-toxic and not very harmful to the environment.
That said, the ugly side of bikini waxing is pretty ugly indeed. The bikini line is a tender area and waxing here hurts a great deal. The further inwards you get from the thigh, the more pain there will be. For the least painful bikini wax, get only the hairs outside your underwear done. A badly done bikini wax can be disastrous, leaving skin damage, burns, and even leading to infection. Even a well-done bikini wax may cause skin cracks, bleeding, bumps, itchiness, swelling, and redness. You need to make sure that you go to a clean, reputable salon. If you wax at home, make sure the area in which you will wax is clean. After waxing, use only powder to deal with stickiness for the first few hours, and then keep your skin very clean to prevent infection and irritation.
Still, done properly, a bikini wax gives you worry-free smoothness for weeks.

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By Joni McCoy

Joni McCoy is the author of Hairchick.com, a fun and friendly resource on all types of hair removal for women.
Visit http://www.hairchick.com for more info.

How to Choose a Hair Straightener?

2005-09-10T03:35:00.000-07:00

After you made up your mind to straighten your hair with a hair straightener (hair iron), you must choose the one that will fit the best to your needs. Assuming that by this time, you have realized that hair straightener is the best hair straightening method – If used properly it does not cause any damage, it does not cost a lot; it is easy to use and provides the desired outcome in no time.We have gathered the crucial parameters for choosing a hair straightener:

1. Price - It is obvious that like any other purchase money plays a vital part. You must remember that purchasing a hair straightener is a one time investment which will improve your life style for years. Therefore, you shouldn’t buy the cheap hair straighteners that cost less than $100. How ever, you should not invest more that $160 in a hair straightener. You can buy excellent hair straighteners like the Sedu hair straightener in an average price of $130.

2. Weight – The lighter the hair straightener is, the better. Remember, there is a good chance that you will use the hair straightener daily. You should buy a hair straightener with an ergonomic design and a light weight. The Sedu hair straightener, for example, weights as low as 1 lbs.

3. Best fit – Most hair straighteners fit all hair type. However, You should adjust the width of the ceramic plates to your hair’ length. For 95% of hair lengths, It is advisable to get a width of 1.5”. For a very long hair, you should get wider plates. The Sedu hair straightener comes with ceramic plate’s width of 1” and 1.5”.

4. Plate’s types – A hair straightener includes two plates. Only ceramic plates assure no heat damage if use properly.

5. Heating time – You should not compromise on less than a quick heating of the hair straightener. How ever, make sure you can adjust the temperature or at least have not less than 3 temperature levels.
An objective study of all major hair straighteners regarding the above parameters showed that in 95% of cases the Sedu hair straightener is the best practice.

______________________________

By Paton Jackson

911 Corp. executed an independent research to find the best hair straightening methods. The results were clear. Sedu hair straightener is the most efficient hair straightener. Find out more on sedu hair straightener. All about hair on best hair loss products.

