Speaking4u

How to learn the symptoms of drug?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 09 May 2008 13:19:00 +0000

Drug addicts, some of them don't want to be addicted by drugs but they can't stop it. Not doing it from the first place is the best way. Do you know a recent study found that six percent of 12th graders reported past year abuse of cough or cold medicines to get abused by drugs?

Signs and symptoms of abuse may include:

Short-term effects
Impaired judgment, nausea, loss of coordination, headache, vomiting, loss of consciousness, numbness of fingers and toes, abdominal pain, irregular heartbeat, aches, seizures, panic attacks, psychosis, euphoria, cold flashes, dizziness, and diarrhea.

Long-term effects
Addiction, restlessness, insomnia, high-blood pressure, coma, or even death.

For more details about drugs you can go to http://theantidrug.com/drug_info/prescription_dangers_otc_drug.asp

Anxiety equal to trauma?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:56:00 +0000

How do you control your anxiety? Some people with severe panic attacks are rushed to the hospital because those around them assume they are having a heart attack. Anxiety may develop at any age in a human’s development. Many times when it develops in adults it is following some type of trauma. This is often referred to as post traumatic stress disorder. This disorder is quite complex and takes a different approach than dealing with the treatment of anxiety. For them anxiety is one of many complicated symptoms.

Keep in mind that, the treatment of mood disorder is always difficult and it requires several different stages. If you suffer from severe anxiety, the first stage is to get your symptoms under control, the administering of medication. If you go see the doctor, he/she will give you some sedatives and an antidepressant that would help treat your anxiety. This would somewhat alleviate your symptoms and get you into a space where you could be responsive to therapy.

However, you musn't depend too much on the pill to control your anxiety. You see, treating anxiety with medication helps you suppress the symptoms, but it does not address the underlying causes. Most anxiety panic disorders stem from some psychological factor. Maybe there was something about you that was making you have severe anxiety attacks, and it was important to get to the root of it.

Luckily, the treatment of stress and anxiety doesn't only consist of therapy. There were a lot of other practical steps that you could take to help treat your anxiety more effective. Through exercise, meditation, hypnosis, and maintaining a healthy social life, you could keep your anxiety at low level on your daily basis.

Finally an apple can throw away a doctor. err..am i right? lol. just kidding!

Funny suprise

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 01:53:00 +0000

Just watch it for fun. Do it at your own risk.

Release your stress now

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 03:20:00 +0000

Ask away!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 03:27:00 +0000

I'm sure you already heard the old saying, "If you don't ask, you don't get!"?

Maybe you think it's for a small kid doing that's why too many of us are afraid to ask for the things we need in order to succeed in life. Asking questions can open doors and bring to us the opportunities that without doubt are already out there. So why do we find it so hard?

The chances are that if you went to a good school you were always encouraged to ask questions. If you didn't quite understand what the teacher was telling you the only way to get it was to ask the meaning. But maybe as a child it's easy to say you don't understand and accept that you don't know something. Then it's easy to do something about it, ask for help and find the solution.

But sadly as we get older we stop asking! Maybe it's because we feel that as adults we should know what things mean and how to do them and so we don't want to appear foolish, particularly in front of our friends, family or work colleagues.Or perhaps we have just stopped caring enough to want to learn new things and gain new experiences. It's sad, because when you do start to ask you usually start to get!

Sure, we all ask for things every day. We have to when we go shopping, go to the cinema, or go to a restaurant. But we only ask for the simple things!

Take that last example. When you go to a restaurant and see something on the menu that is unfamiliar do you ask the waiter what it is? Congratulations if you do, but most people will simply pass it over and stick with what they know. That's an opportunity lost!

And how many times, when in conversation with a group of people has something been mentioned that you don't understand? Instead of saying so and asking for an explanation it's so easy to just stay quiet and stay ignorant. Another chance wasted!

It's true isn't it? You just don't want to appear foolish. Therefore you must ask whatever you want.

Do you like journaling?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 10:37:00 +0000

Do you know journaling is a great way to deal with chronic stress? Let me tell you, it is one of the most powerful tools for self growth and can help you release negative emotions, clear confusion and sort out puzzling or traumatic events.

The best way to begin is to set a time to write down whatever thoughts and feelings pop into your head. Your journal can be used to reflect on the events currently affecting you that are particularly traumatic or overwhelming. It can also be used to process other things, such as dreams, childhood events, and long and short term goals.

Research has shown that writing not only about your feelings but also your thoughts about your feelings is more helpful than just venting your feelings. In other words, write from both an emotional and an intellectual angle.

Don’t worry about spelling or grammar. The purpose of what you’re doing is to relieve stress and release pent up emotions, not to cause yourself more stress by censoring your own writing. Keep what you’ve written private. If you think privacy is an issue, keep it under lock and key. If you’re journaling on a computer, create a password to protect your file.

A journal can be written on lined or plain paper, in a special bound book or a plain spiral notebook, in your diary book or you can use a computer. The important thing is to make a commitment to write for 10-20 minutes each day if you can. Schedule a time to write, whether it’s first thing in the morning or last thing before you go to bed, preferably a time when you’re free from interruptions. Experiment with writing at different times of day and in different locations.

Don’t think of journaling as a chore. If you miss several days of writing, simply pick up and write again when you can. Chances are the more you practice journaling, the more you will look forward to it. Your journal can be thought of as a friend who is always willing to listen. In a journal you have the freedom to express deep emotions that you may not be able to share with anyone. No one will be affected by what you write.

If you review what you’ve written over time, you’ll be able to see your own growth. If you’re processing a traumatic event, you’ll be amazed to see how far you’ve come and how much you’ve healed.

Journaling is a lot less expensive than most other methods of stress relief. It’s a great tool for self-knowledge and emotional healing. Like other healthy habits, you will improve with practice, and the benefits you attain from journaling will build the more you work on this life-changing habit.

Just laugh!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 07:57:00 +0000

Just laugh when you stress but how? To minimize your stress, it’s the best medicine. Stress is almost always relieved when someone says something funny. Laughter helps buffer everything from fear to stress to serious illness.

