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Tuesday 12 August 2008

How To Quit Smoking

by: Rob Mellor
One of the most vicious diseases in today’s times is smoking. It makes a person baffle for air 3 times more than a non-smoker. It has very many repercussions on the life of the smoker and those around him. It leads to lung cancer and various heart diseases like asthma and emphysema. We should thus abhor this deadly disease and quit smoking.
Quitting is not easy
But to actually quit smoking is not easy, because it is an addiction. However there are very many ways and methods that help us to quit smoking for instance we can opt for acupuncture therapy or aromatherapy. We can also opt for non-nicotine cigarettes or go for precise prescription by a doctor.
But first and foremost we need to decide in our heart to stop smoking and should also fix a day for the same. Inform your family about your decision and seek for their help and assistance. Throw away all the cigarette packets, ashtrays and lighters. Stop buying any more cigarettes. Rather think of the more useful and better things that you can buy with the money thus saved. Ask the other family members also, who smoke, to stop smoking. Keep yourself busy. Exercise regularly and meditate occasionally. Eat healthy food.
After doing all this you may still feel severe urges to smoke. You may also actually retort back to it, but that’s no problem, just be persistent and bring back your decision on to the right track after this break, because most of the people are successful only after 2-3 attempts.
Be prepared for withdrawal symptoms
About 80% people retort back to smoking after once leaving it and only 20% successfully accomplish the task. People retort back due to many reasons. Some say they feel agitated. Others say that the aroma when someone lights up is irresistible. But most of them do so due to the fear of symptoms that appears after that last puff viz. weight gain, aggressive thinking, dry throat, fatigue, muscle cramps, constipation, dizziness, hypersensitivity to stimuli, etc. but these are all just temporary symptoms and disappear in a few days. In fact after the initial bout is over the blood pressure, heart rate, pulse arte all get back to normal. You thus need to keep your will power strong and stick to your decision for a few more days.
Some people are not able to continue with the smoke cessation programs because they say that they are costly. But this is a wrong perception because they are not costlier than the price spent for buying cigarettes. And then isn’t it more logical to spend on your health rather on a disease.

Healthy Living - 5 Steps to Get There

by: Jason Katzenback
Life has many opportunities for enjoyment. The problem is for many unhealthy people life is too short to take advantage of these simple pleasures. Healthy living is the key to achieve this. Healthy living consists of everything we do that fosters a better wellbeing for us and our loved ones. Adapting to healthy living can often be difficult, but the benefits are indeed very hopeful and should serve as our inspiration.Here is five easy steps help you reap the benefits of healthy living.1. START EXERCISING. Our bodies are not meant to be inactive. Our systems require a steady flow of oxygen, and oxygen is most effectively absorbed through a healthy respiratory system. Cardiovascular exercise assures that our respiratory system is always in top shape, and as a result, so will the rest of our body.2. BALANCED DIET & NUTRITION. You are what you eat. Monitor what you consume, and keep away from a detrimental abundance of those which are unhealthy for your body. Certain carbohydrates (sugars and refined flours) can lead to a heart disease and diabetes. Try to increase the intake of nutrients that are good for your everyday life such as fibers and protein-rich low fat foods.3. KILL CERTIAN HABITS. Smoking can be a killer, along with a dependence on alcohol and drugs. These addictions endanger our health, and should be stopped right away. Bad habits can give us a false sense of satisfaction, but such is merely momentary. Over time these dangerous habits will take their toll on our bodies.4. ACCEPT YOURSELF. Healthy living is as much a psychological issue as it is a physical undertaking. Reinforcing yourself with happy and positive thoughts gives you the confidence you need to conquer anything that life throws your way, giving you the confidence that makes you feel good about yourself. To feel good about ourselves is to live an unstressed existence and to take pleasure in all the splendors that life has!5. REWARD YOURSELF. Many attempts for healthy living fail because the rewarding one self for achieving goals is forgotten. A campaign to attain healthy living can be fun, especially if we reward ourselves for a job well done. At the end of the day, when what we want to accomplish has been accomplished, we should always take time to reward ourselves for the commitment and resolve we have shown.

Tobacco - A Crime Against Humanity!

by: Colin Williams
Copyright 2005 Colin WilliamsBelieve me.. no other consumer product in the history of the world has even come close to inflicting this amount of damage on mankind. If anything else of this magnitude was to pose the same threat to life, whether it was human induced or naturally occurring – be it war, terrorist attack, genocide, ethnic cleansing, natural disaster or disease, it would as a rule command immediate international intervention! Think about the current ‘war on terror’. So why isn’t it? You would have learnt how to smoke from that very first cigarette, as you most certainly practised the draw-back and other styles of smoking until you finally achieved that great smokers status. If you were born to be a smoker then maybe your nose would have been made upside down (like a chimney) with a little umbrella over it to keep the rain out! You’d have a special filtration system for your lungs and firemen wouldn’t need any breathing apparatus either. Seriously now, you wouldn’t pour toxic chemicals in to the fuel tank of your car, truck, motor home or bike – would you? So why is it we can suck in over 4000 toxic chemicals with every cigarette and not really think anything of it (until it’s too late). Your life has got to be more valuable than your car or truck.There are dozens of what I call 'Smoker Myths' associated with nicotine addiction, some of them are like this....Myth#1. "I enjoy smoking, it makes me feel good" ever said something like that, or what about….Myth#2. "I really enjoy the flavour of tobacco" are you kidding me!!! (Dog vomit would taste better)Myth#3. "I'm just soooo stressed out, I need a cigarette"These Smoker Myths become apart of the smoking culture or belief system. How many times do you think a non-smoker would make these statements? NEVER!!You don’t lose anything when you quit smoking, as a matter of fact you gain life, health and money. Did you know that you can quit smoking anytime you choose to?You simply LEARN NOT TO SMOKE, or you simply LEARN to think as a non-smoker "easy for you", you might be saying but the truth is just that EASY! Remember, you learnt to smoke and use tobacco in the first place – right! I know that are thinking that “this sounds too simple” and you’re right, except it took me over 20 years to work it out!Hi my name is Colin Williams and I passionately want to teach you how to quit smoking and destroy the nicotine addiction… forever. I was addicted to nicotine for 35 years. I lost count of how many times I tried to quit smoking. So I know where you’re at and I know how you think as a smoker or tobacco user. That’s why I can teach you about….Your Body...the health issues and scientific information you need to know.Your Victory... know your enemy and how to kill the world’s greatest deception.Your Bank...the $$$ cost of smoking to you, and who's making the profit?Your Past...how to bury the memory.The bottom line is this – the nicotine addiction IS NOT your friend or buddy, it's a lying parasite that basically wants to kill you. Have you ever wanted to quit smoking?

