Health | Mind, Body and Spiritual

What is Borderline Personality Disorder?

2012-02-29T23:20:00.001-08:00

We often look the people with personality disorders, but, do not even think about treat it, we don't even have time to know what cause it.

What is Borderline Personality Disorder?
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a personality disorder which the person displays a disrupted style and normally affects people above the age of 18 years. An individual with this disorder can have unstable moods abnormal levels. Without proper care and treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder can cause misery for individual's relationship, at work and with family members. An unstable social interaction, identity, self image and habits are also apparent in people affected by BPD.

Facts About BPD
•     BPD makes up at least 2% of the general population, (6 million people in North America)
•     BPD comprises 20% of the inpatient psychiatric population.
•     BPD makes up 11% of the outpatients in the mental health system.
•     As a comparison, BPD affects 50% more people than Alzheimer's disease and nearly as many as schizophrenia and bipolar combined (2.25%).
•     An estimated 10% of BPD patients die by suicide.
•     Approximately 20% of men who batter have BPD. (TARA)

Borderline personality disorder (BPD), also known as emotionally unstable personality disorder, is a psychological condition characterized by a prolonged disturbance of personality function, which is characterized by the depth and diversity of mood.

BPD often manifests itself in episodes of idealization and devaluation, and interpersonal relationships chaotic and unstable, self-image, identity, and behavior and disorder in an individual sense of self. BPD disorder also includes self-harm.

Borderline personality disorder as a psychiatric diagnosis and define it as a prolonged disturbance of personality function.

Can Stress Make You Feel Happier?

2012-02-16T10:04:00.000-08:00

Whenever something negative happens to you, there is a deep lesson concealed within it -Eckhart Tolle-

Stress and happiness as if the opposite sides. In fact, the real impact of stress is not always bad. Even people who rarely have the difficulty even less happy than those who are able to manage stress in his life.

Excessive stress can indeed be harmful and even cause disease. The key is balance and relaxation. Thus the conclusion of a study published in the journal Current Directions in Psychological Science.

The researchers said their study results are very important for our understanding of resilience in the face of challenges. If we can deal with stress well, we were so much stronger because of the emergence of the power within ourselves. Of course, it brings a sense of happiness.

Therefore, do not shy away from problems. If the problem is stressful, believe me, you have elected to become a stronger person! Congratulations on your new position. :)

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Is Twitter Making Us Unhappy?

2011-12-29T10:06:00.000-08:00

Do you have a Twitter account? If yes, perhaps you feel so unhappy when using Twitter.

Twitter is a social network that share information very quickly. Every second, thousands of the latest chirp appears in the timeline. Information overload will hover in your head.

But unlike before, the happiness level of Twitter users has decreased. Researchers from the University of Vermont using social media service Twitter to learn about a person's happiness, through the analysis of trillions of words used in millions of chirp (tweets).

Researchers analyzed more than 46 trillion words of the tweets of 63 million people since January 2009. Each word gives an emotional level with a scale value of 1 to 9, which means the value of 9 indicates the happier.

After all the words given ranking, researchers looked for patterns related to time, date or location of the tweets is currently posted.

The results indicate that happiness has been in decline since April 2009. In addition, the people are happier on weekends and less happy at the beginning of the week.

Researchers found that twitter users are happier at night than the morning. Researchers also noted a decrease in happiness associated with several events, such as the tsunami in Japan.

Do you agree?

Three Odd Ways to Deal with Stress

2011-12-18T10:18:00.000-08:00

God will never give you anything you can't handle, so don't stress. (Kelly Clarkson)

Many ways you can do to deal with stress, ranging from yoga, eating chocolate, sleeping, and other strange things. Here are three odd ways to deal with stress, that you did not know before.

1. Body brushing
Rubbing the body with a dry brush to stimulate the nerves in the skin. This stimulation activates parasmatik system that can make a person feel so calm, according to Steelsmith, author of "Natural Choices for Women's Health'; this stimulates the lymph nodes, which then carry the body's cells are the smallest into the bloodstream. In the end, the cells are delivered into the liver for detoxification.

2. Dark places
According to Steelsmith, frequent exposure to light more than it should be able to adversely affect one's health. The production of melatonin - the hormone that makes sleeping soundly, so decreases in the body when you sleep with the lights on. Lack of sleep can make people hard to cope with everyday problems, often experience stress and affect the immune system.