Norman Cousins claimed that laughter saved his life. He was diagnosed with having ankylosing spondylitis and had a one in 500 chance of survival. His two part therapy program included huge amounts of ascorbic acid and laughter. He found that his pain would go away while he watched Marx brothers’ movies. He recovered completely.

Laughter works by producing endorphins that relieve pain and also affect the emotional state of a person. Therefore laughter can reduce stress. There is no specific single one stress reliever, but a huge range of practices that complement each other, and which can be used together. Exercise, relaxation, nutrition, laughter, time management, meditation, sleep, massage are just some of the effective ways a person can relieve stress.

What is hostility?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 18:09:00 +0000

If you are stress right now, beware of the hostility. Hostility is one of the worst. Hostility not only makes you miserable, but it might just kill you. There are some correlations between hostility and disease risk factors.

Hostility can be related to:

1. Increased cholesterol levels.

2. Increased tendency to smoke.

3. Increased tendency to drink and drunk.

4. Greater physical reaction such as higher blood pressure and heart rate.

It all boils down to worse health. Not all hostility research agrees, and non hostile people also end up with heart disease and unhealthy habits. Perhaps we’ll eventually discover that underlying health problems existed before the hostility surfaced.

In the meantime, one of the best things a hostile person or any stressed person can do is exercise. For the person with a really bad attitude, aerobic exercise defuses a hostile personality, making the person less reactive to stress.

A few tips for hostile person:

1. Take a walk or do weight training.

2. See the humor in situations.

3. Empathize, putting yourself in your antagonist’s place.

4. Put situations in perspective. Will today’s problem seem so important in a month?

5. Don’t hold grudges.

6. Share your feelings with caring family members and friends.

7. If your hostility is extreme, consider professional counseling.

Memory Improvement Through Self Hypnosis

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 22:49:00 +0000

Most people are quite afraid of the prospect of being under the control of another person and so they are reluctant to be hypnotized. That's why most people shudder when they hear the word 'hypnosis'. They relate the word to a situation where a hypnotist gets to make people, who are plucked from a show audience, to do all sorts of stupid things like clucking and strutting around like a chicken.

You can however control your own hypnosis and through self hypnosis you can help yourself in so many ways. For example self hypnosis can help you stop smoking, stop negative thinking, can also help you control outbreaks of depression and it can also assist with your memory improvement.

Memory improvement through self hypnosis can be achieved by breaking down the mental blockages that are hindering you from adequately remembering things. First off you must master the art of self hypnosis. Then, once you are able to engage in self hypnosis you will be able to control a wide variety of problem areas and can go about correcting them (including your memory capabilities).

There are various DVDs, videos and audio tapes that are able to purchase that can guide you through the process of self hypnosis. They vary in content but generally they will give you a step by step instruction in the art of relaxation which is one of the keys to mastering self hypnosis. Once you are in a relaxed state you will then be able to direct your subconscious to improve your memory.

Take Yourself Into A State Of Total Relaxation

If you would like to trial the process before going out and buying DVDs or manuals on the subject here is a simple way to try self hypnosis. To start the process of memory improvement through self hypnosis, firstly you must close your eyes and relax your body completely. You should breathe deeply and methodically until your heart beat slows.

If you are having trouble relaxing, why not imagine that you can control each and every part of your body. You tell each individual part of your body to relax beginning with your toes all the way to your head. Once you feel that you are in a relaxed state, count down backwards from twenty to zero. It helps to imagine you are standing at the top of a staircase and each time you count you see yourself walking down the staircase. By the time you reach zero and you have reached the bottom of the staircase you should be in a strong enough trance to begin working on your memory improvement through self hypnosis.

Commanding Yourself

You can begin to improve your memory by self hypnosis once you are in a completely relaxed and hypnotic state. All you really have to do is repeat to yourself that you want to improve your memory. You instruct your mind that whenever you hear or read something you will have no problem retrieving that information when you need to. You can also tell yourself that all of the blockages you are experiencing which contribute to keeping you from remembering things will dissolve away. This is a great way to improve your memory and it really works

When you engage in self hypnosis and you begin speaking to yourself, you are speaking to your subconscious. This is how hypnotists are able to get you to do things you normally would not do because they are able to access your subconscious mind. For self hypnosis to be most effective you must truly believe that it is possible to use self hypnosis in a positive and helpful way and believe that it works. This belief and acceptance are the most important steps in this entire process.

Once you master the art of self hypnosis and start to apply it on a regular basis you will begin to remember more than you ever imagined possible. So why not lie down, close your eyes, breathe rhythmically and begin your journey of memory improvement through self hypnosis now.

Thrive on Stress

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 22:42:00 +0000

Pick your priorities.

->Remember your purpose - write down your goals and keep them visible.

->Set your schedule and allow some flexibility for the unexpected emergencies.

->Communicate your obligations and identify your resources.

->Ask for and acknowledge the responsibilities of others, then be prepared to support one another when appropriate.

->If there is a personality conflict, turn the focus to professional respect and responsibilities, or address the matter with appropriate professional communication when necessary.

->Identify the time of day and days of the week that you perform best under pressure, and be aware that everyone else may be different from your peak periods.

->Schedule your periods for managing the pressure and allow yourself periods for cooling down, being creative, or relaxing.

->When possible, do something physical before preparing to address a stressful situation, even if it is only a short walk.

->When necessary, take a short walk or a few moments to clear you mind after a stressful period so the intense concentration or emotions do not spill over into your other activities.

->Laugh, and most important, do not be so critical that you can not laugh at yourself.

Unhealthy Stress

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 20:00:00 +0000

Some of the leading causes of unhealthy stress are the result of individual personalities infecting an organization. This can be caused by an overbearing boss, a lack or respect or trust for certain members in management, or by unrealistic expectations. Even the best of intentions can create unhealthy stress if it is based on unrealistic expectations. Stress can be slowly introduced if management expects everyone to automatically share the same level of passion, enthusiasm and commitment without first creating bonds and buy in with the employees. Employees will not feel the same amount of passion if there is not a personal connection or a sense of purpose. It is reasonable to require performance, but management should not expect passion without first making an investment in the employee.

