How to Reduce Your Risk of Obesity

Obesity can threaten both your health and your appearance. Reading this article will teach you how to reduce your risk of obesity.

Avoid Certain Foods

1. Avoid excessive consumption of fatty foods. Foods that taste really good (almost to the point of sinfulness) are probably loaded with fats and other unhealthy ingredients. People generally eat these foods because they taste good and they are quick to prepare. Foods that you should avoid on a regular basis include anything fried; foods with hydrogenated oils; chips and other snack foods. It is recommended that you keep these foods to a minimum in order to reduce your chances of obesity.

2. Watch your sugar and carb intake. This is perhaps the section of nutrition that people disregard most often. Some people are lured into thinking that just because a food doesn't have fat in it, it won't make them gain weight. Foods without fat or that are low in fat tend to be higher in carbs and sugars. It is recommended that you have the suggested serving of breads and grains each day (try to avoid too many sugars and white breads) and no more than the recommended amount because the unused portion of these foods can store as fat in your body.

3. Avoid eating late at night. Eating late at night (especially foods that aren't healthy) can contribute to weight gain. The rule is that you can have all you want to eat before the hours of 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. (or one or two hours before bed since a large percentage of people go to bed between the hours of 9-11 p.m.) It is recommended that you avoid junk foods after dark to avoid unnecessary weight gain.

Signs of Bipolar Disorder in Women

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a type of depression in which the affected person will display extremes in temperament --- from the highest high to the lowest low. However, seeing the signs of bipolar disorder in women can be tricky because people are often quick to write these mood swings off as hormonal changes.

Manic Mood
When a woman is transitioning into a manic state you might notice that her attitude will be greatly elevated. She can seem abnormally chipper and outgoing. However, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, a woman with bipolar disorder can also display manic mood changes that can easily appear to be PMS. For instance, many women will be easily agitated or cranky when they are manic.

Depressive Mood
Often, depressive mood changes are easier to recognize in women then manic mood changes. A depressed woman sometimes complains of being abnormally anxious. She might also seek for some meaning in her life as she tries to cope with feelings of emptiness. Furthermore, she can withdrawal and lose interest in doing most things. This is notably seen by a woman's partner when she suddenly and adamantly rejects her partner's sexual advances.

Manic Behavior
While manic moods can be hard to recognize, manic behaviors are not. Women experiencing a manic episode will frequently display erratic and illogical behaviors. For instance, some women will max out an entire credit card in one shopping binge. Others will skip work to start on a new personal project. Some women will engage in spontaneous sexual encounters with strangers or will be uncharacteristically interested in sex. Manic women will also experience trouble sleeping, will speak quickly and are easily distracted.

Depressive Behavior
When a woman becomes depressed her behavior changes are typically noticeable to anyone close to her. These changes include frequent complaints of being tired or worn-out, problems concentrating and thinking clearly, irritability or changes in eating and sleeping habits. While these types of changes can be synonymous with a woman's monthly cycle, a period of behavior lasting longer than two weeks is something to take notice of.

Fluctuations
Bipolar disorder manifests itself in a variety of ways. Some women with the illness will experience prolonged periods of mania or depression while others will drift only briefly between the two, spending most of the time feeling very normal. However, bipolar disorder of any degree can become serious and is often a lifetime condition. If you suspect someone has the disorder it is important to offer your emotional support and always report suicidal threats to a therapist or emergency response team.

Bedtime Yoga Poses

Yoga can help stretch a tight body and quiet a busy mind before bedtime. The best stretches are ones that have a calming effect over the nervous system and mind, while stretching deeply into the major areas of tightness in the body. When the body is relaxed, loose and open, and the mind is quiet, you are better prepared to rest well.

Forward Folds
Forward folds stretch the back of the legs, which gets tight from standing, too much activity and sitting for long periods of time. The folds also send a signal to the nervous system to stop the flight-or-flight adrenaline rush we use throughout our day, and to start to relax. Forward folds, with the legs together, one leg extended or wide legs, are common and effective folds for stretching the legs and calming the mind.

Neck and Shoulders
Many of your daily activities can cause you to look downward, which tugs on your shoulders and the back of your neck. This can lead to tension and tightness in your neck, shoulders and head, causing tension headaches. This area is also one of the regions you tense when you are stressed. This tension can build and make it hard to find a comfortable position to sleep. By stretching in to these areas, you can relieve some of this tension. Try shoulderstand, cat/cow poses, clasp your hands behind your back, or simply drop your ear toward your shoulder.

