The Therapeutic Wonders of Massage

It has long been recognized that the power of touch is crucial to us as humans. We are all sensual beings and as a result our bodies respond well to massage and human contact. Research in the UK has proven that in many health institutions, such as hospitals and nursing homes, etc. patients responded better to treatment and were more content when there was more physical contact between their carers and themselves.

Here's why it works - There are many types of massage techniques which can include, sports massage, mother and baby massage, Swedish, Shiatsu and Reflexology, but the basic principle of each is very similar. Massage improves circulation allowing your blood to send oxygen and nutrients to your muscles where ultimately they are converted into energy. Furthermore it assists the filtering out of toxins and drains the essential lymph system which is so important for a strong immune system. The result? A nourished, cleansed and relaxed body and a wonderful sense of well being that can last for many days afterwards!

POINTS TO REMEMBER WHEN  VISITING A MASSAGE THERAPIST: 

1) A qualified massage therapist will have undergone a substantial period of training and should be a member of an international association relating to his/her specific field of expertise. There are a number of excellent therapists in your locality and referring to your telephone directories should provide you with a qualified massage therapist or clinic in your area.

2) Your therapist will want to get to know about you on your first visit and will prepare a personal case history based on a number of questions he/she will ask. In order for the therapist to provide you with the best suited therapy during your session these questions are important and will touch upon medical, social, personal information as well as your family history of illnesses, etc. Based on the information compiled the therapist will then design a treatment specifically for you.

3) It is important for you to feel at ease with your therapist and it is the practitioner's job to make you feel comfortable and explain to you what they will be doing.

Head Massage

Infants receive a daily massage from birth to promote good health. The first nine months are considered to be the best fot infants for massage as bones of fontanelle develops after nine months. Now massage has be come a part of daily life especially for women. They look for better hair and relaxation of mind. But these days, the massaging technique has been further developed to incorporate the upper back, neck, shoulders and even face. Undoubtly massaging has powerful effect on the whole body, be it mentally, physically or spiritually.

Benefits of a Head Massage

a) It releases hormones which enables the growth and function of the brain and relaxation of the whole body.

b) Restores joint movement and stretches joints in the neck, shoulders and upper arms.

c) It promotes blood flow. As a result, it eases out tension and promotes the growth of hair.

d) It stimulates the drainage of lymph fluid.

e) It increases the supply of oxygen and glucose to the brain .Clear thinking and sense of focus are achieved as a result.

f) You get better sleep which is what most people long for.

Best part, it can be performed at home or even at your desk, just about anytime and anywhere.

Laser Eye Surgery

Just as there are different conditions that can be treated with laser eye surgery, there are several different forms of laser eye surgery including but not limited to PRK, Lasik, Lasek, Epi-Lasik, PresbyLasik, iLASIK, Custom Wavefront Lasik and IntraLase bladeless Lasik. The most common of these procedures are described below:

Lasik - With Lasik eye surgery, a thin flap is cut and then lifted from the surface of the eye. A laser beam, or energy, is then appropriately applied to the eye for proper reshaping. The thin flap that was first cut and lifted from the eye is then replaced to serve the purpose of a natural bandage that will speed up the healing process from the Lasik surgery. Ultimately, the replaced flap is thicker in size and is usually created with either a special laser or a microkeratome cutting tool. As a general rule, there are three different types of lasers that may be used for the Lasik surgery - wavefront-guided lasers, spot scanner lasers and slit scanning lasers.

PRK - PRK is known as the original laser eye surgery and unlike Lasik eye surgery, PRK does not require a thing flap to be taken from the eye's surface. Instead, the laser beam, or energy, is directly applied to the surface of the eye. The outer layer of the eye, which is very thin and is known as the epithelium, is completely removed from the laser force. Eventually, this ultra-thin outer layer of the eye grows back. This particular eye surgery may be required for individuals who have thin corneas.