Individual employees can also create stress and distraction. Personality conflicts are depicted as difficult coworkers, and typically the perception is a shared one. Difficult coworkers may be described as overbearing, subversive, interfering, unproductive, or uncooperative. These are dangerous labels for one person to place on another. The labels are most often the result of specific actions or comments. It may not be reasonable to expect that every personality will get along, but it is reasonable to require professional respect and cooperation. The first step in correcting this type of unhealthy stress is not to change people's opinions, but rather to address the actions, responsibilities and expectations of the individuals involved. Keep the focus on the professional requirements and communicate precise expectations, then assess the actions.

Unhealthy stress in an organization can be caused when the atmosphere is continually threatening, overbearing and unrelenting. Stress with purpose is like an adrenaline rush during a short sprint to the finish line. Stress without purpose and without end is like running an engine at full speed and never stopping to refill the tank, you are bound to hit a brick wall or empty your tank eventually. It is far better to plan for the short sprints and the breaks to refill the tank than to find yourself stranded.

Healthy Stress

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 20:24:00 +0000

The objective of healthy stress is to have specific focused goals with measurable targets and schedules. Healthy stress should create an atmosphere of teamwork and cooperation to achieve specific goals. If it is an extended schedule, then there should also be milestones to identify progress along the way. If it is a short deadline then there should be clearly identified resources for support. At the end of the schedule there should be a recognized period to temporarily relax, recognize the accomplishment and recharge the batteries. After all, not everyone is addicted to stress, but nearly everyone can use the short bursts of adrenaline that come with intense concentration toward a common goal.

Healthy stress provides rich rewards as a result. The rewards may be a sense of personal achievement, a sense of camaraderie, or monetary compensation. The type of reward is not necessarily as important as the recognition of the reward. If there is no reward for the stress, or if the outcome is detrimental to an individual or group, then the stress is not healthy and needs to be addressed promptly. Nurture healthy stress with teamwork, clearly communicated schedules, and easily recognized rewards.

Stress Addiction

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 10:40:00 +0000

What do you know about stress addiction? You or your organization is addicted to stress? Let's be honest, some individuals and some organizations perform better under stressful conditions. Some organizations nurture a stressful culture as a means to continually pressure maximum performance with minimum manpower. Some other organizations leverage the energy associated with bursts of focused stress to overcome significant obstacles, and then minimize stress in between major hurdles to maintain a balanced workforce. How can you tell the difference?

Procrastination in dealing with important tasks is sometimes an indication of personal stress addiction. Some individuals acknowledge better performance under stressful situations. In some cases this helps to focus on a project. If this applies to you, then perhaps it is time to reevaluate your schedule, your personal goals, and your workload. By setting personal goals as commitments to complete projects or workload ahead of schedule, you can create your own deadlines and get ahead of the curve. Procrastination may be a sign that the workload is too light and you need to take on more responsibilities, or challenge yourself with more personal tasks. This will create an environment of balanced stress that you can manage by increasing or decreasing personal additional tasks to accommodate required or assigned workloads.

This does not mean that putting things off until the last minute is always a sign of stress addiction. If you continually put things off to the last minute, the result for your product or project will be in a bad quality. However if your projects or product are equivalent that would have been achieved earlier, then you are just being lazy and you need a stress inducing boss to get you moving. Last minute's work is a bad habit that will make you a clumsy person.

On the other hand, if items are continually addressed at the last minute simply because you have too many other priorities that take precedence and it is virtually impossible to catch up, then you have an unhealthy stressful environment and it is time to evaluate the conditions.

Have you ever experienced an organization that continually threatens potential layoffs, cancellation of contracts, or incessantly proclaims gloom and doom of current conditions? While organizations may perform better under short bursts of highly focused stressful conditions, it is not something that can be sustained effectively for long periods of time. Individuals within the organization will react differently to stressful conditions and will burn out at varying periods of time. After a period of high intensity it is necessary to allow a period for cooling down, refreshing and reenergizing the troops.

Manage your stress, manage your time

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 18:58:00 +0000

Works, relationships, deadlines, appointments, phone calls, etc. All of these are things many people must accomplish each day. Many times, family, friends and ourselves get put on a waiting list. Sometimes, we discover too late that those on the waiting list are, in fact, the most important, and unfortunately, we often don't realize it at all and find ourselves wondering why we are unhappy.

There are books,seminars and internet to help us find the best option for managing our time. Such sources intend to offer the best solutions.People know that time is more than gold. First of all, time means life, and more than that, it means our lives. That is why we must not to give up in stressful situations and must continue to fight for the joy of living. Remember that poor time management can cause major health problems physically and mentally. However,time can be tamed if we know how manage the it.

The first step in the process is to find out what makes your time are wasted. Usually , they are in one of two groups: " External factors (unexpected phone calls, long phone conversations, unplanned visits, traffic jammed, insufficiently trained personnel, constant meetings, interruptions by colleagues, friends and family). " Internal factors - related to ourselves (priorities and objectives that change, lack of a daily work plan, lack of self-imposed deadlines, tendency to do too many things at once, disorder, procrastination, inability to say no, poor decision-making, fatigue).

Now you already know about the external factors and internal factors, you can imagines similar situations that you have been through. Now, all you must do is find a way to get past them so you can be in charge of your time again. Here are three possible ways to do it:

" Write everything down. It is goo for your time management especially useful if you have a bad memory. Otherwise you might forget your work's dateline, to attend important meetings, to make important phone calls, etc. You can also write down inspirations that occur to you at unexpected moments.

" Make a list of priorities. It takes little time, and you can do it while you're having your breakfast. Write down what you need to do that day, in order of importance and urgency.

" Learn to say no. Sometimes you have to be strict. However, its a common mistake, many people make is to put other people's problem ahead of us. Nevertheless, by helping others in a difficult situation, we are easily stressed and we find ourselves unable to meet our previous responsibility.

The Power of Positive Thinking

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 06:47:00 +0000

Positive thinking can be defined as a mental attitude one has that admits into the minds thoughts, words or images that look at growth success, expansion and of course success. It is the mental attitude that looks towards good results. Someone that is positive anticipates joy, happiness, and a successful outcome in every situation and never looks towards bad things to happen.