Hip Openers
The hips also become tight from too much activity or not enough movement. The hips are also one of the targets of stress. When we are stressed, the hips tense and become tight. This tightness in the hips can affect your sleep, causing you to toss and turn or wake up throughout the night. Stretching the hips will loosen the muscles and release the stress-related tension. Stretches such as pigeon pose, wide-knee child's pose, and firelog pose all stretch deeply into the hips.

Twists
Twisting poses help you stretch all the way from the hips, through the back and sides, to neck and head. These twists release tension along the spine and all of the muscles connecting into it. When the spinal muscles are tight, it can cause back pain, which may prevent you from sleeping fully through the night. Gentle twists are best before bedtime, such as a seated twist or a simple recline twist.

5 Breathing Techniques for Weight Loss

When it comes to losing weight and boosting our metabolism, we tend to focus on fad diets and supplements rather than thinking about our breath. Surprisingly, the breath plays a major role in fat loss and metabolism.

Taking 15 minutes a day to just breathe a little deeper could help aid in weight loss.

Fat is made up of oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen. When oxygen makes its way to the fat molecules, it breaks them down into carbon dioxide and water. The blood filters out the carbon dioxide and gives it to the lungs to be exhaled. Oxygen also thins the blood, which lowers your blood pressure and speeds up metabolism. That’s a pretty cool perk for something the body does on its own.

Add some conscious breathing to your daily routine with one of these five methods.

Method 1: Deep Breathing For Relaxation

1. Exhale all the air from your lungs.
2. Inhale slowly through the nose for six counts.
3. Hold at the top of your inhale for six counts.
4. Exhale slowly for six counts.
5. Check your posture. Are you slouching with your exhale? If you’re slouching, readjust your position to ensure a straight spine and repeat steps 2 through 5.

Do this 10 times each evening or when you start to feel stressed or overwhelmed. You can do the exercise lying down, sitting up or standing.

Method 2: Deep Breathing For Energy
1. Exhale all the air from your lungs.
2. Inhale slowly through the nose for six counts. When you feel like your lungs are completely filled, take one more sip of air.
3. Hold your breath for eight counts. Work toward eventually holding it for 12 counts.
4. Exhale through the mouth for eight counts. Do not release all the air at once. Try pursing your lips to release air more slowly. When you feel like you have no more air in your lungs, exhale one breath more.
5. Hold your breath again for 8 counts, keeping your ribcage and abdomen tight and contracted. If you can’t hold your breath for eight counts without feeling overwhelmed, hold your breath for less time and try to work toward eight counts.

Repeat these steps 10 times in the morning and anytime during the day for a burst of energy. You can do this exercise sitting or standing.

Method 3: Alternate Nostril Breathing for Cleansing
1. Sit up straight and place your left hand comfortably on your left knee.
2. Place the tip of your right index finger and middle finger on the space between your eyebrows. Place your right thumb on your right nostril. Position your right ring finger near your left nostril.
3. Press your thumb down on your right nostril and exhale through the left nostril until there’s no more air in your lungs. Breathe in deeply through your left nostril.
4. Release the pressure on your right nostril, press down with your ring finger on your left nostril, and exhale through your right nostril until there’s no more air in your lungs.
5. Release the pressure on your left nostril, and breathe in through your right nostril.
6. Repeat steps 3 through 5.

Remain in a comfortable seat position and repeat this sequence five to seven times.

Method 4: The Breath of Fire For Metabolism
1. Sit up very straight and place your fists on your core center. This will encourage you to keep your core contracted.
2. Exhale all the air from your lungs.
3. Inhale slowly through the nose for six counts.
4. Purse your lips and make short, powerful exhalations. Do not inhale in between exhalations. The force of the exhalations will naturally bring air back into your lungs. Exhale 50 to 100 times, gradually increasing the number of exhales.
5. On the last exhale, force all of the air from your lungs and hold for one count.
6. Relax and breathe normally.

Do this sitting on your knees or in a comfortable seated position.

Method 5: Vacuum Breathing For Toning the Core
1. Place your knees and hands on the ground.
2. Exhale all the air from your lungs while sucking your belly in.
3. Hold your breath and expand your lungs without an inhaling. Try to pull your stomach to your spine.
4. Hold this position for 10 seconds.
5. Release your breath slowly and repeat.

Do this for five minutes each day.

How to Treat Heat Stroke

Heat stroke is a serious medical emergency, requiring aggressive cooling and immediate evacuation.

Things You'll Need

• Notebooks
• Sports drinks
• Pens
• Thermometers
• Water Filters
• Oral Rehydration Salts
• Rectal Thermometer
• Bandannas
• Coolers
• Ice
• Wilderness First Aid Classes
• Cold Compresses

Tips

1. Evaluate for heat stroke (see "How to Assess Heat Illness"). If you suspect heat stroke, treat with the following steps.