3. Jaw massage
Stress often affects a person's emotions. When you feel stressed, your body - especially the jaw, become 'tight'. Massaging the jaw area can help release the muscles and reduce stress. If you are under stress, which was in the jaw muscles (masseter, pterygoid and temporalis) will contract, causing headaches and other pain.

If You wanna be Happy, You gotta have Friends

2011-12-05T22:02:00.001-08:00

Friendship... is not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything. (Muhammad Ali)

Social interactions with friends may enhance positive life in the health field, such as stopping smoking, the desire to exercise, or eat the healthy foods. A close friend which will be a reminder to you to live healthier lives. Based on research in Carstensen suggested that the three companions are the perfect number, they will help each other if one in a state of crisis and 'drop'. However, less than three will most likely make sense of loneliness and depression.

"Small friendship but close will make more positive mental health," said Laura L. Carstensen, Ph.D., director of the Stanford Center in California. A close friend will become a mirror of who you, in fact, at once become a process of achieving what exactly you're going in life and what exactly you want.

Not just to share the happy moment, but a friend can be a panacea that can strengthen the body when suffer from breast cancer. In a study involving 3,000 women who are battling the breast cancer, those who do not have a close friend die sooner than women who have friends. Here, we see how the support of friends into the amplifier and the spirit to fight the disease most feared by women.

So, if you want to stay healthy and happy, you gotta have friends!

Adriana Lima's Slim Secrets: Jump Rope Workout

2011-11-29T23:27:00.001-08:00

If pregnancy were a book, they would cut the last two chapters. (Nora Ephron)

It's not easy for women to return slim as before pregnancy. Adriana Lima is one of the women who tried to return to the original body. As we know, Adriana Lima known as a Victoria's Secret model who has a body and face are stunning.

I do not try too hard to lose weight quickly, because I want to give exclusive breastfeeding. I give time and eat well and healthy, she said.

Lima does have a personal trainer to shape his body, but the main exercise of this brunette is jump rope workout. Adriana does the exercises every day.

image: Vogue

Why Facebook Can Cause Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?

2011-11-23T09:30:00.001-08:00

Bad habits are like a comfortable bed, easy to get into, but hard to get out of.

Maybe you've read about Borderline personality disorder (BPD) in this blog. This time I will share about obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). One of the personality disorders that we do not realize. And do you know one of the triggers: Facebook. Oh, no!

FYI, Facebook or Twitter and similar social-networking sites can lead to obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). According to Dr. Pam Spurr, an expert in behavioral, social-networking sites such as Facebook could actually make a person exposed to diseases that are classified as psychiatric disorders. Habits or routines that often play up even if only just to see, check, or a status update can make you feel nervous and want to continue to do so.

What is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?
OCD is an anxiety disorder. The individuals who suffer from this condition often plagued with thoughts. The sufferer also engages in behaviors that are considered to be repetitive.

Once the behaviors have been performed, it acts like a temporary form of relief. If the behaviors are not performed, anxiety may be experienced. There are people that will engage in the repetitive behaviors in order to cope with the thoughts that are experienced.

OCD in different conditions also experienced by famous people such as Katy Perry, Megan Fox, Justin Timberlake, Jessica Alba and Charlize Theron.

While this does not cover all the symptoms that may be experienced by sufferers, they are the most common symptoms. If you or someone you know has obsessive compulsive disorder, it is important to treat the condition under the care of a doctor.

Pam Spurr said, a way to prevent OCD is to calm the mind, change the mindset and lifestyle. Pam adds, someone who is generally a quieter way of thinking can solve this problem. To protect them from the possibility of this disease, Pam recommends everyone should limit the amount of their time to play Facebook and, Twitter!

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The Amazing Benefits of Garlic. Again and Again

2011-11-19T09:39:00.001-08:00

Garlic is known not only as a seasoning, but also herbal medicine for number of diseases. Garlic may provide protection against heart damage, the research shows.

Researchers at Emory University School of Medicine in the United States have turned to diallyl trisulfide, a component of garlic oil, as a way to produce the benefits of hydrogen sulfide to the heart.

Diallyl Trisulfide release hydrogen sulfide, which has previously been shown to protect heart tissue in low concentrations. The compound reduced the proportion of damaged heart tissue in the area at risk by 61 percent, compared with untreated animals.

Further research are reported by the team showed diallyl trisulfide could also reduce heart enlargement caused by heart failure.

The result of another research was identified more than 20 substances in garlic that may contribute to the healing effect.

