Bone consists predominantly of collagen and calcium phosphate. The collagen provides the connective framework for bone that is hardened by the calcium phosphate, and without healthy bones, your quality of life would be significantly reduced due to bone breakage. That is why it is essential to supplement this framework with the vitamins and minerals needed to maintain a good bone density at those periods in your life when bone density is liable to deteriorate. This begins to happen between the ages of 30 and 35 and in women and accelerates during the menopause, when your ovaries stop producing the hormone estrogen that is necessary for the maintenance of healthy bones. Through time, your bone mass drops creating first a condition known as osteopenia, or reduced bone mass, and then osteoporosis, when your bones become brittle, porous and very prone to fractures. Before we look at what can be done to reduce your chances of developing osteoporosis, lets have a close look at how bone develop so that it will be easier to understand the remedial action that can be taken. Calcium is the most common mineral in the body, and the vast majority is in the bones and teeth. Phosphorus is also essential for healthy bones because as stated earlier, the bone consists of collagen that is hardened by calcium phosphate. The two main uses of phosphorus are in bone structure and animal metabolism, since phosphates are also essential for the vast majority of the energy-production chemical reactions within your body. Calcium has other functions within the body other than bone, however, including exchange of fluids within and between cells, the maintenance of your heartbeat and in blood clotting. Vitamin D is necessary to help calcium be absorbed from your diet, through the membranes of the duodenum. More calcium is absorbed there than in the small intestine, and the calcium is also most available to the body when it is in a water-soluble form. In fact, the reason that stones form in your kidney for example, is that the calcium is rendered insoluble through the formation of calcium oxalate from the oxalic acid in foods such as rhubarb and soy. High fat diets can also slow down the absorption of calcium. Estrogen plays a significant part in bone physiology, and is an important factor in the maintenance of bone density in women. Bone is living tissue, and is constantly being absorbed and remodeled throughout life. The part played by estrogen is to maintain a proper balance between the osteoclasts, the cells that reabsorb bone tissue, and osteoblasts, the cells that form new bone tissue. When estrogen is deficient, this balance is lost and rather than bone formation and resorption occurring constantly, they take place in spurts so that first an area of new bone will be formed, then resorption will occur some weeks later, resulting in a structure where there are cavities between areas of bone. With time, these cavities will increase and weaken the integrity of the bone structure. However, that is not the whole story. The effect of estrogen is to limit the active period of osteoclasts so that the areas of bone resorbed into the body are relatively small so that the removed bone cavity can easily fill up with new bone by the osteoblasts, which are invigorated by estrogen. When estrogen is deficient, not only is the activity of the bone-forming osteoblasts reduced, but the bone-absorbing osteoclasts activity is not regulated, and they form deeper holes in the bone structure than the osteoblasts are able to fill. The net result is bone loss, with more bone being reabsorbed than is being formed. The end result of all this is spongy bone tissue with many tiny hole and also with larger areas of missing bone. Eventually this passes a critical point and the bone fractures during normal use. A simple jump from one step to another can fracture a bone at its weakest point, such as at the hip joint where the neck of bone is thinner. Not everybody is at the same risk, and there are certain risk factors that you should be aware of, each of which could increase the chances of you developing weak bones. The condition particular affects white or Asian women, and those who have a small frame. If you smoke and drink an excessive amount of alcohol, you will also be more prone to osteoporosis, although exercise can help you to avoid it. An inadequate intake of calcium and vitamin D will also contribute, and magnesium is an essential part of strong bone development. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has carried out surveys that indicate American women to be taking only 50% of the calcium recommended to maintain a healthy bone density. However, it is not only dietary calcium that is needed for the formation of bone, but also magnesium and boron, and vitamin D also helps with the absorption of calcium in the gut. If you are on steroids then they can render you more prone to brittle bone disease. Unfortunately the symptoms of osteoporosis do not become evident until there has been a significant amount of bone loss, which is why post menopausal women, and those over 65, should have a bone density scan (DXA test). It is important to understand that osteoporosis is not a disease as such: you cannot `catch' it, but it develops as the result