Menstrual calendars are another part of keeping an overall health calendar. Keeping a calendar of your period will help your doctor to diagnose any problems and help you keep track of your normal cycles. You will be better able to avoid accidents, plan for a pregnancy, manage suspected menstrual problems and keep track of your emotional changes.

In adults menstrual cycles are between 24 and 35 days but in the teen years and during menopause cycle days can be very irregular. A good rule of thumb though is that cycles shouldnt be closer than 3 weeks (21 days) and bleeding shouldnt last longer than 8 days. Your menstrual cycle calendar will help you chart these events and determine if a visit to the doctor is warranted.

Your menstrual calendar should include a couple of important pieces of information the day of the month that you start your period, the number of days that you bleed and the amount of bleeding each day. Some women use a charting system that rates the amount of bleeding by the number of tampons or pads that are used each day.  Read more...

The use of antibiotics in our society is increasing at an alarming rate. There are two reasons this concerns me. First, good bacteria (the ones helping our bodies run effectively) and bad bacteria (the ones causing diseases) are indistinguishable by antibiotics.

That means both good and bad bacteria are killed when antibiotics are prescribed. A lack of good bacteria leaves our bodies unprotected from the bad bacteria in everyday surrounding. Sickness and disease increase. Chronic illness is a result of this constant and careless use of antibiotics.

A second concern caused by the excessive use of antibiotics is the formation of resistant organisms. Antibiotics kill off the weakest bacteria. This leaves the strongest bacteria to reproduce. Offspring of the stronger bacteria inherit the ability to resist the antibiotics prescribed to treat diseases. To compensate, doctors must then look for either new antibiotics or even stronger antibiotics. As this continues, strains of super-bacteria are created – bacteria unaffected by any antibiotics.  Read more...

Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic inflammatory condition that affects joints and other tissues. It is one of the over 100 conditions that falls under the umbrella diagnosis of arthritis.

Psoriatic arthritis leads to joint construction and complications which can be significantly debilitating for the sufferer. However, in the recent past, research has led to several treatment options which allow the patient to live more comfortable lives.

As in the case of any illness or condition, it is first necessary to obtain the correct diagnosis. Because arthritis is such a generic term that encompasses illnesses and diseases which affect the joints, doctors must be very diligent in their diagnostic procedures in order to differentiate psoriatic arthritis from any of the other over 100 conditions. Some of the inflammatory diseases of the joints, such as a gout or Lupus, can be caused by dietary allergies and not necessarily linked to arthritis.  Read more...

Let’s accept the fact: many of us are skin conscious. As much as possible, we wanted to have a fresh, good looking skin. However, many of us failed to recognize that simple steps are the best ways to attain it. We just tend to ignore what is actually right or wrong for our skin.

We tend to buy some beauty products that just worsen whatever skin imperfections we have as it turns out in the end. So, now is the time for change. We must do something to beat up all those bothering skin conditions we have.

Think and Act CLEAN

One thing that is true in our society since the early days is, some companies, if not all, that produce skin care products would like you to believe that a perfect, beautiful complexion can be purchased in a jar. But the truth is, a truly radiant, blemish free and moist skin is a result of being clean. If I say “clean”, it means clean from deep within and not just skin deep.  Read more...

Massage therapy is a form of hands on treatments which has its roots over 3000 years ago. Myofascial release is one of the over 30 different types of massage therapy and a very effective hands-on technique which sustained pressure into the myofascial restrictions of the muscle in order to eliminate pain and restore motion.

The theory behind myofascial release requires an understanding of the connective tissue beneath the skin. This connective tissue is called fascia and is a specialized system that appears like a spider’s web or the knitting and a sweater. Fascial is densely woven and covers every muscle, bone, nerve, artery and vein. One of the most interesting factors is that it’s not a system of separate covering but actually ones structure from head to foot without interruption.  Read more...