Stress is a Major Cause of Health Problems

2011-11-16T02:07:00.001-08:00

Stress is an ignorant state. It believes that everything is an emergency. (Natalie Goldberg)

Work piling up at the office. Financial condition is unstable. The street is jammed. Many things that can be a cause of stress around us.

Did you know, stress is a major cause of health problems. Recent research has even revealed that chronic stress can lead to DNA damage.

Scientists from the Duke University Medical Center showed it malfunctions due to substances that play a role in DNA protection. According to Robert J. Lefkowitz, stress resulted in increased levels of adrenaline and changes in p53 protein levels.

When stress is prolonged, these proteins are at their lowest level in a long time to allow the occurrence of DNA abnormalities. This also led to signs of premature aging such as the appearance of gray hair, wrinkles, up to deadly diseases like cancer.

So, if we want to look always beautiful and healthy in the long term, let's avoid stress from our life.

Power of Touch

2011-11-14T18:28:00.001-08:00

There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved. (George Sand)

The touch is the only one of the five senses is not affected by age. The power of touch is not reduced as we grow older. In fact, humans were born with the need for touch. If infants and children less touch, then they will grow into children who are less sensitive and difficult to empathize with others.

Diane Ackerman, author of A Natural History of the Senses, say skin is the senses with its unique function and quality. The touch will affect the entire organism. "Touch of five times more powerful than words. There are no other senses are easily generated than by touch," she said.

A study showed a loved spouse has doubled in strength against stress. The touch also improves immunity and accelerates healing.

The more we age, making the need for a sense of being loved was increased. We need to learn to give a touch through hugs, kisses, or holding hands on the people we love—for love is one-way humans survive.

So, from this day forwards, make the activity of touching the child and the person who most loved the things we must do.

Positive Thinking is a Source of Healing

2011-11-10T21:29:00.001-08:00

People who think positively or optimism are usually more out of life. Positive thinking is a source of healing, helps reduce pain and manage stress for us.

As we know it, our bodies actually respond to thoughts, emotions, and actions that we do. Therefore, the expectations that arise can also affect the results of treatment performed. The placebo effect proves this theory. Drug or placebo therapy that does not contain medical benefits unless the patient's beliefs often affect healing.

Changing the angle of view will have a big impact for our health. Here are some things we can do to invite of positive energy.

1. Stop all negative talk, such as gossiping or complaining. Make positive statements to support the recovery.

2. Flood your mind with affirmations. An affirmation is a word or phrase that gives strength or a positive statement about ourselves, for example, "I am a reliable person."

3. Visualize a healthy condition and fit to support the positive affirmations.

4. Be people of hope, love, friendship, and humorist as this will increase creativity, reduce pain and accelerate healing.

Ok, hopefully useful, for you and me, of course.

The Most Powerful Treatments for Major Depressive Disorder

2011-11-07T17:34:00.000-08:00

Give your stress wings and let it fly away. (Terri Guillemets)

A surprising number of people suffer from major depressive disorders, but a lot of people don't seek encouragement. They either don't realize that they're depressed, think that others will look down on them if they admit their depression. Sometimes, depression sufferers are also misdiagnosed as having physical illnesses, rather than emotional and mental issues.

When it comes to mental illness, there's little more devastating to your life than major depressive disorder. 1 in 5 Americans have suffered depression at some point in their life, but they've found ways to cure it. Here are the most powerful treatments for major depressive disorder:

Psychotherapy
This entangles meeting with a medical expert to find out the reason for your depression whether it's caused by environmental influences, a chemical imbalance or heredity. With a doctor's assist you may be able to help identify which help contributes to feelings of depression.

Electroconvulsive therapy
This form of therapy involves being put under heavy anesthetics while an electrical current is sent through a patient's brain, using several electrodes connected through the temple.

The result is a number of changes in brain waves, and possibly alleviation of depression. As the patient awakens, short term side effects are: temporary confusion, headaches and muscle stiffness. This type of therapy is still under scrutiny as the long-term side effects on the brain are still unclear but it is said to induce memory loss in certain patients.

Anti-depressants
The drugs attempt to help depression sufferers by trying to normalize chemical imbalances in individuals. Antidepressants are fairly efficient at helping to alleviate mood disorders, however most users report dependence and eventual addiction to the powerful stimulants.