Louis Vuitton -- Avoiding The Ebay Nightmare Fakes

2005-09-08T00:57:00.000-07:00

Without a doubt, eBay was one of the cleverest on-line ideas that anyone has had so far. The idea of creating a site where you can bid on and buy items ranging from an eggcup through to a disused Boeing 747 or a Nuclear Missile Silo was pure genius.
Sadly though, whenever a good idea comes along, the seedier side of humanity is sure to be not to far behind, sliding along in it's wake leaving a gooey trail behind themselves.
So it is on Ebay. Current estimation holds that nigh on 37% of the worlds counterfeit and fake goods are sold daily on Ebay.
Having seen some of the listings I can fully believe it.
Especially where designer label goods are concerned.
Take a look at just about any page of Louis Vuitton items listed on Ebay and on average you'll find 95% of them on each page are fake.
So how can you avoid the easy to make mistake of buying a cheap quality fake LV?
Learn.
Learn as much as you can about the specific item you're interested in.
Don't go trawling ebay for ideas on what to buy and expect to be able to find a prize, hidden away deep in the listings. There are LV addicts who spend the best part of the day doing just that, trawling the auctions, checking and rechecking, looking for the bags that are being sold by owners with little knowledge, owners who are selling at a price away below what it should be. Then they'll "snipe" the auction in the last few seconds - right out from under your nose!
If you really want to buy a pre owned LV then your best bet would be to go to a consignment store and see if they can get hold of one for you. They'll have a constantly changing stock of second hand authentic items for you to choose from and you're fairly assured of it being genuine.
But if you really must buy your LV off eBay then try to use one of the badged LV sellers.
Who or what is an badged LV seller, you may well ask?
Well, there are two sets of LV sellers and buyers who have proven themselves, both over a period of time as well as a by being able to prove a minimum number of successful sales of authentic goods and who have a distinction awarded by one of two "bodies".
The two bodies are MyPoupette and ALVA (Authentic Louis Vuitton Addicts).
A MyPoupette recommended seller is known as an MPRS (My Poupette Recommended Seller) and an ALVA recommended seller is known as an ALVA SS (ALVA Seller Select).
Both of these lists have a criteria that any seller MUST meet before being granted the "badge". That criteria requires a certain number of authentic only items to have been sold with supporting feedback and good trading practice before they can qualify.
Once they are awarded this distinction they are then allowed to use that title and badge in their auctions.
Now, although nothing in life is guaranteed, you can be much more assured and comfortable buying your used LV through one of these sellers.
Why?
Well, two reasons really.
Firstly, many of the resellers who have earned this level treat their selling and buying as a business. To sell a fake would result in their being stripped of their titles which could seriously affect their turnover! They only deal in authentic items and HATE fakes.
Secondly, both of the bodies who issue these distinctions have an interest and a duty in ensuring that their members behave and sell properly.
Should a buyer have an issue with one of these sellers they can take their complaint to either MyPoupette or ALVA and ask that they intervene. Although neither of these bodies are legally responsible for your sales and purchases with their listed resellers, they do take any complaint seriously and will investigate and assist where possible - even going so far as to ban a member from their group and stripping them of their title.
On past record, when you deal with a seller with either of these "badges" you are going to have a good time!
And that means you avoid buying a fake LV on Ebay!
Copyright:: Rufus Steele 2005

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by: Rufus Steele

Full of information, articles & details including renting, http://www.1st-4-louis-vuitton.com is a haven for lovers of designer handbags in any form. Visit today to learn about all your favorites & new ones to love.

Silicone Breast Implants

2005-09-08T00:54:00.000-07:00

Silicone Breast Implants
First used in the 1960’s, silicone breast implants provide what millions of women have desired throughout history; a fuller and shapelier chest. Prior attempts to change the size of breasts included fat transplants, paraffin implants and even direct injection of silicone. All of those attempts had fairly predictable results, but the new surgical silicone implant offered both safety (relative) and acceptable results.
Silicone is made by man and has had many uses including lubricants, adhesive sealants, silly putty and gaskets. When used in a breast implant silicone resembles the natural look and feel of real breast tissue. It was an obvious choice when the first breast implants were created.
However, problems with silicone breast implants began to appear in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. Thousands of lawsuits left several chemical companies bankrupt and left millions of women reeling from debilitating conditions caused by the silicone. Even though studies failed to show a link between silicone implants and negative health conditions, the FDA banned the use of silicone implants.
Today the United States only allows silicone implants as part of a breast reconstruction or replacement procedure. The FDA is currently testing a new wave of silicone implants but results of the test are still years away. Outside of the US 90% of all breast augmentation surgeries performed still use silicone implants.

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by: T.Going

To learn more about breast implants and reconstructive breast surgery please visit Dr. William Adams at http://texas.resource4cosmeticsurgery.com/dallas.html. This article may be freely reprinted as long as this resource box is included and all links stay intact as hyperlinks.

