Pamper yourself

The Many Drug Abuse Effects

2010-03-04T05:03:00.001-08:00

With today's level of education on the issue, it is fair to say that everyone in the Western hemisphere knows drugs are bad for you. However, do you know what 'bad for you' constitutes? Drug abuse effects range from the mental to the physical to the social.
Marijuana
Most people see this as a 'harmless' drug, mostly because it has some medicinal properties, and is a naturally occurring substance. Unfortunately this doesn't mean that there are no negative effects on long term users. While this may not be the kind of drug which can kill you with one dose, it can still have devastating consequences for your life over a long period.
Marijuana can cause you to develop mental problems through long term and short term use. Excess use can lead to paranoia, in both the long term and short term. Studies have also shown that prolonged use has a negative impact on mental abilities and IQ. The drug can also lead to apathy and stereotypical 'stoner' behavior, where the user is interested in nothing but the next joint.
Marijuana can also harm a fetus during pregnancy, and lead to psychosis and mental dependence on the drug.
Heroin
Heroin is commonly seen as one of the most unpleasant drugs available to buy. It invokes strong chemical and mental dependency. The problems caused by heroin are threefold; the actual drug itself which is incredibly harmful to the body; the culture of violence and crime surrounding its sale and production; and associated diseases such as AIDS which are associated with sharing needles.
The effects on the body are extreme - as the drug depresses respiratory function, prolonged use can lead to lung or heart failure! It also has associations with liver disease and pneumonia due the suppression of the immune system.
Secondary illnesses which are associated with heroin abuse include the AIDS epidemic and hepatitis. This is largely due to the sharing of needles, which leads to cross contamination. Both these diseases can be managed, but not cured and greatly affect the lives of those who contract them.
The social aspect, including the dependence upon the drug makes the user incredibly venerable to dealers. Many people are coerced into trades such as prostitution in order to fund their drug abuse.
Cocaine / Crack Cocaine
Cocaine and crack cocaine are similar drugs; crack cocaine is a processed form of cocaine which is mixed with baking soda or ammonia. Drug abuse effects caused by cocaine are severe; often users will continue to take the drug only to avoid the savage withdrawal which the drug causes.
Due to the rise in blood pressure, and resultant rush, there is a high incidence of strokes among cocaine users, as well as a variety of other cardiac problems. The drug is also associated with acts of violence due to the savage rush it entails.
These are just some of the drugs and the effects of drug abuse which are affecting society today. Hopefully you are now a little more aware of the consequences of drug abuse, and can make an informed choice as to whether or not you use.

Christine Crotts is not ashamed to say that she is girlie and likes the color pink. Christine has written a site containing reviews on pink bath towels, as well as purple bath towels.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christine_Crotts

Sesame Street: Healthy Foods

2010-03-01T11:38:00.000-08:00

A List Of Healthy Foods To Eat

2010-03-01T11:31:00.000-08:00

Finding a list of healthy foods to eat is not as easy you would think. There are a lot of amazing foods in the world that can increase your well being and make you look amazing. It is just about finding them.

What is healthy food?

Healthy food is food that is healthy. Now that might sound oversimplified but that is what it is. You can generally tell what food is healthy and what food is not. Fruit and vegetables are the obvious choice. The problem is that every corner seems to be filled with a fast food joint. This makes making the healthy choices a little bit harder.

Why fruits and vegetables?

They may seem dull to eat but they are the "bread and butter" of healthy foods. You could make a list of healthy foods to eat right now by simply visiting the fruits and vegetables section of any supermarket. Why is this?

Fruits and vegetables contain all the vitamins that your body needs on a daily basis. This includes vitamins A, B, C, D and E. They all serve different areas of the body. On top of this they are also very low in fat. So you are eating food but not storing anything. The low quantity of carbohydrates that they are made of is burnt of quickly throughout the day. Celery for example is in fact considered a negative calorie food. You actually lose weight eating it.

What else is healthy?