How To Increase Your Energy

by: Lisa Branigan
Being tired in fast becoming the new 20th century disease. According to the book ‘The 28Day Plan’ lack of energy can be attributed to: a bad diet, overindulgence in alcohol, lack of sleep and smoking. Plus we know that stress can zap our energy and leave us feeling tired. So how can we get more energy into our life?One of the best ways to increase your energy is to eat energy producing foods such as porridge, muesli, fish, poultry, lean lamb, bananas, dried fruit, fresh fruit, fresh vegies, baked potatoes, wholemeal foods, fresh juices, water, Soya milk, seeds and nuts. Foods to limit are coffee, tea, cows cheese, beef/pork, sugary foods, pastries, biscuits, chips, white flour foods, fizzy drinks and chocolate (oh no!).Other tips in the 28-Day Plan book to raise and restore energy are: (1). Hibernation-take 20 minutes a day for quiet time. Think about no one and nothing. Lie down, listen to some favourite music or close your eyes and drift off to a beautiful island.(2). Breath-Spend 5 minutes doing some deep breathing. Sit on the floor in comfortable clothes. Close your eyes and slowly breathe in through your nose, hold for a count of five and slowly exhale to a count of 5. (3). Laugh-Have a good belly laugh. Watch a funny video or tell a funny joke. Refer back to my last newsletter for more tips. (4). Sleep-Most of us realise we need 8 hours of sleep for the most benefit. Some other tips are to sleep with the window slightly open (be security conscious too). Have a firm supportive mattress and sufficient pillows. Eat at least 5 hours before going to bed. Go to bed the same time each night. Relax before bed. (5). Pamper yourself-Go out and treat yourself to a beautiful bunch of flowers (or pick some from your garden). Have a massage, give yourself a facial or bubble bath, and go out for herbal tea with a friend. (6). Do some stretching and flexing of your body at the start of each day. (7). Exercise for 30 minutes each day. Some exercise ideas are: walking, jogging, cycling, skipping, bouncing (trampoline), swimming, cleaning and gardening. Have a health check before starting any exercise program. (8). Eat breakfast.So get to it. Use this information and tips to begin putting more energy back into your day!

Low Price Health Care - Everday Preventative Action

by: Troy Smith
Low cost health care involves the practice of everyday action and simple yet vital preventative measures. Maintaining a healthy diet of vegetables and fruits, drinking herbal teas, and getting good rest is crucial. Monitoring your food intake and nutrition constantly is the key to keeping your body healthy. Pick up some good tea, fruits, and vegetables today and start taking care of yourself with little money and almost no effort. Do this everyday over your lifetime and you'll spend a lot less time suffering from pain in the hospital or nursing home.Let's start with what you should do in the morning. Get up and gostraight to the kitchen. It's very important that you eat or drinksomething in the morning to get your metabolism going. The earlieryou get your metabolism going, the more calories your will burn. Itwill also help your circadian rhythm stay in balance. Get out abanana, pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, and a cup of yogurt andstart blending them in your blender or better yet, your smoothiemaker. Get that smoothie in your stomach and you'll be doing yourintestines a favor the later morning. Bacon and eggs might be yourprefered choice when it comes to taste and satisfaction, but you'llfind that your tastes will change overtime and your body will start toappreciate and crave this new diet of fruit and yogurt. When lunchtime comes around go to your grocery store and browse theproduce section for whatever is on sale and in season. Not only dovegetables taste better when they are in season, they can actually bemore healthy for you at the same time as they can contain moreantioxidants, minerals and vitamins when they are in season. Inaddition, people often have bad associations with fruits or vegetablesjust because they once ate something that was unripe or rotten and didnot realize that that was not a good representation of what it wassupposed to taste like. If you have a bad association with a fruit orvegetable learn how to tell when they are ripe and never leave them onthe counter for too long and expect them to stay fresh and taste thesame. I always examine my vegetable rigorously for this very reasonand I have found that I can take a liking to almost anything in theproduce section. Take your vegetables home and give them a good washing. Put them in amicrowave safe dish and set your microwave setting to freshvegetables. If you don't have a microwave with this setting, I highlyrecomend you go out shopping for a microwave that does. It is a hugetime saver and I love being able to just press a button and getperfectly steamed vegeables everytime. Eat your vegetables up and geton back to work. But take with you your favorite tea. Green tea,black tea, spice tea whatever. As long as your tea makes you happy, Idon't care what kind it is. The important thing is that you drink teainstead of something that will give you heartburn like soda pop. Drink your tea throughout the afternoon as you desire. I find it's anice break time activity that generates good conversation with mycoworkers. I like to talk about the benefits of drinking tea and I amfortunate that my coworkers do as well. If your tea has ginger in it,it is even thought to aid in digestion. You might think that you haveno digestive problems, and that is great, drinking tea may justprevent you from ever having them in the future. It 's so much easierand less expensive to keep your body in good working order by takingsimple preventative steps that are as easy as drinking tea. I can'tstress this enought.Speaking of stress, when you get home at night and finish your dinnerthere is another tea that I like to drink. Before we get to that,let's talk about dinner. Dinner should not be the largest meal of theday as contrary to popular practice that may be. However, this istime for your body to slow down and get ready for a good nights sleep.Have a small portion of chicken or your favorite cut of meat withsome good whole grains and vegetables on the side. If you can boilyour chicken instead of fry it to reduce your fat intake. Once dinneris over, I like to drink some chamolile tea and listen to the radio inbed. The radio? Yes, the radio helps to calm my body down much morethan the T.V. does. This might not be your idea of an exciting night,but it can really pay off in your long term health if you get to bedat a reasonable time and get your sleep started off early. Today, itis all to common for people to get in a bad habit of going to bed lateand getting up feeling groogy and tired. This is not only a bad ideafor your body's health, it is also a bad idea if you intend onperforming well at work. Please don't put your health care on the backburner. If you do,you're just asking for high price emergency health care at some pointin the future. Doctors then must resort to powerful medicines withnegative side effects and surgery to treat aliments that could havebeen prevented. Keep your body healthy and strong and empower yournatural ability to fight off diseases.