Taking Care Of Your Sunglasses

Having a good pair of sunglasses is important to keep your eyes safe from UV rays. Constant squinting damages vision and can even have long term effects. Children and adults should always wear sunglasses when outdoors in sunny weather. But sunglasses can become scratched or otherwise damaged if not taken care of properly. Whether your sunglasses are prescription or non-prescription, or you wear them simply for the look, keeping your shades in good condition ensures they will last longer. Below are a few tips on how to properly take care of your sunglasses in order to get the most use out of them.

Clean your sunglasses often. Just about any place that sell sunglasses will give you a complimentary lens cleaning wipe or even glass cleaner when you purchase sunglasses. Keep these around with you at all times and clean your sunglasses often. If you have an empty bottle of lens cleaner, put Windex in it. This often works much better than the stuff they give you at the store. Make sure the wipe is always clean, as any residue may leave a film on your lenses.

To wash your sunglasses, just rinse them under warm tap water with a little liquid soap, and dry them with the wipe. Never use a sponge on your sunglasses as this will cause scratches.

When you're not wearing your sunglasses, always keep them in a protective case. Some stores will give you a complimentary case when you purchase sunglasses, or you can get them at an optical shop or any store that sells sunglasses. Keep your shades in the case with your cleaning cloth.

If you notice any damage on your sunglasses, such as a loose screw, have them checked at an optical store. They may be able to fix it for you free of charge, or for a very small fee. You may also be able to fix them yourself with a small screw.

Eye Care For Adults

Eye care is very important to keep up on as the years go by. Adults are much more susceptible to problems that can quickly spiral into bigger issues for them. This is why routine maintenance check-ups are a good idea. At a check-up, a doctor will test your vision and analyze the results to see whether or not you need glasses. They will also check for other problems such as astigmatism, infections, viruses and other diseases. The testing usually goes for about 30 minutes including test result discussion.

If you need prescription medication or glasses you can be prescribed right on the spot. You will be fitted for frames and explained how the process works and then your lenses and frames will be sent away for. You can either pick them up at your doctor's office or it can be delivered straight to your house.

Have you ever felt like you have problems such as air behind your eye, itchy red or burning eyes, glassy eyes or anything other of the sort? Depending on the area you live in, air goes through cycles of being full of pollen, or just being poor quality. This makes people feel like they are having some sort of disease or infection when it could just be the air quality/ It is always safer to go see the doctor if you are having problems like that then to try and diagnose yourself to be safe but many people do have these same harmless problems.

The doctor can give you eye drops that will ease the pain, swelling and the itchiness but also they will help you to feel better by ensuring you that you are going to be OK rather than worrying.

Keratoconus and RGP Lenses

RGP lenses are still the most common form of correction for Keratoconus, so why are these lenses so successful and what are the downsides to them?

Keratoconus is a disease of the cornea, which is the clear front surface of the eye. In people with Keratoconus the cornea thins and distorts outwards into an irregular 'cone' shape.

It is this distortion or the eye that results in reduced vision as the light entering the eye can not be properly focused onto the retina and this causes blurring and 'ghosting'.

Spectacles and soft contact lenses (Hydrogels) are of limited use for more advanced Keratoconus as they do not correct the distortion of the eye.

Glasses cannot be aligned properly to deal with the multiple focus points caused by the irregular shape and soft lenses tend to be thin and contour to the same shape as the cornea (although there are some thicker soft lenses that are better at keeping their own shape and therefore go someway towards the benefits of RGP lenses).

RGP or Rigid Gas Permeable contact lenses are small lenses, normally slightly smaller in diameter than the coloured part of your eye.

As the name suggests they are rigid, they are also sometimes described as hard lenses.

Because they are rigid they keep their own shape when fitted to the eye. Because of this they also trap a layer of fluid (tears) between the surface of the corneas and the contact lens.

Connection Between Inflammation and Diet

What's the link between inflammation and diet, and why is it so important for your health that you need to be aware of it? Well, as to the second of these questions, how about the fact that modern research has led many doctors and scientists to believe that all cancers begin with excessive inflammation? In addition to this, it is linked to arthritis, gout, joint decay, back problems, and lost flexibility. It is one of the prime causes of heart disease (while cholesterol is not). In short, inflammation causes you pain, can diminish your longevity, and can give you cancer or a heart attack.