To be completely healthy and find a list of healthy foods to eat, you are however going to need more than just fruits and vegetables. Carbohydrates and proteins are the base of any meal. Breads, cereals, rice and pasta are all excellent carbohydrates. The wholemeal choice is always the best option.

Proteins are essential for muscle repair and include meat, poultry, fish and eggs. Of course the right kind of meat must be chosen. Chicken breast is an excellent choice, along with turkey and tuna. When eating eggs it is always best to keep the egg yolks to a minimum. A ratio of 1 yolk to 3 eggs is ideal.

Milk, yoghurt and cheese are excellent sources of calcium which greatly benefits your bone strength. The low fat choice of both is also recommended.

What about fats?

The right kind of fats in the right quantities is absolutely essential. Sweets and fried food generally do not fit in to this category. Fish oil and nuts are rich a source of healthy fats including Omega-3.

How much do I Eat?

This really depends on your daily activity level. To lose weight, carbohydrates and fats should be restricted to a low amount. Weight maintenance can be done simply by making the healthy choices and avoiding junk food.

Can I ever eat junk food?

At the end of the day, we are all human and it is impossible to suppress cravings for junk food for the rest of your life. So you certainly can eat junk food but only once in a while. For example you could reward yourself for a week of healthy eating by going out of a meal. This is fine as long as you are back to healthy eating the next day.

Where can I find a complete list of these healthy foods?

This is a basic overview of a list of healthy foods to eat. There are many guides available that can help you with this and actually do provide you with a list of healthy foods to eat. They can be very affordable and well worth the money.

If you would like some recommendations click here to visit a review page for these guides.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Paz

The Ultimate Benefits of Aerobic Exercises

2010-02-26T04:25:00.000-08:00

When the object is to learn the ultimate benefits over of aerobic exercises, it is great to learn a little something about the human anatomy. Since aerobic means 'with oxygen' and anaerobic means 'without oxygen' any exercise program that is aerobic will have to do with your body's ability to deal with oxygen. The body handles the task of transferring oxygen around to certain areas through the organs and muscles.

The first thing that comes to mind when we think about breathing and oxygen is of course the lungs. The lungs are very important when it comes to aerobic exercising and benefits the greatest from working out since air is forced in and out in a rhythmic pattern. Think of aerobic exercise and your organs as being as important as working on the muscles in your leg or arm. By exercising any muscle of the body what you are doing is maxing out that muscle and force the area to add on more muscle for the next round. This is one of the greatest benefits of aerobic exercises but that's not the only benefit, as there are plenty more.

Aerobic Areas Lungs and Heart

The lungs are only one of many very important parts of your body's entire process of accessing oxygen mainly through the lungs and the heart and blood. The benefit of a robust exercise is based solely on how well your body can deliver much-needed oxygen to your muscles and convert that oxygen into energy. Any exercise that improves the aerobic capacity of your body will make you feel better as the body has to work less for conversion of the much-needed oxygen and dispelling the waste product which is carbon monoxide.

Longevity and Quality of Life

The greatest benefit for participating in any aerobic exercise is longevity and quality of life. This life is the only one you have and so far this body is the only one that you can have while on this earth so why not do all you can to keep it healthy and maintain that quality of life. By working out, on a regular basis in the genre of aerobics you will find that as the day's roll on the exercises will become easier to handle. Once the exercises become too easy it is time to make them a little more difficult by shortening the time that you have been given yourself to complete a repetition or increasing the number of repetitions in the exercise. Regardless of which one you increase or decrease the bottom line will be that you are becoming a healthy individual and your body will be rewarded with excellent lung capacity great blood flow and a healthy mind!

Father Time Delaying

By maintaining a regular aerobic exercise program even as you age, your muscles will stay physically fit and this will help prevent spills and falls that inevitably happen as we get older. It is a battle against Father Time and you can extend your stay on this planet and be as healthy as possible by participating in a great aerobic program at your local gym or even at home. The bottom line is that you will be doing something for the physical fitness aspect of your body and by keeping a positive mental attitude before you know it you will be feeling and looking great!