How To Have A Healthy Heart

by: Jane Thurnell-Read
Keeping our hearts healthy is important, but how do we do it? Fortunately the answers to this are very clear.Being overweight, particularly if you carry the weight around your waist, puts unnecessary strain on the heart. To find out if you have a problem you need to know your height to weight ratio (WHR). To work this out measure round your waist in centimetres and divide it by your hip circumference. The measurements need to be in centimetres, so if your measuring tape is in inches, multiply each measurement by 2.5 before dividing one by the other. If the figure you end up with is greater than 0.9 for men and 0.8 for women then your fat distribution is likely to be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.Research has shown that many overweight people with angina, raised blood cholesterol and high blood pressure found their condition improved greatly, even after losing only some of their excess weight. Many of those who kept their weight off were able to reduce their medication or even stop it entirely.Exercise is important for your heart too. If you take regular exercise, it will speed up your basal metabolic rate. This means that you will burn more calories, not only when you are exercising but for some time afterwards as well. People often imagine that they have to exercise hard to have an effect, but it’s enough just to take exercise that leaves you warm and breathing heavily, but still able to hold a conversation.Did you know that each day most of us take between 3,000-4,000 steps? And that's just not enough. Experts say that we should aim to take 10,000 steps to maintain a healthier lifestyle. Increasing to 10,000 steps a day will burn between 2,000 and 3,500 extra calories per week, which will result in achieving a vastly better health profile and longer lifespan. There are lots of ways you can increase the number of steps you take: get up to change the TV rather than using the remote; park further from the supermarket; take a walk around the local park or your garden/yard; walk rather than take the car on short journeys. Using a pedometer will help motivate you to clock up those extra steps.Giving up smoking is likely to have a dramatic effect on your heart. Carbon monoxide produced when you smoke cigarettes attaches to red blood cells, so that in smokers up to half the blood can be carrying carbon monoxide rather than oxygen. No wonder many smokers are breathless! If you need help giving up smoking, try one of the books or CD’s by Allen Carr. He has helped thousands of people to give up.And, if you don’t already, start flossing your teeth! This may seem bizarre in relation to the heart, but it has been shown that there is a link between gum disease and heart disease. The exact mechanism isn’t understood fully yet, but flossing your teeth and having regular dental checks is important for a healthy heart.Finally, give and receive love. The scientific evidence isn’t there (yet) for how important this is for our hearts, but it has been established that people who have loving relationships also tend to have long and happy lives.

Stop Smoking

by: Jackson
No matter what the reason was when a person began to smoke, the health risks proven to be caused by smoking has many smokers doing whatever they can to stop smoking. In order to stop smoking, a person needs to stop using all types of smoking tobacco products, which isn’t as easy as it sounds. Smoking tobacco contains a substance called nicotine, which is an alkaloid poison that occurs in tobacco. Nicotine is highly addictive, which is the reason why most people are not able to stop smoking with some kind of help.There are a number of approaches a person can use when they are ready to stop smoking including the help of doctors and medicine. Most people have probably seen advertisements for a variety of products geared toward helping people to stop smoking. It is universally agreed upon that smoking is not safe or healthy for the smoker and those around that person and smokers who value their health and the health of their loved ones should stop smoking. In fact, smokers who have successfully stopped smoking report that they feel much healthier, have extra cash that isn’t being spent on tobacco products and they know that they have significantly decreased their risks of developing a tobacco-related disease.One of the most effective means in which a person can try to stop smoking is to have a strong support network, group or even a cognitive behavioral therapist help them along the way. If a person chooses to see their doctor for help to stop smoking, their doctor is likely to offer that person medication in addition to advising the person to find support to stop using tobacco. Any person who decides to use medication from their doctor should be aware that some of the options available for help to stop smoking are addictive by themselves and could lead to other problems.To begin searching for the best way to stop smoking, it is a good idea to see a doctor and ask about quitting and the help that is available. There are a number of techniques available including nicotine gum, self-help books and going ‘cold turkey’ as well as alternative methods including hypnosis, acupuncture, nutritional nicotine detoxification and other paths.One of the key factors that plays a very important role in how successful a person can be in their efforts to stop smoking is how committed the are to seriously quit their bad habit and to stay on that path. One cigarette here or there can truly undo any good that has already been done. One of the major benefits provided by support systems for people who are trying to quit is to offer ideas on what to do when the urge to smoke becomes overwhelming due to stress or other triggering situations. Not all smokers will succeed in their attempt to stop smoking their first time and should be aware that they are not alone. It takes most smokers several tries before finding the right path and strength in order to stop smoking successfully.

Coping With Stress- 3 Simple Steps

by: Cecil McIntosh
Coping With Stress - 3 Simple StepsAttack and conquer deadly killer stress.In the 14 years of teaching relaxation/meditation most people have admitted that stress is an issue they have ignored.You ignore stress because it does not attack you like a big bang. Stress gradually creeps up on you like a can of worms and only becomes evident when the "worms" of aches and pains in your body become unbearable or exposed.You can attack killer stress using 3 basic steps.Step #1 You need to start your day in a stress free natural state. A stress free natural state means that your cells haverecharge and you are experiencing a wonderful flow of energy.A stress free state does not include coffee, alcohol, smoking or pain killers in order to experience relaxation.A natural stress free state is having the awesome feeling of relaxation by habitually practicing to relax. This practice alsohelps you conquer killer stress.You can use mantras, guided meditation,affirmations, soothing music or anchoring. The purpose of the natural stress free state is to prepare the mind and body for the onslaught of stressattacks that you will be faced with during the day.Relaxation soothes the soul (especially in these busy times) and it helps you brace the fall of nerve-shattering killer stress.Step #2 Just imagine you wrote a 500 word sentence with one period. The sentence would make no sense at all. Therefore youneed to let go of your stress by punctuating the sentence.Your life needs to be regularly punctuated in order to attack killer stress. This means that you need to take a quiet break atlunch time and do another relaxation exercise.Yes I have heard all kinds of excuse over the years, but when you take the time (to do a relaxation exercise at lunch time) youwill be amazed at the profound results. Killer stress will be neutralized.Step #3 Let's assume you have difficulty with Step #2, then Step #3 can become your powerful rescuer.Again at the end of the day you need to quietly punctuate the sentence of your life. Going nonstop all day without punctuation creates all kind of stress. It also exposes your vulneralility to killer stress.Step #3 simply states that you separate work from home by doing a relaxation exercise before going home.The purpose of this exercise is to help you knock out killer stress. This allows you to recharge your energies so that you canspend time with your friends, family and or love ones.One simple relaxation exercise is listening to whatever music you consider soothing. This has to be done either before you enterthe house or the first thing you do after entering the house.If you are self employed or work from home then you need to make the necessary adjustments as when to do the relaxation exercises.In summary you need to relax three time a day in order to knock out deadly killer stress.Step #1 reminds you do a relaxation exercise in the morning to recharge your energies and prepare for the attacks of deadly killer stress.Step #2 reminds you that you need to punctuate your life with relaxation exercise at lunch time in order to attack deadly killer stress.Step #3 helps you separate work from home so that you can attack and conquer deadly killer stress and enjoy a life other thanwork.This means that you can stop and smell the roses.