of a gradual reduction in the minerals that maintain the density of your bone structure. Your diet is important in helping you prevent bone loss and osteoporosis later in life, and your lifestyle is also important. Reducing your daily alcohol intake will certainly help, and cigarette smoking further retards the activity of the bone-creating cells. Calcium and vitamin D supplements will help, but do not restrict yourself only to these. If you want to maintain proper bone density through and beyond the menopause stage of life, you should take a balanced supplement that contains a combination of vitamins and minerals needed to maintain a healthy balance between natural bone loss and regeneration. There is more to it that only calcium and vitamin D, and a balanced supplement takes this out of your hands. You can rest in the knowledge that you are doing the best for your body and its bone density. About The Author: More information on Bone Building supplements like bone power from natures plus is available at VitaNet ®, LLC Health Food Store. http://vitanetonline.com/
Maintain Proper Bone Density With Calcium And,More
Staying Free Of Sun Burn On Holiday
Staying Free Of Sun Burn On Holiday When you go on holiday to someplace tropical and exotic you want to take all necessary precautions when you go out to sunbathe and to avoid getting sunburned. In preparing for a holiday you want to check the location and if the sun is pretty intense there you want to pack a high grade SPF (sun protector factor) sunscreen. The problem with many people is that some folks look forward to lounging out in the sun throughout their holiday. The issue is that prolonged time in the sun for long extended periods without fully protecting yourself with sunscreen every time one goes to lay out in the sun can put you at risk for skin damage and skin cancer. It would be ideal for proper research to be done on locations you travel to that has intense sun during the peak hours of the day. There are things one can do to stay free of sunburns besides slapping on a layer of sunscreen. You can wear a wide brim hat to shade most of your face and shoulders of the sun. Putting on lip balm with sunscreen also protects your lips from the sun as well and using a sunscreen that's PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid) free because many sunscreens had this stuff in it which caused major skin allergies and stained clothing when someone had sweated the sunscreen off. Consider a water-resistant or waterproof sunscreen when you plan on going swimming. Apply sunscreen at least thirty minutes before going outdoors because it takes about 20 minutes for sunscreen to absorb into the skin. Apply the sunscreen everywhere and don't miss any important places and apply light amounts to the soles of your feet so that it doesn't make them slippery when you're walking around. Always use fresh sunscreen because over time sunscreen loses its potency and anything after 3 years old is to be tossed out. The potency of the lotion won't be effective so replace your sunscreen every so often so you can be sunburn free on many more holidays to come. Covering yourself up can keep the chances of sunburn down usually light clothing works best. Wearing sunglasses helps protect your eyelids from burns because you can't put creams and lotions near your eyes if your face is burned and select a pair that protects your eyes from UV rays and cataracts. About the Author: http://www.directline-holidays.co.uk provides you with the latest holiday offers, cheap flights, essential information & reviews on destinations worldwide
Natural Weight Loss Begins Between Your Ears
Natural Weight Loss Begins Between Your Ears There are huge numbers of weight loss methods and products on the market. Weight loss continues to be a popular goal, yet one that is rarely achieved in our society. While there are certainly extreme measures like surgery and drugs that can promote weight loss, these methods come with significant risks and drawbacks, which is why many people continually seek out and try more natural weight loss approaches. Ultimately, natural weight loss comes down to some combination of diet and exercise. Although many approaches favor one or the other, the reality is that both diet and exercise are equally important and weight loss occurs much more rapidly with a combined approach. Although there are some weight loss aids that can assist with weight loss and potentially enhance the effects of diet and exercise, there really is not a substitute for diet and exercise. There is much debate as to what works and what doesn't. On the diet front, some will proclaim Atkin's and other low or no carbohydrate approaches to be the only effective diet strategy. Others may insist that calorie restriction is the way to go. Still others may insist on the low-fat approach. The fact of the matter is that all of these diet systems work at least some of the time. As with diet, there is considerable debate as to what exercise approach works best for weight loss. Some say you have to do high intensity "interval training". Some favor the long-time, low- intensity aerobic approach. Still others say any increase in any kind of physical activity works just fine. Again, all of these appoaches work at