Juvenile arthritis was formerly called Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA) and was described in children under the age of 16. It has only been in the last 10 years since the word “rheumatoid” was dropped from the name because it is a misnomer, giving individuals the idea that the disease process is like the adults form of rheumatoid arthritis. It is not.

Juvenile arthritis has several other names such is juvenile idiopathic arthritis, juvenile chronic Arthritis and childhood arthritis. Actually, juvenile arthritis is a collection of three different diseases that are arthritic in nature.

This disease condition will affect one in every 1000 children in the United States. Children suffer from pain, stiffness and swelling that will last longer than six weeks and is not caused by an injury or any other illness. Although the arthritis will initially present itself after an injury researchers have found that these are not the causes, only a trigger.  Read more...

Why is it that we eat more food in the winter? � Maybe we decide that it’s okay to have a little more girth to keep us warm. � Bears do it so why can’t we? � Unfortunately, eating more and moving less doesn’t equal a healthy lifestyle.

Stay warm this winter with a few healthy breakfast items on the menu. � We can eat and feel full without ruining our diet and adding to our waistline. � We’ve worked hard to maintain or lose weight when the weather was warm. � We don’t want to ruin it all during the winter chill.

1. Oatmeal��- Oatmeal has changed from the pasty gray stuff that was served to us as kids. � Now, oatmeal comes in instant flavors like strawberries and cream, maple and brown sugar, and cinnamon and apples. � The oats provide soluble and insoluble fiber. � Fiber helps to stabilize blood sugar so we don’t overeat during the day. � The slow release of energy by our body keeps us going at a steady pace. � Oatmeal can be made with water or milk. � Using skim milk provides vitamin D as well as fiber.  Read more...

Massage therapy has been used for centuries to improve health, reduce stress and relieve muscle tension as well as improve overall feelings of well being. Message therapy can include over 30 different techniques and types of therapy but the one underlying factor is that the massage works to manipulate the muscle, tissue or ligaments to affect change.

Pregnancy is a time of life during which women undergo a variety of side effects, some more pleasant than others. All women can expect to experience some stiffness and muscle tension as the uterus expands to accommodate the growing baby. Massage therapy has been found to relieve many of the common side effects of pregnancy, whether back aches, headaches, edema or other pregnancy related problems.

Among some of the myths and old wives tales is that massage should be avoided during the first trimester of pregnancy because it may cause a spontaneous abortion. A miscarriage, or spontaneous loss of pregnancy, is defined as the loss of the feed is to be for it is viable. An early spontaneous abortion occurs in the first 12 weeks of life. Almost 90% occur within the first eight weeks. Unfortunately, the logic of no prenatal massages in the first trimester is based more on litigious concerns than anything else.  Read more...

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body. Inflammation and swelling will occur in the joints, including cartilage, bone and ligaments as well as soft tissue in some organ systems. The symptoms of her mature arthritis have her relationship to the basis of the disease.

Because the immune system will attack more than the joints in the body is sometimes called rheumatoid disease as a more global name. But, no matter what it’s called, it is a chronic illness that usually lasts for years. Individuals can experience times without the symptoms which is called remission, and these times of remission are very individualized. In other words, not everyone experiences a remission at the same point in their disease. During times of remission the inflammation is not present in the patients often feel generally healthy.  Read more...

At the end of the nineteenth century two men influenced today’s world in a way that everybody who has eye problems experiences their impact without even knowing their names.

Both of them tried to find a vision correction solution for people with eye problems, and both of them came to different conclusions. Today, almost 150 years later, you are in charge to decide who was right.

Hermann von Helmholtz was born in the beginning of the nineteenth century. He was a German physician and physicist who is known for his mathematics of the eye, theories of vision, perception of sound, and empiricism. In physics he is known for his theories on the conservation of energy�

Well, I can go on and on with fancy words and Hermann’s great achievements in the world of science but let’s first have a look on how his researches influenced our world today.

Buckle up and read on, it’s getting interesting.  Read more...