So the best therapist is one who can be part strive and part therapist, because there are so many possible causes and contributors to major depressive disorders. Things such as alcohol abuse, prior sexual abuse, lack of natural light. But by being a good detective, we can find the correct root causes for major depressive disorders and be able to advise the accurate treatments.

Why You Must Brush Your Baby's Teeth?

2011-11-06T09:09:00.000-08:00

Almost all children like sweet foods. Most of the parents let the children eat sweets, even though not actually good for teeth, because it can cause cavities.

The occurrence of cavities takes 1-2 years, whereas in milk teeth can be briefer. According to the study, nearly half of American children have cavities approximately 4 years of age.

Most cavities discovered during dental examinations. Cavities are found and treated early can reduces pain, and above all: save the tooth.

Cavities could be prevented with simple measures such as brushing teeth. Brushing your baby's teeth will prevent cavities by 50 percent.

In addition, sweet and sticky foods should be reduced because it is more difficult to clean. Familiarize children to clean their teeth after eating sweet foods. At least rinse with water, including after the children drank the milk.

Here's a video about how to guide the child to brush her own teeth.

Using Dialectical Behavior Therapy to Treat Borderline Personality Disorder

2011-11-04T14:09:00.000-07:00

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a cognitive behavioral treatment which combines cognitive-behavioral theory and methods with eastern meditative principles and practices. Dialectical behavior therapy is used by treatment with personality disorders. It was developed by Marsha Linehan, PhD. It is a type of psychotherapy that uses cognitive behavioral techniques with mindful awareness. It is the first therapy that has shown to be effective to treat Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).

Borderline personality disorder is characterized by impulsive actions, unstable moods, and problems having relationships with others. Along with often suffering from severe mood swings, they are often uncertain about their identity and self-image.

Using dialectical behavior therapy to treat patients with borderline personality disorder involves helping the patient to develop skills for regulating emotions and also reducing the symptoms of borderline personality disorder. There are four categories of distress tolerance skills in DBT: Distraction; Self-Soothing; Improving the moment; Focusing on the pros and cons.

Usually, DBT includes a combination of group skills training, individual psychotherapy and phone coaching, although there are exceptions. Patients in DBT are asked to monitor their symptoms and use of learned skills daily, while their progress is tracked throughout therapy.

Dialectical behavior therapy has gone a long way from an approach that is used to cure borderline personality disorders in women to becoming a tool that deals with substance abuse behavioral problems.

Even though it is now thought that borderline personality disorder is contributed to by genetic factors and actual differences in the brain structure and functioning of the brain in some people. Dialectical behavior therapy is the first cognitive therapy that has shown real improvement in people with borderline personality disorder.

Three Things that Damage Your Teeth!

2011-11-04T03:17:00.000-07:00

After lunch, you may often replace sweets with apples. But according to King's College London Dental Institute, apples are not much healthier than candy when viewed from dental health. Danger of apples on teeth four times greater than soft drinks! Wow.

Here are three things that damage your teeth:

1. Consumption of apples
Scientists have estimated that there are several types of apples that contain four teaspoons of sugar which can increase the acidity of the mouth. But according to David Bartlett, the problem is not on what you eat, but how you eat it. When someone eating an apple with a slow, high acid levels in apple has a lot of time to damage the teeth.

2. Drinks that damage your teeth
Wine, and fruit juices provide four times the risk of tooth decay are higher when consumed regularly. However, fruit juice still healthiest anymore. So, you can use the straw and pick fresh fruit juice without added sugar.

3. Brushing teeth after meals
Brushing your teeth immediately after eating is not helpful but actually harm you. When eating, tooth enamel be softened by acids so it is very vulnerable and fragile. You can create more damage if the brush it immediately after eating. Brushing your teeth should be 30 minutes after eating.

Say No to Exercise If ...

2011-11-03T11:04:00.000-07:00

Exercise is actually good for health. However, you also need to know the best time to exercise. The experts say, there is a time where someone suggested just to sit at home and relax, without having to do exercise or physical activities. Let's say NO to exercise...

- If you are not healthy
Many doctors advise to avoid going to the gym if the condition of the body feels unwell. The reason is, the exercise will provides the load on your immune system and prolong the recovery period. If you feel ill, you should focus on healing first.

- If you are tired and stressed
Yup, the gym is the perfect place to release stress, but sometimes your body may just need time to rest. In a state of stress, exercising it will cause injury.

- If you are injured
No matter how small your injury, you should not do sports activities even in a small intensity. If you insist on doing it anyway, then it is become a more serious problem.