However, let's look at the first question in greater detail. What is the link between inflammation and diet? Well, let's face up to the facts: the majority of us today eat without much thought. As a civilization, we have come to care more about taste, convenience and cost in relation to our food, than we do about its nutritional value and possible ways of affecting us medically and health-wise. Now, that might sound crazy to you. Perhaps you're thinking of course you know that you're supposed to eat your vegetables and not eat rancid or undercooked meat. You know that you are supposed to eat "three square meals" each day and not overdo the pudding and pie.

Yet, the connection between inflammation and diet goes far deeper than these basics. For instance, what really makes for a healthy "square meal"? How much really is too much in the way of sweets and desserts? What about the idea that one of the most ubiquitous of all of our modern foods, grains, seems to have a strong connection with inflammation flare-ups in a great many people?

We all have inflammation to some degree within our bodies. This is natural. To a certain extent, we need inflammatory reactions. The reason that we become feverish and experience high bodily temperature when we are sick, for instance, is because our body is deliberately creating an inflamed, hostile environment to drive away or kill off the pathogens in the body. Likewise, if we sustain a physical injury, such as to a knee, the inflammatory response is a natural reaction that sends in a rush of white blood cells while also cushioning and preventing normal movement of the injured knee so that healing can take place.

Vitamin B12 Improve Memory

As we age, our ability to absorb B12 from food declines, and often so does our consumption of foods rich in this vitamin. A B12 deficiency can creep up without warning and cause a host of confusing symptoms that are likely to be misdiagnosed.

B12 is an essential vitamin with roles throughout the body. It is needed for the development and maintenance of a healthy nervous system, the production of DNA and formation of red blood cells. In severe cases, B12 deficiency results in  anemia, we can be detected through brood tests. Other symptoms of B12 deficiency that are less dramatic are muscle weakness, shakiness, low blood pressure, incontinence, unsteady gait, fatigue, depression, mood disorders, and cognitive orders like poor memory.

Vegetarians, and vegans must consume supplements to get adequate amounts of B12. Other people at risk of developing B12 deficiency are heavy drinkers as alcohol diminishes vitamin consumption, those who have had stomach operations for ulcers, or weight loss, and those who take various medications, like those taken for tuberculosis.

Researchers may differ on what is considered normal, but most will agree that  deficiency begins in adults when the B12 levels fall below 250 picograms per millimeter per blood serum. Like all B vitamins, B12 is water soluble, and the body stores extra in the liver, and other tissues. If a deficiency of B12 is low to begin with, symptoms can develop within a year, and even more quickly in infants.

Protein

The Human Body is in a constant flux with the environment. Matter and molecules flow in and out, casting themselves into its complexities. Although the body lends them structure, it is the intake--the diet--that decides its physique. To control what goes in a diet is to choose what stays inside. Dietary decisions reflect an awareness of metabolism and the nutrients needed to modify it. There may be a host of diets purported for each activity and illness. However, the one macronutrient that is invariably required, in substantial amounts irrespective of the physiological state, is protein.

Proteins hold this special place in every diet for a variety of reasons. They connect the DNA to the rest of the cell and modulate all cellular functions and responses. They are the scaffolds of the human body that struts a billion cells. Proteins are also the workers that shuffle around the body relaying messages, carrying out repairs and digestion. Oxygen from the lungs and many nutrients from the gut are protein packed and delivered to their destination. The motors in the muscles and the antibodies in the immune system are all proteins. If genes code life in a helix of DNA, then proteins are life in its decoded form. Their pervasiveness makes them indispensable and, protein synthesis a priority in metabolism.

To maintain this obligatory and intense rate of protein synthesis, the body needs a dedicated supply of amino acids. Unfortunately, unlike carbohydrates and fats that are stockpiled, the human body has no arrangement to store extra amino acids. The persistent demand for proteins and amino acids has to be met anew every day and from three possible sources: cellular production, the diet or breakdown of other body proteins. Of these, cellular production would be most convenient. If the cell could produce all the required amino acids, there would be no compulsion to provide them in the diet. However, there are amino acids that just cannot be produced in the body. These 'essential amino acids' have to come from the diet.