The Reasons Behind Smoking

by: Rob Mellor
So what are . Both you and me know that it is not good for our health? There are very many reasons to it but in this article we will look over the biggest reason in today’s world and that is to release STRESS. So what is stress, can we get rid of it through smoking, if not then how can we get rid of it, lets look at the reason behind smoking.Stress – What is it?Stress is the result of feeling helpless, incapable to perform, not able to meet the deadlines and pressurized. Stress could be due to any reason, be it down to pressure at the office, home or even a bad financial situation, or it could be due to anything your not happy with.Can smoking get rid of it?Can we get rid of stress through smoking? Will smoking make us relax and even feel better about life? Well lets look at it like this, will smoking get you out of that bad financial situation or do your work for you at the office or even ease things at home. I don’t think so! Then why carry on smoking, it’s not going to cure the problems but just ease it for a few minutes at the very most.So what do you do?Then what should I do in a stressful moment? The answer is to confront it head on. You need to find a long term solution to the problem. If you having financial trouble, go to the bank. Trouble at the office, see your boss. Don’t go to the shop and buy more cigarettes, they won’t sort the problem out long term. By confronting it head on you will ease your stress over time.Don’t SmokeSmoking is bad for you. Smoking increases the chances of death due to lungs and breast cancer by a number of times. It wrecks the lungs during sports. One good way of easing stress for the short term is to do sport, it can control it way better than smoking can.Tobacco the chemical contained in the cigar narrows the blood vessels and strains our heart. This gives you a larger risk of strokes and heart disease. If you haven’t stopped yet them you need go for a stress free way of stopping. That way you’ll not feel worse off than when you smoked.

The Fuel Of Stress, Anxiety and Depression

by: Chris Green
In the 21st Century, it is predicted that stress and stress related illnesses such as depression and anxiety will become the biggest killers. Despite significant advances in housing, standards of living, quality of food, and medical science, the pressures all of us have to face in today’s world are as demanding as any pressures experienced by our predecessors.Why are these illnesses on the rise? And why do some people become so ill through these illnesses, they can find it hard to function?Well they sure don’t happen overnight! You don’t suddenly wake up one morning and feel stressed or depressed. It’s not like flicking on a light switch! And by the same rule, if you’re suffering, you can’t just wake up one morning, flick off the switch and say “Great, I’m better now.”Many people who don’t suffer from these illnesses often say to sufferers:“Come on, snap out of it.”If only it was so easy! Should anyone say this to you, please forgive them as it’s just a lack of understanding. It’s very hard for people to understand how you’re feeling if they haven’t been there.The fact that these illnesses don’t suddenly happen means we can draw some parallels with illnesses such as heart diseases, some cancers and strokes. Because these illnesses don’t just suddenly happen either.If we look at heart disease, it’s often the result of damaging behaviors practised over many years. Behaviors such as smoking, lack of exercise and a diet high in saturated fat. Strokes are a result of similar behaviors and cancers too, particularly heavy smoking and drinking as you know. So how do stressful illnesses such as stress, depression and anxiety compare?Stress is also the product of harmful mental habits and behaviors. These habits and behaviors are developed and practised over years – since childhood in most cases. These are the mental processes that enable us to make sense of our lives and the circumstances we’re faced with. When we reach adulthood, we perform them automatically because we’ve learned these behaviors by repetition.Think of it like learning to drive a car. Initially, the skills required to control the vehicle needed conscious thought. It seemed really difficult didn’t it? But once we’ve performed them for sufficient periods, we drive on auto-pilot. We’ve mastered the required skills by repetition.Here’s the key: if we eat healthy food, take regular exercise, cut out harmful behaviors such as smoking and drinking, we improve our health and drastically reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer and strokes. We are repeating good habits, habits that will give our physical well being a huge boost.It’s exactly the same for stress. What’s important to understand is that not everyone becomes stressed or depressed – even when tragic and traumatic circumstances happen to them. Just like people who lead a healthy lifestyle and avoid harmful habits and behaviors, people don’t become stressed or depressed because they have learned effective habits and behaviors that prevent stress from arising.This is very good news if you suffer from these illnesses. Because just as we can learn habits and behaviors which cause us to become highly-stressed, depressed or anxious, we can learn the habits and behaviors which stop these terrible illnesses in their tracks. And the more often we make use of them, we’ll soon begin to perform them automatically and our mental health will benefit enormously.No more feeling stressed out. No more feeling unable to cope. No more anxiety and no more depression. EVER.I’m living proof of this. For 5 years, a series of traumatic events sent me spiralling into an anxiety-induced depression nightmare. I came out of it by learning the natural skills that starve these illnesses. The more I used them, the less anxious I became. They’re now as natural to me as driving a car, and I’ve completely eradicated anxiety and depression from my life. You can do it too.

All about smoking and how to quit

by: Rob Mellor
Why do we smoke?Why do we smoke, when we all know that it is not good for health? There are very many reasons to it but in this article we will ponder over the biggest reason in today’s times and that is to release STRESS. What is stress, can we remove it through smoking, if not then how can we remove it, lets talk a little in the light of these questions.What is Stress?What is Stress? Stress is the situation when we feel helpless, incapable to perform, not able to meet the deadlines and pressurized. Stress could be due to any reason, be it work pressure, differences at personal front, may be due to financial crisis, or it could be due to anything.Can we remove it through smoking?Can we remove it through smoking? Can we smoke away our blues in the air and relax? Perhaps the answer is in the negative. If I have to submit a report to my boss in an hour, which I know, is just impossible and I am thus nervous, will smoking a complete cigarette down my lungs make me build a ginnee of that smoke that will do some miracle for me. Perhaps that could have happened, but alas it is not so. Then why am I smoking, if it is doing no good to me?Then what to do?Then what should I do in a stressful situation? The answer is confront it. Face the problem and find a solution to it. As for in my case above I would have talked to my boss, for some more time to prepare the report or if that could not have been possible to, provide me with some helping hand. Thus in a nutshell it is only positive attitude and logical thinking that helps you come out of a crisis situation. That’s why it is rightly said that it’s your attitude and not your aptitude that decides your altitude.Dangers of smokingSmoking not only does no good to us but it is bad for us, it thus does double harm to us. Smoking increases the chances of death due to lungs and breast cancer by a number of times. It wrecks the lungs during sports. Tobacco the chemical contained in the cigar narrows the blood vessels and strains our heart. The biggest harm of tobacco is that it makes a person addictive to its use. So one should watch out, so as not to become addictive to its use in his plight to get rid of his worries and frustration.