The Power of Prayer to Diet Plans

2011-10-31T11:02:00.000-07:00

The power of prayer was found to affect the whole life, including the success of the diet. According to studies, people who diligently pray better able to resist the urge to eat, so the diet more successfully.

For people who are religious and believe that the intervention of God to determining the success of his diet, prayer would be very effective to improve success of the diet.

This is demonstrated in an experiment at the University of Waterloo, Canada. Through an interview session, students who become participants in this experiment was divided into two groups based on their beliefs. The first group believes in divine intervention whiles the second group does not believe so.

In the group who believe in divine intervention, religious words either as prayer or spiritual message excerpts shown to increase motivation and make dieting so much appetite control. When quotations are played messages not related to religion, appetite returned to normal.

However, this effect was not observed in the group of participants who do not believe in divine intervention in his diet. Participants who do not believe do not have the extra motivation as well as groups who believe in God. (dailymail)

Lance Armstrong and Cancer

2011-10-27T21:10:00.000-07:00

Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever. (Lance Armstrong)

Back for a second time. That's way of Lance Armstrong to appreciate his life. "You certainly do not need to go through suffering like me to appreciate your life," said Armstrong.

Second life. that he feel after through the cancer pain. Escaped death, or perhaps already dead. Young men, age 25, suffering from choriocarcinoma. Two surgeries and four periods of painful chemotherapy lived.

The long period of struggle. When it passed, and found himself not so dead, the question arises: What's a life worth?
Lance Armstrong answered by the tour. Bike racing his favorite sport since childhood, and the Tour de France is the most challenging race.

Lance Edward Armstrong (born Lance Edward Gunderson on September 18, 1971) is an American former professional road racing cyclist who won the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times, after having survived testicular cancer. He is also the founder and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research and support.

Every time won the tour, Lance felt alive again. After going through the struggle and suffering very heavy almost makes surrender. But for him, the suffering lasts a while, while giving up lasts forever.

In the process of healing, he speaks to some cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy. And that was the beginning of his involvement to cancer. Next, he later founded the Lance Armstrong Foundation in 1996. The foundation supports research, awareness and early detection of cancer.

Some day, Lance Armstrong was asked by press: Which is more important, winning the tour or beat the cancer. Lance replied: beat the cancer is more meaningful to me.

Jennifer Aniston's slim secrets: Swimming, Yoga and Crunch exercise

2011-09-17T06:12:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Aniston is one of the actress who has a slim and solid body. The secret, the former star of television series "Friends", it does not want to sacrifice the body for the snack. She avoids junk food and exercising diligently. This secret is in point of fact no secret.

In addition to training in the gym, Jennifer do swimming, yoga and crunch exercise. Jennifer regularly swim threefold a week for 20 to 40 minutes. According to Jennifer, pool not only help burn calories, but also to keep his body in order to stay fresh and avoid a feeling lazy to exercise.

Jennifer Aniston said, she persists a balance between food intake, exercise and sleep. "I exercise, eat and sleep well. For me, sleep is important. I sleep at least eight hours a day."

Jennifer reveals, other beauty secrets, moisturizer and lip gloss. "I grew up with a moisturizer and lip gloss wherever I go and before putting anything on my skin.".

Jennifer Aniston is also follow yoga exercises. Jennifer suggested doing budokon because it is very enjoyable. Budokon is a blend of martial art, yoga, meditation and holistic nutrition. This combination can make the body more flexible and more powerful.

Laughter really is the best medicine

2011-09-15T21:27:00.000-07:00

A rattling good laugh with friends will help you deal with pain thanks to opiate-like chemicals that flood the brain, according to a British study released on Wednesday.

Researchers carried out lab experiments in which volunteers watched either comedy clips from "Mr Bean" or "Friends," or non-humorous items such as golf or wildlife programmes, while their resistance to mild pain was monitored.

Another test was conducted at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where the volunteers watched either a stand-up comedy show or a theatrical drama.

In lab conditions, the pain came from a deep-frozen wine-cooler sleeve which was slipped onto the arm or from a blood-pressure cuff that was pumped to the threshold of tolerance.

For the Fringe Festival, the volunteers were asked to do a tough exercise -- leaning against the wall with their legs at right angles, as if sitting on a straight-backed chair -- before and immediately after the performance, to see if laughter had helped with the pain.