Eat more healthy

With so much 'diet advice' around today it is little wonder if you feel somewhat confused. Whether you are wanting to lose weight, maintain your weight or help your family eat more healthfully....these six, simple ideas will help you to eat more heathfully.

1)Stay away from the inside aisles 

When you grocery shop, fill up your trolley from the aisles around the outside the perimeter of the store. This is where the fresh fruit, vegetables and fresh foods are kept.

2) Eat small amounts frequently

Don't allow yourself to get hungry. Keep your appetite in control with smaller meals and healthy snacks in between.

3)Keep close to nature

Fresh is best and generally much better for you than pre-packaged. For example, a fresh potato baked in its jacket is more healthy than pre-packaged "potato au gratin".

4) Experiment and use spices

Get used to cooking with a wide variety of spices. It's possible to get fabulous flavor with spices without adding high calorie fats and oils.

Fats can be Essential

Some fats are essential to the body. there are some fats that our body cannot produce which means that we must get them from our food. Perhaps you've heard of omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids. These are both considered essential and must be supplied by the foods we eat.

we need the omega-3's and the omega-6's to be in the proper combination to be most effective to us. Empirical evidence shows that the proper ratio is about 4:1 between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. What do you suppose our average diet gives us? About a 20:1 and up to a 40:1 ratio; not even close to the optimal ratio.

our normal diets are rich in omega-6 fatty acids. We get them from meats, dairy products, and processed foods. We eat a lot of those foods on average. We get omega-3 fatty acids from certain vegetable oils such as flaxseed, canola, and soybean. And we get omega-3 fatty acids from cold-water fish such as mackerel, sardines, salmon, and tuna.

Eat more fish! You've heard that said before, and now you know why.

Especially the salmon. It is especially rich in the beneficial omega-3 fatty acids. Salmon , or any of the other omega-3 rich fish (but what tastes better than good salmon?) should be consumed at least once a week.

In order to get the omega-6 vs. omega-3 ratio in order, decrease your consumption of the saturated fat from meats and dairy products and increase your consumption of fish such as salmon.

Hair Growth Supplements

To maintain proper functioning of the body, one must take healthy amounts of vitamins and nutrients. However, most of these vitamins and nutrients remain insufficient due to different factors. The best solution is to take supplements.

The hair is composed of proteins. When you style your hair by means of heating, coloring, and relaxing, you are stripping off nutrients from your hair. A healthy hair requires proteins, amino acids, and vitamins. That is why if you style your hair, it is necessary to have a healthy amount of these nutrients in your system. Otherwise, your hair will become thin and easily broken.

It is also important to note that hair nutrients do not get absorbed immediately. It takes about a month or so before these nutrients are absorbed. The hair grows at a rate of about 1 cm per month, and only this new growth absorbs the nutrients.

Hair growth supplements also help problems with the scalp such as dandruff. In other words, a good supplement for the hair does not only help in its growth, it promotes overall health and protection of the scalp as well. There are certain components vital in every healthy hair vitamins and these include:

1. Vitamin A - Functioning as anti-oxidant, this vitamin helps in the production of healthy sebum. It is usually found in peaches, fish liver oil, apricots, meat, carrots, milk, cabbage, cheese, spinach, and broccoli. The required daily dosage for vitamin A is 5,000 IU. Dosage that goes beyond 25,000 IU is toxic and can eventually lead to serious health problems.

2. Vitamin C - Like vitamin A, vitamin C is also an anti-oxidant. It helps keep the hair and the skin healthy. These vitamins are found in dark green vegetables, citrus fruits, potatoes, strawberries, green peppers, kiwi, tomatoes, cantaloupes, and pineapples. Sixty mg of vitamin C per day is enough to keep the hair and skin glowing. You can easily get this amount of vitamin C by eating fresh fruits.