Exercise And Quitting Smoking

by: Brenda Patterson
When you plan to stop smoking, bring about other changes in your life style as well. Take a look at all those things that have become a kind of routine and break that routine. Try to do things differently and will make a lot of difference.What we are trying to do as part of this exercise is that we are trying to create a new environment for you. It is not possible for you to shift to a new apartment so bring about a few changes in the way things are as part of your exercise to quit smoking. Let every thing have a new feel about it. If there was a favorite chair in which you used to sit when you smoked, change the upholstery of the chair or maybe you could stash away the chair into a corner.Try to set a new routine. Try working out or going to the gym. If that is not possible, try waking up a little earlier and go for a short morning walk. If you can make that a run or a jog, it is going to be very stimulating and is going to be the best way to start your day.Exercise does not necessarily mean pumping metal. If you do have the time to go to a gymnasium everyday, then that is well and good. But I suppose most of us do not have the time for a regular work out in a gym. So what is the other alternative? Do it at home of course.But whether it is at home or at a multi-gym, there is something that I want to tell you. Regularity is the rule of the day. It is not getting started that is the difficult part, it is sticking to a regular exercise routine that is difficult and this is what proves to be the stumbling block for most people.Most people have a wonderful start. In fact it is truly spectacular. They buy track suits and gym-wear, running shoes and a whole lot of other gear. Their first day at the gym is almost a celebration. Then as the days go on, they find it increasingly difficult to meet the domestic and professional demands and so their routine slows down and finally comes to a complete workout burn out.One mistake that many people make is that they choose the evenings or a work out. If that can suit your lifestyle, then that’s fine. But for most of us, by the time the evening lifts up its curtains we are completely pooped. We find ourselves physically and mentally drained. And at that time our bodies will be just too tired for a work out. So it is best to set aside some time for exercise in the morning itself.There are two advantages of setting apart time in the morning. The first advantage is that in the morning our bodies are fresh and full of energy. Now over here I want to make one point clear.Many people believe that exercise depletes the body of energy but the case is just the opposite. Exercise pumps up more blood through the different parts of the body and warms up the body, so in fact, after exercise we feel more charged and ready to face the challenges of the day.The second advantage is that in the morning we can plan for the whole day without letting the exercise routine affect the rest of our activities.What about those of us who have never worked out before? In such cases you might need to start off under the personal supervision of an instructor and that may require that you go to a gym. But what I would suggest is that there are two simple things that any one can do for which you do not need the help of any instructor.You know what these are? They are walking and swimming. Any body can walk and those of you who know how to swim can swim. For these two activities you do not need much gear and experts say that these two exercises have no side effects and are excellent stress busters.So in the morning wake up just half an hour earlier, put on your walking shoes and hit the roads. Most roads will be less crowded at this hour and less polluted too. It is a wonderful way to start a day.Take a break form coffee and try tea instead. If you are moving around the house, try playing music. Redecorate your room by adding a few pictures here and there preferably of scenery. And while you are redecorating, do what I mentioned earlier that is get rid of every thing that even remotely reminds you of smoking.Plan your day in such a way that you have something enjoyable to do at the end of the day. It does not have t be something that involves money. We do not want you end up bankrupt. It can be something as simple as spending some time with the family playing a board game or something. Or it can be going out for a walk together.But I would like to add that watching television just does not fit into this list. The reason is because T.V is not something that demands too much of our attention. We can easily do something else while we are watching TV and what can be easier than taking a smoke while our eyes are glued to the T.V. While you are working on breaking the habit of smoking, you need to move about with people. You need the company of people who can take your mind off that craving and TV doesn’t help you do that.Make a list of those things that build up your stress. Try to steer clear of them. If that is not possible try to find out some stress busters and use them. Do not use stress as an excuse to start smoking. There are a hundred other methods of beating stress. As mentioned earlier, you could try breathing exercises, mediation or even music. There is another excellent way of beating stress and that is using the distressing ball. If you do not have one of those, try wriggling your fingers and toes. That too is a natural method of beating stress.The point that we are trying to drive home over here is that you need a break from whatever you have been doing for this exercise of quitting to work. Since it is impossible to change your job or your home, you have to bring about as many changes as possible to get that whole new feeling.

Hypnosis: Benefits You Can’t Live Without

by: Teri Clark
Hypnosis In The Real WorldWhen you think of hypnosis, do you get the image of a Freud-like doctor swinging a pocket watch to and fro in front of someone in deep emotional trouble? If so, you are not alone. However, this Hollywood image of hypnosis is far from true! You don't have to be a nut to use hypnosis. Ordinary people, those you see every day, use hypnosis for typical problems. Ask yourself the following questions:* Do you have a problem with weight loss? * Do you find it difficult to quit smoking? * Do you have other addictions you just can't break? Then hypnosis is for you! * Are you lacking in confidence?* Are you stressed out?* Are you fearful?Then hypnosis is for you. Hypnosis can help you with an unlimited number of personal issues, big or small. If you have a phobia, then hypnosis can help you eliminate it. If you have an addiction, then hypnosis can help you kick the habit. If you have a goal, then hypnosis can help you achieve it.Mental and Physical Benefits of HypnosisBut that is just the tip of the iceberg. Even if you don't have a pressing issue, hypnosis has extraordinary benefits - both mental and physical. Simply going into a hypnotic state on a regular basis is good for you and the hypnotist doesn't even have to suggest anything at all.Let's take a look at some of the benefits that hypnosis offers:1. Hypnosis Induces Deep Breathing: Stop reading for a moment and check your breathing pattern. If you are like most people, you will be breathing in short quick breaths. When you breath in this manner, you feel stressed out and tense. Not only that, fast breathing can make you feel dizzy, irritable, and foggy. After being hypnotized, you will find that you breathe deeper and thus feel more relaxed and calm. 2. Hypnosis Reduces Illness: There is no doubt that stress causes physical illness. Stress causes sleep disorders, increases our pain sensitivity, and can even increase our cholesterol. Since hypnosis is a state of deep mental and physical relaxation, being in this state on a regular basis is a way to reduce stress and thus illness. 3. Hypnosis Increases "Feel Good" Chemicals: Whenever you are deeply relaxed, your brain naturally releases chemicals that cause you to feel good. These chemicals are often in short supply as we rush about our day. Hypnosis causes deep relaxation, allowing these "feel good" chemicals to flow and create a sense of control and well-being.4. Hypnosis Promotes Good Sleep: As you get your body used to deep relaxation during hypnosis, you will find that you can get more restful sleep. It is as if your body "learns" how to sleep more peacefully due to the hypnotic state.5. Hypnosis Strengthens the Immune System: Stress causes the body to produce chemicals of the "fight or flight" variety. This aroused state actually affects the immune system by using up the chemicals needed to keep it functioning! Regular relaxation, the kind you get in hypnosis, can help prevent this from happening.Whether you have an issue or just need to relax, hypnosis can help you achieve your goal. You will feel stronger, more in control, more relaxed, and better able to handle your life. Hypnosis is, quite frankly, good for your body.The Hypnosis Network - http://www.hypnosisnetwork.com/ - is THE place to learn how hypnosis can help you in your life. Not only will you find exceptional audio programs by only the most qualified and educated psychologists, but you will also find research, information, resources, and sample sessions. The Hypnosis Network is dedicated to bringing you the best that hypnosis has to offer. Whether you have a pressing concern or simply want to feel better on a daily basis, you will find what you need at The Hypnosis Network. Free samples of the programs are available at the above linkThis article is free for use on web sites, blogs, and newsletters, with the condition that it is not changed in any way.