Just 15 minutes of laughter increased the level of pain tolerance by around 10 percent, the study found.

In the lab experiments, the neutral, non-funny programming had no pain-alleviating effect at all. Nor did watching drama at the Fringe Festival.

However, the study notes two important distinctions.

The only laughter that worked was relaxed, unforced laughter that creases the eyes, as opposed to a polite titter.

And this kind of belly laugh is far likelier to happen when you are with others, rather than being alone.

"Very little research has been done into why we laugh and what role it plays in society," said Robin Dunbar, head of the Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Oxford.

The protection apparently comes from endorphins, a complex chemical that helps to transmit messages between neurons but also dulls signals of physical pain and psychological stress.

In laughter, the release comes from an involuntary, repeated muscular exertion that comes from exhaling without drawing a breath, the scientists believe. The exertion leaves us exhausted and thereby triggers the endorphins. Yup, laughter really is the best medicine. (AFP)

How to avoid listeriosis during pregnancy?

2011-09-15T00:05:00.000-07:00

Listeriosis is a disease we can get from consuming meat and dairy products, such as hotdogs and raw meat. Luckily, the bacteria can be killed by heating system. This means, you should never ever eat these foods unless you can reheat them.

Listeriosis is a bacterial infection caused by a Gram-positive, motile bacterium, Listeria monocytogenes. The symptoms of listeriosis usually last 7–10 days. The most common symptoms are fever and muscle aches and vomiting. Listeriosis has a very low incidence in humans. However, pregnant women are much more likely than the rest of the population to contract it. Infected pregnant women may have only mild, flulike symptoms. (Wikipedia)

Good food handling and safe storage of food are important for all of us. Another aspect of prevention is advising high risk groups such as pregnant women to avoid unpasteurised pts and foods such as soft cheeses like brie, camembert cheese, and bleu.

Listeriosis during pregnancy can lead to early delivery, infection of, and worst case death of the baby. Pregnant women are especially vulnerable to this bacteria; 27 % of all cases in the U.S occur during pregnancy.

The following tips can help women protect themselves and their unborn child from Listeriosis :
- Do not eat hot dogs or lunch meats. If you want to eat them, reheat them until they are steaming hot to rid the food of bacteria.
- Do not eat refrigerated meat spreads.
- Avoid soft cheese such as brie, feta, or blue-veined. However, other cheeses are okay to consume. Check with your doctors for a full list.
- Never consume unpasteurized milk or any foods made from it.

Your doctors should make you aware of the above behaviors so that you can prevent Listeriosis. If he does not do this and you contract the disease, the doctor may be held responsible the damages that resulted.

Learn How To Care Baby's Teeth

2011-09-14T03:29:00.000-07:00

A baby is born with the need to be love and never outgrows it.

Baby teeth are designed to last 6-14 years. Also referred to as primary teeth, baby teeth contribute to the overall development and health of every child.

Healthy teeth should be all one color. If you see spots or stains on the teeth, don't be afraid of dental equipment and take your baby to your dentist. Clean your baby's teeth as soon as they come in with a clean, soft cloth or a baby's tooth brush. Clean the teeth at least once a day. It is best to clean them right before bedtime.

Tips For Taking Care of Baby Teeth
Start cleaning your baby's mouth even before they have teeth. Gently wipe their mouth with a soft wash rag or gauze. Get them accustomed to you looking in their mouth and cleaning it. This practice will condition them to be less fearful when visiting dental professionals.

When your baby is about 18 months to about 2 years old, you can buy a child toothbrush and begin cleaning your baby's teeth at least once a day. Initially, it is not necessary to use fluoridated toothpaste, especially if the drink water in your area is already fluoridated.

Remember, young children have trouble spitting out and usually end up swallowing the toothpaste, fluoride and all. This may expose your child to unnecessarily high levels of fluoride which can lead to fluorosis. Fluorosis, while not harmful, first appears as white spots on the teeth.

It is not difficult to look after baby teeth. The challenge lies in teaching your child the process and helping him (or her) develop a healthy, lifetime habit. Knowing how important baby teeth are, it is important to ensure they last.

The bottom line is take good care of your child's baby teeth. Most dental diseases are preventable and not painful in early stages but are expensive to restore.

Major Depressive Disorder- Symptoms and Effective Treatments

2011-09-13T05:33:00.000-07:00

Major depressive disorder doesn't affect the individual, but those around. It is important for individuals who suffer from depression to recognize that they don't must hide this condition nor think that they are suffering alone. In fact it is estimated that millions of individuals suffer from some kind of depression or another.