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=George_Christodoulou

5 minute cardio workout

2010-02-24T14:57:00.000-08:00

Cardio Fitness to a Happy Heart

2010-02-24T14:56:00.000-08:00

Most of us know about cardiovascular fitness but still we are looking for alternative and easy ways of loosing fat and get a toned up body. There are no shortcuts to a good lean body, even though the market is full of products claiming to do so. It needs some consistent efforts on our part to see the results. You can not see the results overnight, it's a cumulative effect that adds up. Cardio training and cardio fitness is the best way to get in shape and have all other health benefits like a healthy cardiovascular system ie. your heart and lungs.

Any form of aerobic exercise that keeps your heart rate close to target heart rate would add up to your cardio training. Running, jogging, cycling, aerobics, martial arts or even some forms of dance can help you do so. Good cardio session is the best way to burn up those extra calories, anyone looking for a weight loss should count the intake of calories and try to burn more than they consume. Intensity and duration of a cardio workout is what makes it effective. A fit cardio system would keep up your metabolism making you feel good and energetic through out the day.

It is tough for most people to let their bodies come out of comfort zones and make them workout and sweat. It takes some effort at first but if you continue with your routine, you would be looking forward to your sessions and enjoy them. There are lots of ways to keep a person motivated to reach for his fitness goals- take a gym membership, get a partner for exercise, take up something of your interest or get exercise equipment like treadmill or elliptical trainer.

Prevention is always better than cures. Get a ton of health benefits with cardio fitness, rather than getting treated or looking for short cuts to obesity, heart diseases and respiratory disorders. It's the only body and life we have, respect it, keep fit and enjoy every moment.

Adam is a fitness enthusiast keenly interested in fitness and health for the last 12 years. Get fitness information and tips with all the news and reviews about the best equipments and products at www.fitnessandequipments.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adam_Gibbs

Tae Bo Cardio Billy Blanks part 1

2010-02-24T14:30:00.000-08:00

Health Effects of Smoking and Why You Must Absolutely Quit the Habit Right Away

2010-02-24T04:09:00.000-08:00

Even though nearly every smoker has heard of the health effects of smoking, only few really believe the extent of damage that smoking can cause to their health. This article looks at some of the dangerous health effects of smoking and why you have to absolutely quit the habit right away.

First, do you know that there have been over 500,000 deaths from smoking-related diseases in the United States alone?! In fact, since the first report by the Surgeon General in 1964, there have been way more than 12 million deaths from smoking-related diseases. That's a huge number and nothing can guarantee that you won't be among this number if you don't quit the habit right away.

If you are a young smoker, then it's important to know that you are reducing your lifespan drastically by not less than an average of thirteen to fourteen years. So, yes, the various reports you have been reading are right - smokers are liable to die young. If you want to enjoy the rest of your life then you have to quit the habit right now, regardless of the addictive tendencies of nicotine.

If you are a woman and are pregnant, do you know that you are drastically harming your child when you smoke? Trust me, you could end up either losing the child or harming him or her before they are born. So, don't let anyone tell you otherwise, quitting the habit right will protect your unborn child.

Other health effects of smoking include terrible diseases such as cancer of the lungs, stroke, heart diseases, diabetes, etc. If you care for your health and if you care for those that you say you love, then you have to quit the habit right away, if you don't want to die from any of the aforementioned illnesses. And if you die you have deprived your loved ones of your love. Certainly, you care enough for your loved ones to quit the habit right away, don't you?!

To REALLY Quit Smoking Addiction and Danger Quit Smoking <<-- click any or the 2 links!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Lim_Cher_Sern

Optimum Men's Health and Fitness Guide - The Ultimate Men's Fitness Tips

2010-02-24T03:58:00.000-08:00

Finding the perfect balance of mens health and fitness is a daunting task these days. There are so many so called "fitness experts" telling you one thing, while the others tell you differently. So what men's fitness tips are really proven to enhance a man's life?

Let's take a look at some of the major issues and how to best tackle them.