However even though many wonderful things come from positive thinking, many people do not know how to use it to get effective results. People’s attitudes affect one another whether we try to or not. Because of this people try to be and stay around people that exhibit positive attitude while they tend to try and stay way from people that have a negative aura to them.

People also try to help out people that are negative compared to people that are negative. The reason being, negative thoughts, attitudes and words tend to bring up negative actions and moods which are not so pleasant. There is a type of chemistry that happens when we are negative and have negative thoughts; our body releases a type of poisonous toxin into the blood. This poisonous toxin causes more unhappiness and negativity.

Positive thinking generally leads to good things take for example an interview. If you go into an interview thinking you will not get it and look tense and nervous and have negative thoughts, the interviewer will probably see this will not see any confidence and will probably not give you the job.

However if you go in there thinking positive not worried and are very confident and exhibit that type of behavior then chances are that you will have a better chance getting the job than if you went in there thinking negatively. Do remember that there is a difference between positive thinking and over confidence.

Cheapest way to be fit

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 07:46:00 +0000

I know most of the bodybuilder will spent their money in gym. Actually there are another way to bring the gym to you.

With challenging body-weight exercises, you can build lean muscle anywhere, anytime…..at home, on the road, or even in a public park.

Here's the way. Check it out!

Apply it:Raise your hands above your head so your arms are straight and in line with your body during a lunge, squat, crunch, or situp. If that's too hard, split the distance by placing your hands behind your head.

The farther you move, the more muscle you work.

In physics, "mechanical work" is equal to force (or weight) times distance. And since your muscles and bones function together as simple machines they form class 1, 2, and 3 levers the same formula applies to your body. It's the most basic of principles: Do more work, build more muscle. Of course, in a weight-free workout, you can't increase force (unless you gain weight). But you can boost your work output by moving a greater distance during each repetition.

Apply it: Each of the following three methods increases the distance your body has to travel from start to finish, increasing not only the total amount of work you do, but also the amount of work you do in the most challenging portion of the exercise.

Hard: Move the floor farther away. For many body-weight exercises lunges, pushups, situps your range of motion ends at the floor. The solution: Try placing your front or back foot on a step when doing lunges; position your hands on books or your feet on a chair when doing pushups; and place a rolled-up towel under the arch in your lower back when doing situps.

Harder: Add on a quarter. From the starting position of a pushup, squat, or lunge, lower yourself into the down position. But instead of pushing your body all the way up, raise it only a quarter of the way. Then lower yourself again before pushing your body all the way up. That counts as one repetition.

Hardest: Try mini-repetitions. Instead of pushing your body all the way up from the down position, do five smaller reps in which you raise and lower your body about an inch each time. After the fifth mini-repetition, push yourself up till your arms are straight. That counts as one repetition.

As elastic energy decreases, muscle involvement increases.

When you lower your body during any exercise, you build up "elastic energy" in your muscles. Just like in a coiled spring, that elasticity allows you to "bounce" back to the starting position, reducing the work your muscles have to do. Eliminate the bounce and you'll force your body to recruit more muscle fibers to get you moving again. How? Pause for 4 seconds in the down position of an exercise. That's the amount of time it takes to discharge all the elastic energy of a muscle.

Apply it: Use the 4-second pause in any exercise. And give yourself an extra challenge by adding an explosive component, forcefully pushing your body off the floor into the air as high as you can during a pushup, lunge, or squat. Because you're generating maximum force without any help from elastic energy, you'll activate the greatest number of muscle fibers possible.

Moving in two directions is better than moving in one.

Human movement occurs on three different geometric planes: the sagittal plane, for front-to-back and up-and-down movements, the frontal plane, for side-to-side movements, the transverse plane, for rotational movements.

Most weight-lifting movements the bench press, squat, curl, lunge, and chinup, to name a few are performed on the sagittal plane; the balance of exercises for instance, the lateral lunge and side bend occur almost entirely on the frontal plane. This means that most men rarely train their bodies on the transverse plane, despite using rotation constantly in everyday life, as well as in every sport. Case in point: walking. It's subtle, but your hips rotate with every step; in fact, watch a sprinter from behind and you'll see that his hips rotate almost 90 degrees. By adding a rotational component to any exercise, you'll automatically work more muscle since you'll fully engage your core, as well as the original target muscles and simultaneously build a better-performing body.

Apply it: Simply twist your torso to the right or left in exercises such as the lunge, situp, and pushup. You can also rotate your hips during movements such as the reverse crunch.

The less contact your body has with the floor, the more your muscles must compensate.

The smaller the percentage of an object's surface area that's touching a solid base, the less stable that object is. That's why SUVs are prone to rolling, and tall transmission towers need guy wires. Fortunately, humans have a built-in stabilization system: muscles. And by forcing that internal support system to kick in by making your body less stable you'll make any exercise harder, while activating dozens more muscles.

Apply it:Hold one foot in the air during virtually any exercise, including pushups, squats, and deadlifts. You can also do pushups on your fingertips or your fists.

If you still can't figure out or you want more information about fitness. Look for get fit link under "Recommended for your health"

Quit Smoking Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 09:03:00 +0000

Whether you're 35, 50, or 70 years old, the time to stop smoking is now. People of all ages can improve their overall health and increase life expectancy. It doesn't matter how long you've been smoking. Whether 10 years, 20 years or more..you still can stop smoking.

You've probably heard negative comments from other smokers, like: "Why should I stop now? I've been smoking my entire life," or "My lungs are already damaged beyond repair. Stopping smoking now won't make any difference."

Those comments are myth. The fact is anyone can stop smoking.

Make a Commitment to Quit Smoking

In order to stop smoking, the first and most important step is to make a personal commitment to end your bad habit.

Although this may seem obvious, many smokers truly do not wish to quit smoking. While their spouse, children, or boss may constantly nag them to quit, stopping smoking is not one of their own top priorities. They may attempt to quit smoking on several occasions, but each attempt is usually short lived.

In Order to Quit Smoking, Examine Your Habits

Once you've made an honest commitment to stop smoking, next you need to review your personal situation.

Start by calculating the number of cigarettes you smoke per day. Do you smoke more during the week than on the weekend? If so, make a note of that and all your other smoking routines.