least for some people. Various recent research studies into the vast array of weight loss approaches has come to a rather interesting conclusion: All weight loss approaches that are based on physiologically-sound principles seem to have about the same statistical success rate. What research has found to be the most critical factor in whether or not a weight loss approach is effective is... whether or not the person sticks to the program long-term. It has been my experience in clinical practice that very few people stick to ANY weight loss plan (at least natural weight loss plans - not some type of weight loss drug) for more than about two weeks straight. Yes, some may stay on a weight loss plan for several months, but most are not consistent over that period of time. Most people start a diet and/or exercise program and will go for a few days, then get off-track for a few days, then go back on and off the program repeatedly. The times when they are off the program largely negate whatever progress they make while they are on the program. Based on my experience with people trying to lose weight, the biggest factor in losing weight is not the diet or exercise the person is doing, it's the person's consistency with whatever he or she is doing. The ability to be consistent with a natural weight loss program comes down to motivation and will-power. In other words, if you're going to lose weight and keep it off, you MUST get control of your mind so that you can have sufficient motivation and will-power to stick to the weight loss plan. Developing motivation and will-power requires more than just deciding to lose weight. You must be able to handle all sorts of temptations and resist them. Unfortunately, most human beings are not born with the natural ability to resist temptations, and without proper preparation, it is far to easy for temptation to overcome one's motivation and will-power to lose weight. For this reason, I recommend using a variety of mental conditioning techniques BEFORE one begins a natural weight loss plan. By preparing the mind in advance, one is far more able to resist temptation and stay sufficiently motivated to stick to the plan. Among the most useful techniques I have found for this purpose include Neuro-Linguistic Progamming, Neuro-Associative Conditioning (developed by Anthony Robbins), various forms of self-hypnosis, the Sedona Method, Emotional Freedom Technique, and simply taking the time to clearly identify one's reasons for wanting to lose weight in the first place. By using any or all of these methods, temptation can be largely eliminated and one is able to stick with his or her diet and/or exercise program long-term, which allows for consistent weight loss and maintenance of one's weight once the goal is achieved. About the Author: Dr. George Best is the author of the E-Books, "Training Your Brain For Weight Loss" and "The Total Solution For The Weight Loss Impaired". For more information, please visit http://www.trainyourbrain4weightloss.com .
The missing ingredient: Remember who you're dealing with
The missing ingredient: Remember who you're dealing with The missing ingredient: Remember who you're dealing with Running a business can be fantastically fun and freeing, but let's face it: we all want to make money, and why not! We all deserve to share in the great wealth that is out there in the world today. So how do we get more money? We formulate strategies, learn new skills, demand high standards, work hard and hopefully watch as the financial rewards roll in. Such an approach may well be seen as admirable and, however there is a missing ingredient if success is what you seek. Not only will this ingredient put you on along the easy path to success, it will also bring you more love, joy and laughter along the way. I hear you shouting tell me, therefore I will. Here's the key: "Remember who you're dealing with". Pay attention to your relationship with every single person you are involved with not just in business, but in life. Most have us have experienced an angry boss who loses respect for staff when they are not satisfied that they are 'getting enough' out of 'the team'. We've also witnessed the salesman who is your best friend one moment, and then immediately forgets you exist when you say you won't buy. The problem is, this kind of behaviour is nuts if you want to experience success. When you approach a situation contemplating how you are going to maximise profit, the person you're interacting with appears not as a human being, rather an object to be used as a means to an end. If a person approached you with this attitude in your personal life would you want to be spend time around, laugh with and help that person? Of course not! It works the same way in business. People are intelligent. We're are not all masters of communication, Mastermind winners or budding Einsteins but we are all born with an ability to sense when the people we are dealing with do not have our best intentions at heart. Don't make the mistake of believing your insincerity will pass by unnoticed. The truth is that if you don't care about the people you are dealing with, you are simply manifesting your own demise; if not in business then in life in general. This is one of the simplest and most valuable