3. Biotin - Is a vitamin that produces keratin which is important in preventing hair loss and graying of the hair. It is commonly found in egg yolks, milk, Brewer's yeast, rice, and whole grain. 150 - 300 mcg is the recommended daily dose of biotin.

How to Shave and Deal With Acne

Acne is the bane of many, if not all, teenage men. Most everyone has dealt with acne in their lives. Some adults still have to deal with occasional breakouts due to stress or other environmental concerns. This article will show you how to shave with acne.

Acne is caused by the blockage of hair follicles. A waxy plug interrupts the oils from leaving the follicle's pore. To stop acne, one must stop the blockage from occurring and interrupting the flow of oil. This is why all acne sources recommend exfoliation. Exfoliation is the removal of a layer of dead skin cells.

Shaving is quite possibly the oldest form of exfoliation known to mankind. What the makers of exfoliation scrubs and peels don't want you to know is that a sharp blade scraped over your skin exfoliates extremely effectively. Better if the blade is truly honed. Don't believe me? Take a sharp knife and shave off a small patch of hair on your arm or leg. All of that other stuff that came off is dead skin cells.

So, shaving is clearly beneficial to our faces. Even women can possibly benefit. Although most would probably prefer to just use an exfoliating scrub. Yet, for us men, we get to shave. Before you go out and buy another Mach X 10 bladed razor, read on. Modern day multi-blade razors are the worst for your skin. First of all, they aren't sharp. Secondly, they are designed to keep the razor away from your face to "help eliminate nicks and cuts." So, not only do they perform poorly, but they don't even exfoliate well. Have you ever stopped to ask why 4 blades are better than 1? And then stopped to ask why you still have to do a minimum of two passes to get baby's butt smooth? No? You should.

Acne sources also recommend single bladed disposable razors. Some sources don't even recommend any particular type of razor. That said, these sources are clearly unfamiliar with the shaving instruments our forefathers used. Double edge and straight razors are vastly superior to anything the current market produces. Yes, they are still being produced for a handful of stalwart adherents.

Acne Diet

Acne, as you may already know, has become a curse to about eighty-five percent of population. It has become so common nowadays, that people consider it to be a phase when going through puberty. Acne is caused by change in hormones, when bacteria infects a skin area with blocked pores. Dermatologists treat this skin disease all the time, and they know what steps you must take in order to avoid having it in the future.

Back then, there was a theory that poor diets can also cause acne, but many people did not agree with it. Even today doctors deny any links connecting unhealthy eating and this annoying skin disease. The reason for that is simple: scientists are under huge pressure from pharmaceutical companies who are afraid that people will stop using their "poisons," therefore causing them to lose a lot of money.

• Try to eat more "skin savers". Skin savers include fruits, veggies, seeds and nuts. Scientists have found these foods to be great against reducing and preventing acne from appearing again. Do your best to find only the freshest foods you can, and avoid the grocery crap that contains too many chemicals.
• Also, make sure you eat salads and drink juices in their raw form, because cooking destroys many enzymes that are important for digestion.Consume more Vitamins and minerals. For example:

a) Vitamin A is important for getting healthy teeth, bones, nail and hair. You can find this vitamin in mangos, melons, apricots, spinach, sweet potatoes, carrots, etc.

Health Fitness Gyms

Many may think that it is splitting hairs to separate health and fitness clubs from fitness gyms. They are all basically the same some people may advocate. While there are many similarities, there are many subtle differences also.

Fitness gyms are generally not on the same large scale as the fitness clubs. They do not offer as wide of a range in either facilities or activities. An average fitness gym does not have a basketball court or swimming pool. Their focus is directed more towards developing a fit body through individual exercise.

There is not a great deal of difference between membership fees at a fitness club and a fitness gym. Fitness gyms fees usually are lower which reflects their scaled down facilities compared to that of a club. Most fitness gyms do not ask for a fee to be paid up front nor do they seek long term contracts. The average fitness gym will request a first and last month payment and then will charge the member each month. The monthly charge can automatically be deducted each month from a checking account or put on a credit card. Some plans will offer a discount to the member at renew time.