What is major depressive disorder?
Major depressive disorder is a kind of mental disorder that is characterized by low mood, low self-esteem, and loss of pleasure or interest in activities that were normally enjoyable.

Usually, major depressive disorder is triggered by extreme or highly traumatic event in the individual's life or perhaps due to a few accumulated events over a time period. Additionally, this condition may also happen one time in a person's life or perhaps a continuing part of the individual's personal. In this event the depression is called recurrent depression.

Here are the symptoms of major depressive disorder :
- Sleeping disorders Insomnia (conditions of sleeplessness) or Hypersomnia (conditions of over sleeping over twenty hours a day) everyday.
- Irritated, mournful and angry mood all day.
- Decreased interest in all the enjoyable activities.
- Illusions, patient may listen to sounds that a standard person does not. Inability to distinguish between reality and imagination.
- Suicidal thoughts start developing in your mind, suicidal attempts by patient.
- Inability to concentrate on even tiny things.

Effective treatments for major depressive disorder
Cognitive therapy. Some specialists think cognitive therapy to be the wave of the future in the treatment of major depressive disorder. Plenty of professionals who one time adopted only a behavioral therapy approach have switched over to cognitive therapy. It is much more personal than behavioral therapy and takes in to account the way a person thinks, perceives events, and interprets events.

Meditation and yoga. There are some meditation techniques using which you can basically beat depression for one time and all. Make yoga and meditation as a part of your method. Sparing 30 to 40 minutes for yoga every day is not a hard task.

Do not let negative thoughts to appear in your mind. Avoid them by keeping yourself stay busy or stay positive. Good luck!

Surprising Health Benefits of Wheatgrass Juice

2011-09-11T14:23:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard wheatgrass? This is one of the most effective natural remedies that can provide one with a healthy body and a glowing looking skin. Most of the doctors are prescribing wheatgrass to their patients.

Wheatgrass is also full of vitamins, minerals and amino acids. It's clear to see that wheatgrass juicers should be in every kitchen!

How is wheatgrass consumed?

Wheatgrass is most often consumed as a juice. You can find powdered wheatgrass supplements but to derive the most health benefits it suggested that you consume wheatgrass juice.

In general, for normal health maintenance, drinking one to two ounces of wheatgrass juice every day or every other day is common. If you have never consumed wheatgrass juice before, one ounce is a good place to start.

What are the benefits of wheatgrass juice?

The lists of benefits associated with wheatgrass are huge, it tends to make one question the validity, but the truth is that wheatgrass is a pretty amazing food and its core properties are incredibly beneficial to both humans and animal.
•    Wheatgrass juice is an ultimate energizing health drink.
•    Wheatgrass juice is highly beneficial and potent aid for weight loss.
•    Wheatgrass juice is a natural source of antioxidants which helps repair damaged cells, rejuvenate aging cells, tighten loose and sagging skin.
•    Wheatgrass juice acts as master cleanser for liver.
•    Its antibacterial property checks the growth of bad bacteria.
•    The Chlorophyll in wheatgrass is beneficial in curing blood sugar disorders.
•    Wheatgrass juice can remove heavy metals and other toxic (mercury, cadmium, nicotine) from the body.

People enjoying the miracle health benefits of juicing are advised to include wheatgrass among the ingredients they put in their juicing machines.

Soy is a Miracle Food!

2011-09-08T14:20:00.000-07:00

Soy is a 'miracle' food. While some have praised soy for its potential to reduce cholesterol and the risk of cardiovascular disease; others have asserted that soy can protect against cancers.

Soybeans have more protein than any other bean and are the only plant-based protein source that contains a high proportion of all nine essential amino acids, making it a source of complete protein.

Soy originally comes from the soya bean, which is a type of bean (legume). Now, you have probably seen many soy-based foods at the supermarket.

A study has found that women who ate soy products more than five times a week, were 70 percents less likely to have a heart attack or stroke compared with those women who had a low soy intake.

Moreover, population studies have shown that women who consume daily soy foods, also have low rates of breast cancer.

Therefore, soy intake recommendations for breast cancer patients are similar to those for healthy women. Overall the evidence suggests that the intake of approximately 15 g of isoflavones per day is safe and has the potential to exert health benefits. This amount of soy protein and isoflavones is provided by approximately two servings of traditional soy foods.