Create a Stop Smoking Checklist

Before making an attempt to quit smoking, you may wish to keep a record of your smoking for one week beforehand.

List each time of day you have a cigarette and tally your numbers at the end of each day. Look for certain patterns in your smoking. Do you smoke twice as much during the evening hours? Are you more likely to light up at social events than when at home alone?

Partner Up With a Friend to Quit Smoking

Some folks may be able to quit smoking cold turkey but they are in the minority. Pair up with a friend who is also trying to kick the habit or seek the encouragement of a former smoker.

While your spouse may offer kind words of support, it's very difficult for a non-smoker to grasp the willpower and strength needed to successfully quit smoking.

Tips to Curb Your Nicotine Craving:

1. Rid your home and office of all smoking related items. If your ashtray, matches, lighter, etc. aren't within reach, you're less likely to give in to the urge.

2. One of the most popular quit smoking tips is to replace cigarettes with another habit. This suggestion works well but make sure you're replacing your nicotine habit with a healthier alternative. Try exercising, reading a book, or munching on fresh fruit instead.

3. Make sure to get enough sleep while trying to stop smoking. Breaking any bad habit can be stressful. In order to increase your chances of success, your body needs to be well rested.

4. Accept setbacks. When attempting to quit smoking, most people have relapses. Don't let a small slip crush your plan to stop smoking altogether. Simply pick yourself up, forgive yourself for slipping, and start over again.

5. Most smokers do not realize the relationship between caffeine and nicotine. Smokers are often able to handle a higher concentration of caffeine in the body than non-smokers. The nicotine breaks down the caffeine at a faster rate. When attempting to quit smoking, if you experience an increase in stress and anxiety try cutting back on caffeine consumption as well.

6. Set small goals when trying to quit smoking and focus on stopping smoking on a weekly or daily basis. Instead of saying, "I must stop smoking for good", make it your goal to not smoke for the entire week. When you reach that milestone, set another goal. As your body becomes less dependent upon nicotine, stopping smoking will seem less overwhelming.

Prescription Medications To Help You Quit Smoking

Over the years, smokers have tried various prescriptions and over the counter remedies to cure their addition. From chewing gum, to patches, to popping pills, there seems to be an endless supply of stop smoking products available.

One could easily spend a fortune trying to quit smoking. It can also be very time-consuming to research products that have the best success rate and try to figure out which one will be the "magic bullet" for your habit.

In the past, most stop smoking aids contained nicotine. These products helped patients stop smoking by gradually decreasing the amount of nicotine released. They were designed to wean smokers gradually from their dependency instead of quitting smoking cold turkey and causing a shock to their system.

That was then, this is now.

New Quit Smoking Medications: Chantix and Zyban

Today there are effective and safe ways for patients to stop smoking. Medications like Chantix and Zyban help smokers break the habit without exposing them to more nicotine. And these stop smoking preparations help eliminate your nicotine craving without producing the withdrawal symptoms common to other types of stop smoking aids.

When starting treatment with Chantix or Zyban, patients are allowed to continue smoking for the first week. This allows the medication time to take effect. By the second week, trying to stop smoking is much easier.

Quit Smoking Without Extra Nicotine

Although Chantix and Zyban do not contain nicotine, they do release dopamine into the brain. It is the dopamine that greatly reduces unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.

Prescription Zyban also contains bupropion, a drug commonly used to treat depression. Bupropion is believed to be a key factor in helping smokers deal with their addiction without the unbearable side effects and withdrawal symptoms.

Stop smoking

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 09:03:00 +0000

Whether you're 35, 50, or 70 years old, the time to stop smoking is now. People of all ages can improve their overall health and increase life expectancy. It doesn't matter how long you've been smoking. Whether 10 years, 20 years or more..you still can stop smoking.

You've probably heard negative comments from other smokers, like: "Why should I stop now? I've been smoking my entire life," or "My lungs are already damaged beyond repair. Stopping smoking now won't make any difference."

Fortunately, those beliefs are myths. With a little perseverance, will power, and maybe some outside help if needed, you can kick your smoking habit and reverse a good deal of the damage. Many smokers are surprised to learn that health improvements can occur within a matter of days.

Experience Immediate Results When You Stop Smoking

While most ex-smokers will tell you the first week is the hardest, they fail to mention the immediate health benefits from stopping smoking. Smokers are often so focused on their addiction and withdrawal symptoms that at first they might not realize the positive changes taking place in their bodies.

These are some common changes that occur within the first three days of stopping smoking:

1. Drop in pulse rate and blood pressure- Within days of stopping smoking, most people experience a drop in their overall blood pressure and heart rate.

2. Increase in energy- After breaking your smoking habit, you should notice an increase in energy and stamina.

3. Nicotine elimination- In a matter of days, nicotine is eliminated from the body. The result is a boost to your senses. Foods will seem tastier than before and you'll be more aware of both fragrant and foul smelling odors.

4. Breathing improvements- As changes occur in the bronchial tubes, breathing will become less of a chore. You'll find your breathing will get lighter and more relaxed.

5. Carbon monoxide reduced- Smokers have an unhealthy level of carbon monoxide in the blood. In less than a day after stopping smoking, carbon monoxide levels will start to decrease, resulting in an increase of oxygen in the blood.

6. Lung cleansing- After carbon monoxide is removed from the blood stream, the lungs begin a much needed cleansing process. The heavy tar buildup that has accumulated in the lungs slowly starts to clear.

7. Healthier skin- By stopping smoking, you can improve your skin tone and reduce and prevent wrinkles.

Long Term Health Benefits From Stopping Smoking

Since smoking takes a gradual toll on your body, it's unrealistic to expect all health improvements to occur overnight. Although you might not feel like a million dollars right away, rest assured that by stopping smoking now you'll eventually experience major health improvements.

Here are some of the long-term benefits of breaking your smoking habit:

1. Less coughing- If coughing and hacking are a part of your daily routine, over the next several months these problems should decrease or be eliminated as the oxygen level in the lungs increases.

2. Easier exercise- Forget about huffing and puffing just to get up the stairs. Stopping smoking will improve your circulation, thus making exercise and everyday chores much simpler.