WEIGHT LOSS

So much crap comes out daily on this subject. The worse products are usually savvy marketed diet pills that promise so many results and almost ALWAYS under-deliver!

So what's really the best recommendations for weight loss? I'll cut right to chase here since I'm not one to sugar-coat stuff. The best way to lose weight successfully and keep it off is to get your lazy butt up and do something! Anything!! Just do whatever your able of doing.

Humans are inherently lazy and this often makes them gain weight with each passing chronological year that goes by. The best mens health and fitness ideals come from physical activity. I'm not saying it has to be hard work.

In fact, it's not hard work at all when you make men's fitness a lifestyle and not a chore.

I would highly recommend interval cardio training for 20-30 minutes, 3-5 days a week. That's only about 3% of your entire day! Your seriously gonna tell me you can't devote 3% of your day to your health and fitness goals?

It doesn't have to be 20 minutes, 5 days a week off the bat. Just start slowly,take baby steps, you'll get there eventually. If you value your life at all, you should equally value good health. These weight loss fitness tips are not that hard to follow and you will get used to them,like everything else in life.

BUILDING MUSCLE

As a rule of thumb, I like to go by lifting weights to build muscle every other day. And usually your entire muscle building routine can be done in about 20 minutes. Allowing one day's rest in between allows your body and muscles to recuperate. Weight training is a huge part of optimal mens health and fitness.

No time to get to a gym? Invest in a home gym unit! I highly recommend a Bowflex home gym unit or a Total Gym. A Bowflex is ideal for ultimate muscle building while the Total Gym is ideal for toning up the entire body and building modest muscle mass.

Not to mention they are both incredibly easy to use. Having a home gym in your house saves you gas and aggravation of driving in traffic to and from the gym also!

You see guys, men's fitness does NOT have to be hard or difficult.

So now that you've got a slim and almost-perfect body, where do we go from here?

FACE EXERCISES

To complete the ultimate mens health and fitness plan, I'd highly recommend face exercises for men. Why? Because most often,regular exercise and weight training won't exactly build chiseled facial features. While building muscle will define your chest and shoulder area, it won't target your face and neck muscles effectively.

What can be achieved through these exercises? How about a chiseled jawline, enhanced cheekbones, elimination of under eye bags and double chin? Not to mention the burst of confidence that will come from your new look. Just imagine what can come from a quick blast of fresh new-found confidence.

The nice thing about face exercises is that the results are super quick!

They only take up about 15 minutes of your day and can be done sitting in traffic, on a plane or practically anywhere! There's over 50 muscles in the face and it would be naive to think that we couldn't also manipulate these muscles and sculpt and define them for enhanced facial features without plastic surgery!

So here you have it guys! The ultimate mens health and fitness guide and men's fitness tips all-in-one simple outline!

Men's Fitness expert Joey Capone is the writer of "Face Sculptor" Face Exercises for Men which can be found at http://www.menslifezineultra.com

Joey Capone is also the editor of the popular mens health and fitness blog, http://www.menshealthzine.com which features cutting-edge men's fitness tips and advice on enhancing your looks and so much more!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joey_Capone

Women's Health and Fitness - How to Improve It

2010-02-24T03:50:00.000-08:00

Health is wealth, that's what they always say. And indeed, there's nothing more important than one's health. With all the health and fitness advices out there, sometimes, we get confused which is which. If we're not careful, following someone else's advice can even lead to peril rather than fitness. So, what is special with women's health and fitness compared to men's?

Women's Health and Fitness 101

Metabolism for women is generally slower than that of men's. Although this fact is not always true, it gives meaning to why it's harder for women to stay fit.

Women have the tendency to have poor blood circulation compared to men because of slower metabolism. This is usually expressed by the cold hands and feet in all kinds of seasons for the ladies.
Because of their monthly period, women have a totally different hormonal structure with that of men. This usually is the cause of their phenomenal mood swings.
With the given facts above, obviously women differ with men when they deal with stress, some of which can even lead to eating disorders.