Asbestos: Cause Of Deadly Mesothelioma

by: Kirsten Hawkins
A View of MesotheliomaAsbestos is the commercial name given to certain types of fibrous materials. They are silicates of varying compositions; the silica combined with such bases as Magnesium, Iron, Calcium, sodium and Aluminum. Asbestos fibers are usually from 20 to 500  in length and 0.5 to 50 in diameter. Asbestos bodies appear as golden brown or beaded rods with a translucent center. The fibers are insoluble. The exposure of asbestos causes fibers to be inhaled and fine dust deposited in the alveoli inside the lungs consequently causing a type of cancer called Mesothelioma (a deadly tumor) involving Mesothelial tissues or usually cells of lungs or stomach and abdominal organs.Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer of the Pleura (lung cancer) and Peritoneum (abdomen cancer). Mesothelioma has been shown to have a strong association with the crocidolite variety of asbestos. Pleural mesothelioma, the most common manifestation of asbestos exposure, is well-circumscribed plaques of dense collagen, often containing calcium. Peritoneum Mesothelioma may or may not contain asbestos bodies and rarely do they occur in persons who have no history or evidence of asbestos exposure.Mesothelioma not only occurs in people who are exposed the asbestos, but also to them who had been living in vicinity to asbestos manufacturing process or those staying in asbestos contaminated buildings. In Great Britain, an association was reported between Mesothelioma and people living within 1 kilometer of an asbestos factory.The risk of Mesothelioma is reported to be high in those cases where occupational exposure to asbestos is combined with cigarette smoking. Mesothelioma usually does not appear until after 5 to 10 years of exposure. Mesothelioma causes mechanical irritation and in the advanced cases, there may be symptoms of clubbing of fingers, and cardiac distress. The survival time of Mesothelioma patients is generally ranges from 12 months to 2 years of diagnosis and very few survive longer than 2 years.The following measures can be useful in preventing occurrences of Mesothelioma:• Use of safer types of asbestos (chrysolite and amosite)• Substitution of other insulators such as glass fiber, mineral wool, calcium silicate plastic foams• Rigorous dust control• Periodic examination of workers such as biological monitoring (clinical, X-ray, lung function)The government should take adequate steps and make appropriate legislation to stop or minimize the case of asbestos exposure Mesothelioma. If you or any one of your families or friends is suffering from Mesothelioma, you have the legal right to file lawsuits for getting compensation for the medical facilities, loss of income and pain. You can consult a qualified attorney for filing a Mesothelioma lawsuit for comensation.

Reasons Why You Should Quit Smoking

by: Charlene J. Nuble
Smoking can hook you because cigarettes contain nicotine which is highly addictive. But being hooked is not an excuse why you cannot quit smoking. Smoking has been proven by several researches to be great threat to one's health, that is why there is no reason why one who is already hooked to it should not quit smoking.It is tough to quit smoking. People try at least 2 to 3 times before they can finally quit smoking. It takes hard work and lots of effort but if you're really determined then you can quit smoking for good.Why quit smoking?There are at least five reasons why you should quit smoking.* First, if you quit smoking, you will definitely live longer and better.* Second, each time you smoke, you take about 5 to 20 minutes off your life. Your chance of getting lung cancer, stroke or heart attack increases if you don't quit smoking.* Third, the people you live with, especially the children, will be healthier only if you stop smoking. In fact, second hand smoke is more dangerous than the actual smoke users get from smoking.* Fourth, if you quit smoking, you will have extra money to spend on other things than cigarettes.* And lastly, if you’re pregnant, chances of having a healthier baby is more likely if you quit smoking.So the next and most crucial question is "how do I quit smoking?"Here are five ways that can help you quit smoking:1. Get ready and prepare yourself to undetake your quit somking program? Set a quit smoking date. Change your environment by getting rid of all cigarettes in places you frequent and not allowing people to smoke near you or at your home.2. Get support and encouragement. Studies have shown that you'll have better chances in quitting smoking if you can get support from families, friends, and co-workers.3. Learn new skills and behavior. Always remember that your goal is to quit smoking, so distract yourself from urges of smoking. Change your routine in your first try of quit smoking program. Do something to reduce your stress such as taking a hot bath, exercise, or reading. Plan something to do enjoyable every day.4. Get medication and use it correctly. Medications can help you lessen the urge to smoke. Five approved medications that can help you to quit smoking are: Bupropion SR, nicotine gum, nicotine inhaler, nicotine nasal spray, and nicotine patch.5. Be prepared for a relapse. If you quit smoking, chances of a relapse is high. Most relapses occur after 3 months of quitting, so watch out for situations that may trigger you get back to smoking such as alcohol, other smokers, weight gain and depression.Everyone can quit smoking so don’t hesitate to at least try to quit smoking also.Quit smoking now and I guarantee you a healthier, better and longer life.

Positive And Negative Effects To Expect When You Quit Smoking

by: John Maxim
Before you read the rest of this article, understand that quitting smoking can be one of the best things you can do for yourself as a smoker. You are guaranteeing a healthier life, and a longer life. Make no mistake; no negative effect you may observe when you quit smoking is so bad that you will decide to keep smoking. There are no positive effects by continuing to smoke, but when you quit, you may notice some changes that you may not have expected. Since the pros outweigh the cons when you quit smoking, I will address the negative aspects of quitting first. The first thing a smoker will notice when they kick the habit is sudden mood changes and mood disorders. Having probably smoked for years, you have come to the point to where you end up smoking when you feel stressed, or are in a bad mood. Once you stop smoking, you will no longer have this psychological outlet. Quitting smoking can cause depression in a small percentage of people who are strong enough to quit. Your body and mind may also have a hard time dealing with the removal of such a powerful drug as nicotine so suddenly. Expect your body and mind to take about 3 to 6 months to get this need out of its system. One of the most common complaints of former smokers is that they gained weight. This has nothing to do with the fact that you quit, but rather people who do quit replace their addictive smoking behavior by putting something else in their mouth, which would be food. This also seems to be natural, and a safe outlet, when kept in control. But what about the good things about quitting smoking? Too numerous to list here, but for starters, one will notice a drop in blood pressure and a normal, slower pulse. This can even be noticed after having quit for only an hour. Of course your risk for a heart attack will decrease and you will regain a stronger sense of taste and smell. Your lung capacity will increase, you'll find that exercise and even just walking around become easier (since you can provide your blood and muscles with more oxygen now), and you'll find that any sinus problems you may have had while smoking are now gone. But most importantly, those who quit smoking decrease their chances of getting lung cancer by 50%. In fact, the risk of any cancer decreases after one quits smoking.