The scale of a fitness gym is not as grandiose as that of a fitness club. As a result, they do not offer basketball games, or racquetball matches, or swimming laps. They do offer many high tech, state of the art strength building machines but stay away from free weights. They are focused on providing many well organized group exercise programs that will give members the most return for their effort.

Fitness gyms give their members an excellent atmosphere to get into excellent physical condition through both group and individual workouts. They want their members to become very knowledgeable in exercise, nutrition, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Weight Loss Centers

It is no secret that Americans are becoming fatter each day and are on the verge of an epidemic. Even young children are now falling into the obese category. Reality television, with shows like The Biggest Loser, has become very popular as people try to cope with their weight. In response to this demand, health and weight loss centers across the country have been established to help people lose weight.

The are some differences in the scope of activities between weight loss centers. There are those facilities and programs that involve themselves with weight loss through improvement of diet and nutrition and do not involve themselves with any kind of exercise program. Their approach is to have the participant lose weight by taking in fewer calories than are burned and by improving overall nutrition. Healthier foods that are not high in calorie content along with smaller portions are encouraged. Most of the weight loss centers do not offer exercise facilities or programs to go along with their diet regimen. Some are so emphatic on no exercise involved that they promote it in their advertisements.

For the centers that do not offer exercise programs, their activities are centered on the physical and behavioral parts of eating. Many people overeat due to psychological or behavioral reasons and these centers attack the problem and try to correct it. Prior to entering any program, a physician will check your physical condition to insure the safety of the client. The programs at the weight loss centers are physician directed and driven in order to insure maximum results and safety.

Weight loss centers will develop an individual profile for you that will include goals, lifestyle, and a weight loss plan exclusively for you. Then the plan will be broken down into components that are manageable and achievable.

Changing an individual’s metabolism is another activity that is offered at the weight loss centers. This will not only promote weight loss but will make keeping the weight off a lot easier. They claim that the program is so effective that an average person can lose 21 pounds in 4 weeks.

Getting Grey Hair

Grey hair, just the thought of it is enough to make many people shudder. Surprisingly though, there are some people who embrace the onset of it, but you can believe they are in the minority. The majority look at it as a sign of aging that they are not exactly looking forward to. In fact, most people try and find any way they can to either hide it or reverse it. And as with anything else, some treatments are more effective than others.

However, before we get into methods of treatment for these hairs, we will discuss some of the causes of it. In some people, it is hereditary and just comes with the territory, in other words it is part of their genetic makeup and due to a family history of it, so they are also very likely to get it. And sometimes it can happen at a fairly early age.

One of the most common misconceptions when it comes to causes of these hairs is the belief that melatonin is the culprit; however that is not the case. Rather the cause in most instances of these hairs occurrence happens when hydrogen peroxide bleaches the melatonin. Another common cause of grey hair, especially if it happens prematurely is stress or other nervous system related issues.

The first thing those afflicted with these hairs rush out to do is buy some dye and attempt to get their hair back to its original color. However, that is not the most effective or safest method of battling grey hair. In fact, not only can it get to be costly and make a big mess in your sink or bathtub, but some dyes are also known to have chemicals not necessarily deemed safe for your hair.

Great About Krill Oil

Fish oil has been known for generations, and there will be almost no one who has not had cod liver oil when we were small. This is because not all of us can have fish as part of our diets, and cod liver oil was the only supplement that could ensure that we did not fall deficient.

Now, we've progressed so that we are trying to find if there is something that is even better than fish oil. And for a few generations now, there's been something called krill oil in the market that is supposed to be even better than fish oil.

Krill are the small crustations that are the bottom of the food chain for the entire ocean. It's been calculated that pound for pound, the amount of krill in the ocean is twice that of humans on the planet. And the wondrous thing about them is that they are so nutritious that they form the direct food for sea creatures that are little more than their size to giant whales that eat nothing else.

And no it's been found that krill oil is 4 times more effective than fish oil. The reason for this is simple. Both krill and fish oil have essential amino acids, but in krill, the amino acids are of a type that is the same as that found in humans. This means that it is not only absorbed faster, much more is also absorbed.