3. Fewer heart problems- Did you know smokers are at a greater risk when it comes to heart attacks? Thankfully the chance of having a heart attack will slowly start to decrease upon stopping smoking. After about ten years off tobacco, most former smokers no longer have an inflated risk for a heart attack. Even smokers who have already suffered from heart problems can reduce their risk of an additional heart attack by stopping smoking.

4. Reduced risk of lung disease- Perhaps the most common reason for stopping smoking is the fear of lung cancer. It's true that the lungs take the most time to recover from cigarette smoking. But generally after a period of about ten years, most smokers will have reduced their chances of developing lung cancer by fifty percent.

Increase Your Life Expectancy... At Any Age

The key to success is to stop smoking before any serious health complications arise such as lung cancer or emphysema. However, if you have been diagnosed with either of these conditions or some other tobacco related illness, you can still boost your chances of recovery by stopping smoking immediately.

While receiving treatment for a serious illness, your body needs to be in the healthiest state possible. The sooner you stop smoking, the sooner your stress levels will decline, boosting your immune system to ward off life threatening diseases and conditions.

Hair Loss Causes Responsible for your Hair Fall

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 21:27:00 +0000

If you never wash your hair with shampoo...your hair will loss? Actually there are many causes of hair loss so let's discuss about some of the major causes of hair loss. Check it out!

Heredity

Heredity factors are the first among them. The most common type of hair loss is Androgenetic alopecia that refers to the predisposition of baldness. However, the role of heredity in hair loss is not simple. The genetic propensity along with the prevalence of androgen hormone and aging plays an important role in developing baldness.

Hormonal Dysfunction

Hormonal dysfunction may lead to premature hair loss. Many important hormones are secreted from thyroid gland. Individuals having hyperactive or less active thyroid gland may experience hair loss problems. Such type of hair loss problem can be solved with thyroid treatment. The imbalance occurred in sex hormones, androgens and estrogens, is also believed to be one of the major causes of hair loss. Many women experience hair loss problems during pregnancy as well as prior and post delivery stages. This all occurs due to hormonal imbalance within the body system.

Psychological Factors

Stress is an important factor responsible for hair loss. According to several studies, if someone is not experiencing any apparent factors that may contribute to hair loss, but is undergoing through stress, he or she may experience hair loss problems. Essentially, stress is related to two types of hair loss problems – Telogen effluvium and Alopecia areata. Apart from that, psychological dysfunction may contribute to hair loss such as trichotillomania.

Major Illness

Several times, some major illnesses such as typhoid, malaria also results in excessive hair loss. If someone undergoes through chemotherapy, it results in remarkable hair loss, and in most of the cases, it is incurable also. Apart from that, surgical intervention is also considered as one of the major causes of hair loss. A temporary condition for hair loss may be induced due to stressors experienced at the time of illness.

Medication

There are some particular medicines that promote hair loss. However, in most of the cases, this is temporary. When you stop taking that particular medicine promoting hair loss, the problem alleviates. Blood thinners or anticoagulants, gout medicines, chemotherapy, steroids, interferon, excessive amount of vitamin A, birth control pills and antidepressants are the medications that are considered as the causes of hair loss.

Fungal Infection

Different types of fungal infections may also be responsible for your hair loss. It is quite common in children to see hair loss problems due to fungal infection on the scalp area. However, such type of fungal infection can be treated using antifungal medications.

Improper Hair Care

Sometimes improper hair care can also contribute to hair loss, hence it can be considered as one of the main causes of hair loss. If you tie your wet hair or pull your hair with tight hair rollers, you may experience traction alopecia, a type of hair loss. Chemical treatment associated with permanents, also known as ‘perms’, may also cause hair loss to some people, leading to experience scarring and inflammation on the affected areas.

Internal Health Diseases

Certain diseases like lupus or diabetes may also cause hair loss problems. In these cases, hair loss is considered as one of the early warning signs of the diseases. So if you are loosing your hair without any apparent reason, it is always advisable that do not neglect the situation and immediately consult for guidance from expert health practitioners. Remember, always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.

Thats all for now. So, take care of your hair and live a stress free healthy life.

Stress Reduction - Which Techniques Can be Used to Reduce Stress

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 04:39:00 +0000

Stress is a big problem to us. If not to you, at least most of us maybe your parents, friends, husband, wife, children etc. The previous topic, I've post a the dangers of stress and how to reduce it. Don't underestimate the dangers of stress, that's why I add another ways to reduce your stress. Go on read, there are several ways to reduce your stress.

Dealing with Stress

There are essentially two ways to deal with stress. One is to eliminate stressors from the environment or at least minimize the stressors. The other one is increase the resistance power dealing with stress. Truly there are a great range of useful strategies to acquire these two attributes, but the key aspect of all variations comes to a single point, that is, relaxation.

There is no single stress reduction technique; rather it needs to be implemented in combination with change in lifestyle, diet, exercise and relaxation. These factors complement a better management of stress in terms of reduction or elimination to some extent. Relaxation technique sounds pretty simple and the central theme of most of the stress reduction methods, however it is not so simple to acquire it without the expert guidance.

The modern life demands experiencing stressful stimuli almost each moment, it is seen that relaxation technique has increasingly become the expert solution against stress.

Therapeutic Measures

Therapeutic measures focusing on the mind-body connection assumes that emotions may play a significant role in physical system. These measures in particular help individuals to get a hold on daily stressors and to cope with them rather than trying to eliminate them from environmental stimuli. Individual counseling and meditation are two crucial factors of such therapies. These techniques are truly beneficial for lowering blood pressure and gastric problems.

Herbal therapies are found to be beneficial for stress management in terms of providing a special emphasis for inner balance. It stresses on the significance of natural substances in relation to the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual connectedness. Apart from that, there are other useful techniques that are effective in managing stress.

These are acupuncture, Alexander technique, aromatherapy, autogenic training therapy, behavioral therapy, reflexology, naturopathy, Rolfing, kinesiology, Tai Chi Chuan, sound therapy, Reiki, autosuggestion therapy, Ayurveda, Bach Flower therapy, bioenergetics, biofeedback, flotation therapy, Feldenkrais method, Shiatsu and many others.