Get the Background Information on Osteopenia and Osteoporosis

by: Pamela Free
A diagnosis of osteopenia means that your bones are getting thinner, weaker, and less dense. It’s time to find an osteopenia treatment or your next stop will be osteoporosis. Osteoporosis means that your bone density is dangerously weak and there is an increasing possibility of fracture. One out of two women and one in eight men over age 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime.It’s the fractures that are dangerous. Hip fractures are the ones that often lead to death because you need lengthy bed rest to recover. Lying down for long stretches of time will encourage more weakness, strokes and pneumonia. So it’s not actually the fracture that kills you. But it will immobilize you and,if you survive, you have a much greater chance of having another fracture within a year.Part of this is the fear factor. When our bones have betrayed us we have less confidence in our movement.Osteoporosis is called the Silent Killer because it usually doesn’t hurt to have weaker bones. It's not until the doctor orders a bone density test of some kind that you find out you are losing bone. The other way to find out is to measure your height. As your spine loses substance you will get shorter.Up until recently there was no osteoporosis treatment offered. It was considered a natural effect of aging. Then the drug companies introduced the bi-phosphonate drugs.Since then, fortunately, other natural solutions were found and they are the subject of my other articles in this series.Bone Density Tests and What They RevealBone Mineral Density (BMD) tests are used to assess bone density. Results are defined as a T-score, with normal being between 2.5 and minus 1.0, osteopenia between minus 1.0 and minus 2.5, and osteoporosis lower than minus 2.5.The two most common tests of bone density are DXA at your hip or spine and QUS at your ankle.Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). This is the most accurate test available, it can detect even a 1 percent change in bone density. It's most often used to measure your bone density at your hip or spine. This test involves a small amount of radiation.QUS test - instead of radiation, this test estimates bone density using ultrasound measurements. After placing your bare foot on the machine, high-frequency sound waves are transmitted through your heel. It is an inexpensive test, often found in drug stores, and will give you a beginning score to know if you have a problem or not.Bone density testing is recommended if:1. You're a woman, age 65 or older2. You're 60 and at increased risk of osteoporosis3. You're a postmenopausal woman who has recently fractured a bone4. You're a younger postmenopausal woman with other risk factors for osteoporosisThe bad thing about the bone density tests is that they test density and not flexibility. When we have too much calcium in our bones they are dense but brittle and we have more fractures. No-one has yet figured out a way to test the flexibility of bone, so the experts don’t say much about it. But that is why the studies can’t prove that taking more calcium actually lowers fracture rate. Read the calcium/magnesium article for more on this topic.Risk FactorsYour risk of osteoporosis increases if you're a woman and you're white or Asian. Other factors also increase your risk, including:A history of falls or bone fractures as an adult Family history of osteoporosis, especially your mother Smoking Early onset of menopause Alcoholism Low calcium and vitamin D intake Low body weight or weight loss Not enough physical activity Late onset of first period Caffeine intake Muscle weakness Low estrogen levelsHow Living Bone Is CreatedThe way bone-building works is that our bones are living structures with osteoblasts busy building bone, and osteoclasts just as busy tearing down the old so there is room for the new. Up until the age of thirty five or so there is a balance. As we get older that balance is disrupted. Osteoporosis occurs when bone is broken down faster than it is rebuilt. The reason why greater loss occurs after menopause is that our hormones somehow block the breakdown. That is why hormone therapy used to be recommended to help protect against osteoporosis.Biphosphonate drugs, like Fosamax, are poisons that selectively kill off osteoclasts. So they stop the bones from tearing down the old but they don’t do anything to help build new bone. Your bones may look denser to the testing machines but they are dense with old bone that should have been cleared away. They are brittle, not flexible.Natural SolutionsBone changes don’t happen overnight. When you decide on an osteopenia treatment you should wait for one year and then get tested again. If there is no actual change in the numbers, this is still an improvement. If left untended your bones would get weaker every year, so no change at all is better than that. However most of the osteoporosis treatment in the following articles will produce significant improvement in bone over a five year period, or even more if you incorporate them all gradually into your life.Since they are natural solutions, co-operating with your internal health mechanisms, they will also bring unexpected improvements in other areas, like balance, confidence, muscle strength and enjoyment of life.

If I Suffer from Heart Disease

by: anonymous
I have heart disease – are there any erectile disfunction or male impotence treatments suitable for me?Heart disease can be associated with various factors that increase the likelihood of erectile disfunction or male impotence, and make treatment more difficult. Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), which is frequently involved in heart disease, can also affect the arteries that supply blood to the penis, thereby reducing the blood supply to it and leading to erectile disfunction. Smoking makes this worse, and quitting smoking should always be a priority. Many of the medicines used to treat high blood pressure, such as beta-blockers, thiazide diuretics and clonidine, can also contribute to erectile dysfunction. Some, but not all, statins and fibrates, used to treat high cholesterol levels, may also have a minor effect. Erectile dysfunction, or male impotence, therefore commonly exists in men with heart disease. However, all the treatments for erectile dysfunction and male impotence mentioned previously are stated to be unsuitable for men with conditions in which sexual activity is inadvisable, such as severe heart conditions. So what should these men do? Luckily, the warnings are not due to any effect of the drugs themselves, rather, that the activity of sex itself may put too much strain on the heart for men with severe heart disease. However, a recent report suggests that sexual activity is no more stressful to the heart when compared with a number of other natural daily activities, eg walking one mile on the level in 20 minutes. The risk of sexual activity in patients with heart disease is therefore minimal in properly assessed and advised patients. Patients with more severe heart disease may be referred to a cardiologist who can further evaluate their condition and determine if it is safe for them to resume sexual activity. These men may require treatment to stabilise their condition before treatment for ED (Erectile dysfunction) can be prescribed. So which erectile dysfunction or male impotence treatment is best for men with heart disease who have been assessed as safe to resume sex? Caverject, Viridal Duo and MUSE are effective in impotence due to many causes. However, if you are taking warfarin, (for preventing blood clots, for example if you have an artificial heart valve or an abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation) you may have an increased risk of bruising or bleeding from administering these medicines.HYPERLINK "http://www.my-medicare.info/cialis.php" Cialis and HYPERLINK "http://www.my-medicare.info/levitra.php" Levitra have been shown to be effective in erectile dysfunction due to various causes. However, they should not be taken by men with the heart conditions listed previously, and are not suitable for men with heart disease who are taking nitrates, eg for angina or heart failure. HYPERLINK "http://www.my-medicare.info/uprima.php" Uprima has been shown to be safe and effective in men with heart disease and high blood pressure and has the advantage of being safe to take with nitrates. When HYPERLINK "http://www.my-medicare.info/viagra.php" Viagra was first introduced there were reports of men with heart problems experiencing serious side effects, however safety data has since demonstrated that Viagra does not increase the risk of heart attack or death, and is safe for many men with heart disease. However, it is not suitable for men with heart disease who are taking nitrates, eg for angina or heart failure.