Chin Surgery – Cosmetic Surgery Information

2005-09-07T00:52:00.000-07:00

Chin Surgery – Cosmetic Surgery Information
The chin is one of the most noticed features of an individual’s face because other elements of the face such as the nose, and jaw are lined up with it. Chin surgery (or mentoplasty) procedures are designed to sculpt your chin into a more desired and attractive looking form.
The best candidates for mentoplasty are those who are in good physical and mental health, who have not been diagnosed with any diseases including bone disorders. Patients should not have an unrealistic expectation when going in for chin surgery. The procedure can make the chin more or less prominent, depending on the needs and overall look of the patient’s facial appearance.
Mentoplasty changes the chin’s shape by moving some of the bone forward, adding implants or in some cases, completely removing the bone altogether. Each procedure has different details and is dependent on what the patient’s needs are. A chin with a bone moved forward can help give the chin a stronger appearance. This is the same with adding an implant. The implants usually take around an hour and a half, but will ultimately have dramatic effects on one’s overall look. Removing part of the chin bone reduces a jutting jaw and can give a patient a more welcoming look. It is best to explain to your doctor what your needs are so an appropriate plan of action can be taken.
Recovering from the surgery is a simple process. The area around the chin will be sore and tender for a few days, and will probably turn black and blue. An important part of the healing process is to maintain proper dental hygiene, especially if an incision was made through the mouth to reduce scarring. After a few days, the support tape and bandages will be removed.

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by: T.Going

To learn more about chin surgery and other cosmetic surgery procedures by Dr. Sidney Eisenbaum please visit http://www.resource4cosmeticsurgery.com. This article may be freely reprinted as long as this resource box is included and all links stay intact as hyperlinks.

Beauty - Is It Really Only Skin Deep?

2005-09-06T06:52:00.000-07:00

We are in the age of cosmetology, plastic surgery, implants and a constant barrage from TV and magazines that want to sell us beauty and weight loss products. It is an enormously profitable industry that keeps us spellbound for the next new thing that will take away our wrinkles or firm our skin or help us lose weight.
Unfortunately society all over the world from the deepest, most remote areas of the planet to modern society will judge you by how you look. It is true! We all do it, some more than others. When you are walking through a mall or standing in line somewhere you are assessing people around you. When we are looking for a job we dress to impress. When we go out for an evening we dress to impress. Women usually pay more attention to detail then men.
But there is more to beauty then cosmetics and clothes. If you are very healthy looking then you are more likely to give a good impression. If you are a good listener, helpful or witty and cheerful, people are more likely to want to be around you. Cosmetics and clothing can definitely help but I suggest starting from the inside out.
1) Get plenty of sleep. This is a must. You cannot function properly when you are tired and it will show on your face. If you have a problem with getting enough sleep then you need to investigate the cause and handle it accordingly.
2) Drink plenty of water. Most people are semi dehydrated and don’t get enough water daily.
3) Eat healthy food. Give up the junk and sugar foods. Your metabolism will be working better if you eat regular healthy meals.
4) You may want to consider taking supplements to get the vitamins and minerals your body needs.
5) Exercise. Our bodies need to move. We have become somewhat of a couch potato society. Have you noticed that when you are lazy you are less likely to want to get up and do anything? Exercising 30 minutes three times a week should help you lose weight and keep healthy.
6) Manicures and pedicures and keeping your body clean will keep you healthy and will be appreciated by others.
7) Keep up with the times on fashion. You don’t want the outdated look.
8) Dress for your age. At 12 you don’t need to look 20, or if your 50, you don’t need to look 18. Be well dressed for your age.
9) If you need help with hair and makeup, find an expert to help you with that.
10) And finally, smile. No one really cares to be near Mr. or Mrs. Grumpy.
Some people naturally do all or most of these things, but if you aren’t one of them then look at what would motivate you to do this. Do you have a spouse you want to look good for? Are you single and want to attract someone? Do you have children or grandchildren you want to be healthier and be a good role model for?
There is an awesome motivational poster that inspired me to write about this subject. Get healthy, and be happy.

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By Willie Jones

Willie is a freelance writer, researcher, floral designer, and artist. Thanks very much for reading this far. “Make sure you enroll in the free motivational poster drawing at http://www.artinspires.com/. All winners receive a free framed print.”