The Dangers of Stress and How to Reduce it

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 12:27:00 +0000

Stress unfortunately has become a relatively normal staple in our modern-day lives. We live in such a busy society that finding people who are bogged down by stress is no harder than spotting an elephant in a bare field. The unfortunate thing though is that stress not only puts a damper on your mood, it is also extremely harmful to your health and well being. When stress is left unchecked, it can potentially cause damage to almost every important part of your body. – Especially your immune system and heart. So what can we do to help cut back on all the stress we experience?

First we need to understand stress. Stress is completely natural – when you become stressed, your brain releases hormones into your blood that cause your body to work overtime in case there is a dangerous situation that it needs to respond to. Unfortunately, we are supposed to remove ourselves from the stressful situation relatively soon. The problem is that sometimes we find ourselves continuing to live in stress, and our bodies are constantly pushing harder as a result, and suffer as a consequence.

A good way to protect yourself is to make sure that you get the occasional break, but the key to avoiding the dangers of stress comes from your ability to mentally leave behind a stressful situation once you no longer have control of it. Most of us face small situations of stress everyday, whether it be a traffic jam, a crying baby, or having to put up with an irritating history professor. These situations are unavoidable, and the only way to protect yourself is to not let them get to you. You need to take mental control of the situation. Remind yourself that this is only a minor problem, and that it isn’t serious. Think of other similar situations that actually ended up as a funny story. The bottom line is that the first step to preventing stress damage is to remain calm and relatively unaffected by the small quirks in life that we just don’t have any control of.

Unfortunately, we also have to deal with much larger issues in our lives. Sometimes we are relying on a promotion at work to pay our bills, or find ourselves working overtime at our studies and not making the grades we should be. Obviously these things need to be dealt with, but we also have to be able to walk away from them. The trick is to work hard at avoiding these problems, but once you pass that point where you can no longer do any more, you must be able to set it aside. Maybe you miss out on sleep because you are studying even when you already know the information, or maybe you are pushing your food around your plate in anxious thought about that promotion. These little things are keeping you stressed, and they aren’t helping you a bit. You need to be able to recognize when it’s time to shut the problem off, and let the card fall where they may. Ask yourself if there is anything else you can do to solve your problem. If the answer is no, rest knowing that you gave it your all.

Lastly, one great way to get rid of stress in your life is to keep yourself occupied with things that you enjoy. It can be difficult to shove aside your problems if you’re bored, but if you’re having fun, it isn’t that difficult now, is it? Identify the little things that bring pleasure into your life. Maybe it’s fishing, or building model cars, or playing sports, and helping your kids with their schoolwork. Whatever it is, try to schedule in more of it. Don’t forget to keep it simple as well – you don’t want to stress yourself out trying to plan for a time that will help you release your stress!

Stress is a natural phenomenon, but prolonged stress isn’t. It’s also not necessary. There’s no denying that many people have a lot on their plate, but there is also no reason not to cut out your stress whenever you can and enjoy your life. If you do, not only will your life be longer and happier, but you’ll find that you are able to handle your responsibilities more efficiently, cutting the stress caused by them and making your daily life much easier, more enjoyable, and more fulfilling

Where's Your Success?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 18:08:00 +0000

Don’t you just get fed up hearing about all these successful people and how well they are doing? You don’t begrudge others their success, as you know they deserve to be successful and have probably worked really hard to get what they have. But you know you have been trying really hard to be successful too, and no matter how hard you try nothing seems to work. It’s just not fair is it? So what’s the difference? There must be something that they’re doing that you aren’t but what is it?

Maybe there are some underlying beliefs you have, that you are not even aware of that are stopping you from getting what you want. At some core level you are sabotaging yourself without even being conscious of what you are doing. Hard to believe isn’t it?

You were born to be successful, but from a very early age you start learning how to be unsuccessful. As a kid you believed you could do and be anything you wanted with no limitations. In the games you played you actually believed you were superman or bat woman with no limitations on what you could do. When you sung into your pretend microphone you just knew you were going to be the next big rock star. You were happy, carefree and afraid of nothing.

Then as you grew up you started listening to the adults around you, and as they are bigger than you, you started believing everything they said. I’m sure you have heard them before…"higher salary is better", "money doesn’t grow on trees", "money doesn't fall from the sky", “you can't have everything in life”, etc. etc. You started to believe what they said and all of a sudden your light is turned off and you stop wanting altogether. You start living life from a practical, logical perspective. “If I want to get anywhere in life I’ll have to work hard”. “It doesn’t matter what job I have as long as I can earn enough money to pay the bills”. Before you know it you have taken on layer after layer of all these beliefs and your whole life revolves around living your life within the boundaries of those beliefs.

Once you realize that this is what you’re doing, then you can start paying attention to what you’re thinking about on a daily basis. Just by recognizing what you’re thinking about will help you free up some of your attention around your old beliefs. You can begin to replace those old beliefs with some new ones that will start bringing you the things you want.

Once you recognize that a thought or belief is not serving you then you need to replace it with something that will move you in the direction of your dreams. Your ability to change the thoughts and ideas you have of yourself will determine your success.

In Sandy Forster’s book “How to be wildly Wealthy Fast” you will learn quick and easy success secrets that will help you achieve your dreams. And by following the simple strategies you’ll soon be on your way to creating the success you desire and deserve.

10 Weight Loss Tips for Permanent Weight Loss

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 17:00:00 +0000

1. Eat only when you are hungry.

This means stop eating the minute you are full. This means if you go out to dinner and eat all the bread in the breadbasket you don't eat your dinner. This means if it is lunch break at work and you aren't hungry don't eat. This means if you are in the middle of a sandwich and you are no longer hungry, you stop eating.

2. When you aren't hungry and eating for joy only, make sure you are eating something fantastic and tasting every bite.

There will be times when you want to eat just for the joy of it. I say if you only do this 10% of the time you can still lose weight. But the trick is to make sure you enjoy each bite, taste it fully and stop as soon as the joy of eating it fades. If you pay attention, you will be surprised how soon this might be.

3. Be curious about yourself-not judgmental.

When you do something that you think is "off" you plan of what you would like to be doing, be curious and try to find out why you do what you do. Explore the thoughts that lead to the action. Be kind and understanding with yourself. Give yourself the benefit of the doubt.