concepts you will ever get, and it's so simple! Think about what happens when you show someone that extra little bit of care. You're the boss. Both you and an employee are in a bad mood today, and there is tension in the air. How could you turn this situation around? Go over to your staff member and tell them how much you appreciate what much they do for the company, and how it's great to have them around. You will not only feel great for saying this, but the tension will vanish instantly and the productivity of your employee will probably at least double, and all because you decided to break the mould for ten seconds. Simple. If you begin treating people like this, your name will spread like wildfire. Think about it. If someone touches your heart you want to talk about them ' free marketing. Everyone they speak to will want to deal with you because they will pick up on the warm vibe. Your name will more and more become the topic of conversation. The magic happens when these words reach people that could be key players in your business. Watch in amazement as the perfect person for that big project calls you up and asks to help. If this is so amazing, why don't we all behave like this? Unfortunately we evolve in a society that promotes being right, rather than being kind. We show the tendency to be selfish, rather than giving. This is the route of most, if not all, of your problems both in business and pleasure. Step out of these destructive patterns of behaviour and you hold the key. Try it just once, then twice; small steps and the momentum will build. But wait a minute, aren't we being selfish here? We're simply thinking of yet another way to manipulate circumstances to create the conditions for ourselves to experience more wealth. True, but just wait until you experience the mutual rewards of showing more care to everyone coming into your life. Now that is priceless! About the Author: Millions of Colours http://www.millionsofcolours.co.uk Business branding and internet services for small businesses in the UK. We're caring, efficient and provide value for money.
Headache Medications: Are They Worth It?
Headache Medications: Are They Worth It? Too many times people with chronic headaches are told to "take these pills and all will be well". But what about those pills? Do they really help or is this just another way to throw medications at a problem? Well, just like anything else, there are pros and cons to taking headache medications. Some of the classes of drugs used in headache and migraine treatment are frightening and many times people will read about one or two side effects and say "Hey! Not me! I'm not taking that drug." Unfortunately, they may be selling themselves short. Many of these medications are used in small, pediatric doses to treat migraines in adult patients. But if the person doesn't know this, then they dismiss the drug. Here are the most common classes of drugs used in migraine: anti-seizure, beta-blockers, ace inhibitors (anti-hypertensive), anti-inflammatories, anti-psychotics, triptans, opiods, anti-depressants and finally botox. Each of these classes of drugs has their own side effect profile but usually, with most people, the side effects are far less due to the lower dosing used. Also it is very important to give each medication 90 days before assessing effectiveness. Actually, it takes the brain about that long to respond to medication! Additionally, if side effects are occuring, they may wear off in a few weeks, so you must ask yourself if they are tolerable until they wear off. Each person must balance the effect of the medication against their pain level and make an individual decision about the drug. Keep in mind too, that just because medication of a certain class is being prescribed for your migraines (such as a low dose of an anti-seizure or anti-depressant), this does NOT mean you have seizures or are depressed! These drugs work in the brain in a certain way to "dampen" nerves and reduce pain. Unfortunately, at times, this may cause some dizziness, fatigue, even sedation. Now sedation can be a good thing if you have headaches and cannot get to sleep at night. In this case, take your medication at night. If your headaches are severe, then you might want to consider multi-drug therapy. But slow down! Again don't get upset or dismiss the idea. More often than not, these medications are in place for a few months to a year until the brain "settles down" so to speak. For in reality, what is happening with migraines and other headaches is a hyper-excitable state in the brain. The nerves are just a bit fried, to put it mildly, after months and years of chronic pain. So try to bear with it when someone suggests a new medication. Talk to your provider and discuss your fears about medications and what you expect to get from your treatment. No matter what, you have the right to be heard and understood when it comes to your medication and medical plan. You never know! This might just be the one that your brain really needs and could help with your migraines. About The Author: Mary Kay Betz, MS RPA-C is a practicing Physician Assistant in Headache Medicine. For more information on headaches visit http://www.headache-adviser.com
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