How to Improve Women's Health and Fitness

Increase one's metabolism by exercising. Examples are jogging or power walking or a combination of both. Not only does it burn calories faster but it also improves blood circulation.
Because of slow metabolism, women are recommended to have a high fiber diet. A daily dose of fruits and vegetables are in order to keep one fit and healthy.
One measure of women's health and fitness is the amount of fluids they take. It is advised to take at least two liters of water and other liquids per day. But this does not include coffee or tea as they contain caffeine.

Regular Visits

With regular check ups, women's health and fitness can be monitored, if not further maintained. Make sure you keep up with your doctor and never skip a visit even if you think there's nothing wrong. As they always say, prevention is better than cure.

On those Fitness Tips

Women's health and fitness cannot be generalized. What works for another woman may not work for you so don't just go on following anybody's advice. Make sure you consult a professional.

Get in touch with an expert to further understand your body. Make sure you only follow a professional's advice and maintain your health.

An easy but effective way to shed pounds when you need it is a proven quality method that really stands out. This method combines rapid weight loss with a unique long-term sustainable weight loss plan that has showed remarkable results for overweight people all around the world. Click here for more information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gary_Holdon

The 4 Keys in Any Health and Fitness Program That Works

2010-02-24T03:37:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, you won't be able to find a pill that can guarantee you healthy mind and a healthy body without requiring you to do a little effort from your end. If you are looking for a healthy and fit body and mind then the only thing that you should look for is a better health and fitness program that is usually based on four basic components. If you can adhere yourself with these four basic components, then every program would be the best program for you. Following are the four vital key components of any health and fitness program:

1. Commitment

The most important part of any health & fitness program; commitment. Without showing commitment, you won't be able to stick to any program for a longer period of time. Commitment is the starting point of any fitness program; in fact, commitment is the first step towards any target that you have set. If you enter your health and fitness program with commitment, then it is very likely that you will succeed. If you don't have commitment towards your health and fitness program, then it is very likely that you would end up in frustration and doubt about your fitness program.

2. Physical Exercises

There is no health and fitness program that doesn't include proper physical exercises. Physical fitness can only be achieved through proper physical exercises that increase the vitality of our life and helps us in increasing our energy levels; makes us more active and lively. Physical exercises increase our stamina and make us ever-ready to face the challenges of life. That is why we should make physical exercises as a part of our daily life. Unfortunately most of the people make it as a part of their weekends only; which is not beneficial in any way. You should not think about moving fast; move slowly but steadily.

What sort of physical exercises you should do? Well, it depends upon various factors like physical characteristics, age, medical circumstances etc. Basic physical exercises include cardiovascular exercises, running, jogging, walking, cycling etc. One must also note that health and fitness program exercises should also include those exercises that can help you in strengthening your muscles like weight lifting, knee bends, pushups etc.

3. Mental Exercise

Mental exercises are another vital component of any health and fitness program. Our actions reflect what is going inside our mind. That is the reason why mental exercises are as important as physical exercises in any health and fitness program. There are lots of mental exercises that one can practice in achieve better health and fitness like reading various successful testimonials of those people who have maintained their health and fitness, reading books and other articles that can help in increasing a person's will power and self-esteem.

4. Nutritional Exercise

One of the most important parts of any diet plan or health & fitness plan is your diet plan or nutritional plan. You should always give appropriate attention towards your dieting habit. You should focus on what you eat; not on how much you eat. Consult a nutrition today that could tell you exactly what your needs are and the foods that can fulfill those needs. Carefully monitor your daily intake of salt, sugar, cholesterol, caffeine and other nutrition.

To insure that these 4 basic components work properly together and maximize the benefits from each of them, they have to be put into a regimen or system that can leverage your efforts, which will enable a multiplying effect.

An easy way to do this is using a proven quality easy to use system that combines instant weight lost with a unique long-term fitness plan that has showed amazing results for thousands of overweight and unfit people all over the world. Click here for more information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gary_Holdon