2. Move the patient out of direct sunlight, preferably into a cool, shaded area.

3. Have the patient lie flat and elevate his or her feet.

4. Remove heat-retaining clothing.

5. Wet the patient down and fan him or her, or immerse the patient in cool water.

6. Place ice packs on the patient's head, back of the neck, armpits, palms of the hands, soles of the feet and groin.

7. Hydrate well with lots of water, a diluted sports drink or oral rehydration solution, but only if the patient is conscious enough to hold a cup and drink unassisted.

8. Monitor body temperature frequently, keeping careful notes on how long the patient remains at a given temperature. Transfer these notes when you transfer care.

9. Evacuate immediately, continually monitoring and writing down the patient's body temperature.

Types of Food That Cause Acne

Although the correlation between diet and acne is still being researched, studies show connections between certain triggering foods and acne flare-ups. Diet may be a key player in both resolving and worsening symptoms.

Dairy
A study from the Harvard School of Public Health indicates that dairy products, and in particular skim milk, may trigger acne breakouts. While more rigorously collected data is needed to confirm the correlation, evidence shows that certain dairy products may aggravate acne because of their hormone and bioactive molecule content.

Cows receive hormones to increase milk production, and residues of those hormones pass to humans in the milk. This can cause an increase of sebum (oil) production, which clogs pores and allows bacteria to grow on the skin, leading to skin inflammation and acne breakouts.

Sugar
Sugar is justifiably considered the cause of many food-related health problems, and it is also considered a possible trigger for acne flare-ups. Eating sugar causes the level of blood sugar to rise, and that stimulates the production of the hormone insulin. Constant spikes of insulin in the blood can lead to insulin-resistance, which enhances sebum production and the development of acne symptoms.

Foods With High Glycemic Index
The glycemic index indicates how fast a carbohydrate enters the bloodstream. A study suggests that a low glycemic load diet may improve not only the symptoms of acne vulgaris, but also the insulin sensitivity of the patient. Eating foods with a high glycemic index, such as refined carbs like pasta, cause a spike in blood sugar, which leads to excess insulin generation and consequently, to inflammation.

A Few Tips

• Keep a food diary and document any acne flare-ups to investigate whether there's a correlation between certain foods you eat and flare-ups you experience.
• Supplement your diet with healthy fats, like fish oil, because of their anti-inflammatory properties. A study suggests that fish oil supplementation may improve acne severity.
• Take probiotics. According to the Gut-Brain-Skin Theory, which has recently been supported by some evidence, probiotics influence systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, glycaemic control, tissue lipid content and even mood. *Follow a low glycemic load diet.

How to Cure Back Pain

Most of us will suffer from back pain sometime during our lives, probably more than once. Fortunately, the majority of us can cure our back pain at home with rest, over-the-counter (OTC) medicines and other simple remedies. For those who suffer from extreme, ongoing pain, doctors may prescribe prescription drugs and more intensive therapy. Surgery also remains an option for those who suffer from severe, ongoing back pain that does not respond to less drastic measures.

Things You'll Need

• Prescription drugs
• Heating pads
• Ice packs
• Pain medications

Take Steps to Cure Your Back Pain

1. Treat back pain conservatively. Surgery is a last resort to cure even severe, chronic back pain.

2. Avoid taking to your bed to cure back pain. Extended bed rest may make back pain worse, not better. One or 2 days at most is recommended for back pain from sprains or strains.

3. Medicate mild to moderate back pain with over-the-counter drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen or naproxen.

4. Use heat or cold therapy to cure back pain. Alternating hot and cold dressings can be especially effective for back pain caused by sprains or strains.

5. Stretch your back to improve its condition. Stretching combined with mild exercise can also be helpful in relieving back pain.

6. Use prescription drugs to cure back pain only under the close and continued supervision of your doctor. NSAIDs and muscle relaxants are often prescribed for back pain relief. Doctors may prescribe very short-term use of **** or codeine to ease severe, chronic pain.

7. Consider doctor-supervised cortisone injections to cure back pain caused by pinched nerves or other sources of nerve inflammation.

8. Work with a massage therapist or a physical therapist to get relief from back pain. Therapies may include electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and ultrasound. Therapists will also train you in techniques to reduce flare ups of back pain and to avoid reinjuring your back.

9. Discuss surgery when other options to cure back pain have been exhausted, or when your doctor advises that surgery is needed for structural, nerve or soft tissue damage and/or disease.