4. Believe it is possible to be thin without being mean to yourself.

You do not have to beat yourself into submission for thinness. In fact, I have found the opposite is true. Loving yourself and being kind to yourself is a much better path to permanent weight loss.

5. Feel your feelings.

Be anxious. (Don't eat.) Be sad. (Don't eat.) Be afraid. (Don't eat.) Be angry. (Don't eat.) If you use eating as an alternative to feeling you are most likely going to be overweight. The sooner you feel your feelings the sooner they will subside.

6. Stop expecting things "out there" to change so you can feel better.

Don't wait for a better job, a thinner body, a nicer lover or a better tasting diet in order to be happy. You can be the source of your own joy by finding out what you love to do and who you love to be. By living your own truth, you can be happy no matter what is going on "out there."

7. Even when you think you have "blown it" write down every piece of food that goes into your mouth and then read that list with fascination.

It may feel better to write in the food journal when you are eating fuel most of the time, but that is not when it is the most important. When you are fog eating and storm eating and binging and going crazy with food, you have the best opportunity to learn about yourself and why you do what you do. No matter how much you have eaten and no matter how big the binge was, write down every single thing that went into your mouth and look at it with kind curiosity.

8. Realize that eating when you aren't hungry is not satisfying hunger or comforting you-it's just making you heavy.

Notice the terminology you use when discussing food. " I had my chocolate fix." " I needed comfort food." "I wanted to give myself a treat." Food is not a good source of emotional comfort and it cannot fix you.

9. Remember the past does not equal the future

We have all been on many many diets. Many of us have been heavy a long time. This does not mean that you can't lose weight. You have been doing the best you can. And when you know better- you do better- and you look better….

10. Never give up!

Enough said.

How To Exercise? Choosing The Right Type Of Exercise For You

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 10:26:00 +0000

So you have to start an exercise program. What are you going to do? How are you going to exercise?

Well the type of exercise you do largely depends on you. What do you like doing? What do you hate doing? Do you have to pay membership fees? Do you need a training partner? Do you need to buy equipment?

These are all questions you need to answer.

If you choose something that you don’t like doing, you’re not going to keep doing it for long. Think about it, if you don’t like jogging you’re hardly going to keep dragging yourself out of bed at 6am, especially when winter comes around! If you can’t find something you like, just choose the thing you hate the least. This is usually walking.

Walking is great because it suits all fitness levels. Anyone can start a walking program at any time, it’s just the intensity and duration that differs. Walking is also very social. It’s not hard to find a training partner to chat to while you exercise. This also makes the time go faster.

Whatever exercise you do, starting at a low intensity and building it up over a number of weeks is essential to the longevity of your exercise program. If you start too hard you could get an over-use injury such as shin-splints, and then you’ll have to take time off to get over it.

If you are really unfit, start by walking for 10 minutes each day. Increase it by 5 minutes every 2 weeks.

To make it more interesting try walking a different course every few days. You can also roster a different friend to walk with you each day of the week.

If walking is not for you then you may like to try a fitness centre. They have loads of variety and usually have trainers on hand to answer any queries you might have. When choosing a fitness centre, make sure they give good service. If they’re not willing to treat you well before you join, then they certainly aren’t afterwards! Also make sure that their equipment is well serviced. It’s easy to find out, just listen when the machines are being used. If they squeak a lot, or make a grinding noise, then there’s a fair chance that they’re not looked after.

If you’re still not sure what you should do, then why not consider futsal? Futsal is great for fitness and it’s a great social activity but it’s not for someone who is just starting out. If you haven’t exercised in a long time then you’re better off finding something a little easier.

Whatever you decide on, it must be something that you enjoy. Find that type of exercise and you’ll be well on the way to the new you!

How to lose your weight without starving?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 22:07:00 +0000

If you need to lose weight, one great way to start melting pounds away is to increase your metabolism. By increasing your metabolism, you'll be able to process food faster and therefore will store less fat in the body. In fact, with a better metabolism, you're body will even begin burning away existing fat in order to get the energy it needs to support itself.

How Metabolism Works?

Your metabolism can either work for you or against you. The main way we all get energy is from glucose, commonly known as our blood sugar.

When our blood sugar runs low, our metabolism burns the fat in our bodies in order to make more energy. However, when our blood sugar runs high, our metabolism stores fat in our bodies to use later.

So now let's look at how you can get your metabolism to work for you.

Stop eating?

Many people believe that the key to losing weight is to stop eating. Well, that will actually have a negative effect on your metabolism. Eating less will cause your metabolism to slow down because it will sense that you don't have enough food.

So when you finally eat, your blood sugar will jump through the roof and your metabolism will store the extra glucose as fat.

Instead of starving yourself, eat many smaller, healthy meals that are low in calories and fat. Also, consume plenty of water, fruits, and vegetables.

By eating smaller portions you'll not only curb your appetite, but you'll also trick your body into thinking that it's getting plenty of food. Therefore, your metabolism will kick into a higher gear. Then when it doesn't get the glucose it needs for energy (because you're eating healthy) then it will begin to take that glucose from the stores of fat that are already in your body.

Get Yourself Moving?

Exercise is a guaranteed way to increase your metabolism. Always check with your doctor for what is the best exercise regime for you. Most of the time, walking as little as twenty minutes a day, will help increase your metabolism.

Exercise actually helps you lose weight in two ways:

First, exercise builds muscle and muscle burns calories on its own.

Secondly, when you exercise your body is forced to come up with enough energy to support your activity. So, it begins burning fat in order to give the energy you need.

Don't be put off when I say exercise - there is no need to be pounding away furiously on a treadmill for hours a day.

A simple yet effective mini routine is all that is needed to give your metabolism a boost.

Some Final Words about Losing Weight

If you need to lose weight, you're certainly not alone. Millions of people are in the same boat. However, most people don't realize what it takes to first lose the weight and then to keep the weight off.

If you increase your metabolism, you'll see that over time, your fat will melt off your body and your weight will gradually drop. The two best ways to increase your metabolism are to eat smaller meals more often and to exercise regularly.