Eating Disorders: What Exactly Are They?

2005-09-06T06:50:00.000-07:00

Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are the diseases caused due to the abnormal eating behavior of an individual. Many people suffer from such eating disorders. They indulge in eating more and more food, which is considered abnormal. A normal person cannot have the amount of food, a person suffering from an eating disorder can have.
Such abnormal patterns of food are not a result of increased hunger. Person having eating disorders have other problems. These problems are related to their lifestyle. Eating disorders are a sign of a problematic time in a person's life. People eat more food to suppress extreme emotions and depression.
There are also different types of eating disorders. Some types of eating disorders are: anorexia, compulsive eating, binge eating disorder and bulimia. These eating disorders are completely curable. You have to detect them on time and seek a medical advice. Treatment may takes a long time. But if the patient is given good support by his family and friends, he can fully overcome the disease.
There are certain misconception about eating disorders. One common misconception is that the males who have any eating disorder are considered to be gay. The fact is that sex has nothing to do with eating disorders. Secondly, if a man has one eating disorder, he cannot have another. Whereas, many people have multiple eating disorders.
The most common misbelieve is that teenage girls are more prone to eating disorders. It is a fact that you can have an eating disorder during your teenage years but anyone, be it children, young girls, and boys, can develop an eating disorder.
If someone around you seems to be suffering with eating disorders, help them. Such people become emotionally very weak and use food as a way to relieve themselves. Emotional support is the most important thing to treat these individuals.

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By Jeff Dedrick

Do you want more information on anorexia, bulimia, and eating disorders? Go to http://www.bulimiaandanorexia.com for articles and info.

The Effect of Hysterectomy on Sexual Response and Sexual Identity

2005-09-05T06:49:00.000-07:00

Women have mixed emotions regarding the effect of hysterectomy on sexual response and sexual identity. Most woman go on to have a normal sex life, some have a heightened response, while others are less able to have a sexual response following hysterectomy due to their perceived loss of femininity.
Some women may notice a change in their sexual response after the uterus has been removed. For example, uterine contractions a woman might have associated with orgasm may no longer be perceived. Other women may experience a heightened response. This may be due to the fact that they no longer have to worry about getting pregnant and no longer have tremendous pain or dysfunctional bleeding.
If the ovaries are not removed, the outer genitals and the vagina are not affected and remain lubricated when a woman is sexually aroused. If the ovaries are removed at the time of hysterectomy, vaginal dryness may be a problem during sexual intercourse. Vaginal dryness can be helped with the use of estrogen cream.
During a hysterectomy your doctor removes vaginal tissue. This may make the vagina shorter. Deep thrusting during intercourse may be painful. Changing positions during intercourse may help, such as being on top or bringing your legs closer together.
Recently interest in supracervical hysterectomies (where the cervix is not removed at time of hysterectomy) has grown out of speculation that women might enjoy better sexual function after hysterectomy when the cervix is left in place. A new study has found there is no difference in sexual function or quality of life when a supracervical hysterectomy is performed instead of a total abdominal hysterectomy.
Post hysterectomy depression may interfere with sexual response. Depression may follow a hysterectomy from a concept that femininity and an intact functioning uterus are one. Some women link their self-image with reproductive ability. Menses reminds a woman of her uniqueness where hysterectomy takes away this cue. Many women have a brief emotional reaction to the loss of the uterus and ovaries that erodes their sense of well-being and femininity. If the problem persists please discuss your feelings with your doctor.
Be sure if you are considering a hysterectomy you discuss your personal health and medical history with your doctor. He or she will help you decide what procedures are best for you given your personal condition. Many women find this procedure helpful to their overall health and well-being, especially if they are at risk for certain cancers or other debilitating health conditions.

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By James Brann

At Women's Healthcare Topics website you will find valuable and up-to-date information on numerous topics related to women's health including Early Signs of Pregnancy, First Pelvic Exam, Genital Warts and more.