Can’t Lose Weight? Syndrome X May Be the Culprit

by: Mike Law
“I’ve put on 40 pounds in one year!” “It doesn’t matter how much I workout, I can’t lose weight.” “My doctor must think I’m eating pizzas in the closet.” With nearly 4 million Americans weighing in at over 300 pounds, is it any wonder the above cries are heard each and every day by countless frustrated people who can’t lose weight? One such cause for the ever increasing need to buy larger pants is a disease known as Syndrome X. Syndrome X is also referred to as Metabolic Syndrome, Metabolic Syndrome X and Insulin Resistance. It is a very common disease; however it is widely overlooked by many medical professionals. One statistic reveals 1 in 3 people suffer from it. This syndrome is a precursor to developing Diabetes Type 2. Sufferers have a high level of insulin. Their bodies are unable to process all the insulin that is being made from their diet. As a result, they become insulin resistant. Think of it like this: You knock on someone’s door because you want to come in. If they don’t answer, what normally happens? You knock again, right? Sometimes you may even knock a third time, trying to gain entry. Insulin works in the same manner. The pancreas produces insulin (knock). Some foods cause the body to produce even higher levels of insulin (knock again). Once you become insulin resistant, develop Syndrome X, the body is unable to properly process the glucose, therefore the pancreas tries to make up for it by producing even more insulin. It thinks “no one is home” and just keeps making more. The main purpose of glucose is to be used as fuel for the cells in the body to produce energy. Unprocessed glucose translates into fat. If the body keeps making it and it’s not being processed, where does it go? Hips, thighs, stomach, and buttocks, that’s where! In addition to hypertension and heart disease, elevated insulin may be associated with weight gain and difficulty with weight loss, other blood sugar problems such as hypoglycemia, and some menstrual related imbalances. Genetics is partially responsible for causing this disease. More likely though is lifestyle. In many cases years of high starch, processed foods, simple sugars, lack of exercise, smoking, and increased stress may be the culprit for Metabolic Syndrome X. Now what? For starters, start exercising today. Increase water intake and totally omit starches, sugars, processed foods from your diet. Limit or omit caffeine. Try to maintain at least one third of your daily food intake to vegetables. Ask your doctor to test your sugar levels. Change what you’re eating and get walking and you’ll be amazed at the pounds start to fall off. The fatigue and fuzziness will start to disappear and in turn you’ll feel much better.

How 40,000 People Reversed Heart Disease

by: Joey Dweck
How 40,000 People Reverse Heart DiseaseWritten by the Editors at Weight Loss Buddy Press in colaboration withHans A. Diehl, DrHSc, MPH, FACN, CNSIt is well known that about two-thirds of the U.S. population is either overweight or obese. The U.S. Surgeon General has stated that approximately 75% of Western diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, gout, arthritis, excess weight gain, hypertension, diabetes, some cancers, impotence, diverticular disease, constipation, heartburn, and gallbladder disease, are “lifestyle-related.” They are directly correlated with our high fat diet, inadequate amounts of exercise, smoking, high intake of caffeine, and high amounts of stress coupled with insufficient support. Hoping to address this alarming situation, more than 20 years ago, cardiovascular epidemiologist Hans A. Diehl, DrHSc, MPH, created the Coronary Health Improvement Project (CHIP). Since then, this 40-hour community-based lifestyle intervention program has helped more than 40,000 people rediscover their health by preventing, arresting and reversing their diseases. It has been conducted in more than 150 North American cities as well as in Bangalore, India, Australia and Switzerland. Depending upon the needs of the group, the meetings are held either “live” with Dr. Diehl delivering the program personally (usually meeting four times per week for four weeks) or as a “video-based” program with certified CHIP facilitators (normally two times per week for eight weeks). In addition, Dr. Diehl is a best-selling author – To Your Health, Dynamic Living, and Health Power (co-authored with Aileen Ludington, M.D.) -- as well as the executive editor of a 24-page quarterly Lifeline Health Letter; he has produced scores of health videos. CHIP empowers people through its scientifically-documented, educational and inspirational program that addresses common western diseases -- those that used to be seen primarily later in life. Today, these diseases increasingly appear at far younger ages. CHIP may make all the difference in one’s life -- even the difference between life and death.In 1999, CHIP launched a “community health transformation template” in Rockford, Illinois, a city with a population of 130,000. The intention was to transform Rockford into the healthiest city in American, thereby enabling it to serve as a model and template for cultural transformation on a community-wide level. Recently, CHIP was recognized as just such a model by HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson and was “approved” under the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a “STEPS to a HealthierUS” applicant. In addition to “live” CHIP, a series of CHIP videos are offered through schools, churches, corporations, and hospitals. In Rockford, CHIP is sponsored by the Swedish American Health System’s Center for Complementary Medicine.Who is the typical CHIP participant? Generally, CHIP participants are over the age of 40. Most are between the ages of 50 and 59. There are twice as many women as men, and almost 90% are married. Clinical research, published in peer review journals, has found that they have the following lifestyle diseases: 10% report having heart disease 27% have elevated blood sugar 42% are overweight 49% show evidence of hypertension 60% are obese 89% are cholesterol above 160mg%Over the course of the program, strict adherents are likely to experience significant clinical improvements such as the following:  Serum cholesterol reduction average 15 – 20% Average weight loss of six pounds In about half of the participants with type 11 diabetes, a dramatic reduction in need for insulin and hypoglycemic agents Lowering of high blood pressure levels Diminishing of angina Reduced levels of depression and increase in self-esteemClass & Video Lecture ScheduleWeek 1Modern Medicine: Miracles, Medicines, & MiragesThe limitations of high-tech medical approaches in dealing with lifestyle related diseasesPortrait of a Killer: Onslaught from WithinAtherosclerosis, the culprit in many lifestyle diseasesStalking the KillerReviewing the risk factors for coronary heart diseaseEat More and Weigh LessBasic guidelines for healthy, sustained weight lossWeek 2Going Up in SmokeSmoking – the most controllable risk factor for coronary heart diseaseThe Magic of FiberThe role of fiber in preventing and reversing lifestyle diseasesReversing HypertensionChanging the major risk factors for high blood pressureDisarming DiabetesLifestyle factors that can arrest or reverse diabetesEffective Cholesterol ControlDietary factors that prominently affect blood levels of cholesterolFats in the FireThe role of excessive fat intake in lifestyle diseasesWeek 3Fit at Any AgeBenefits of regular exercise in preventing and arresting diseaseBoning Up on OsteoporosisCause and prevention of this so-called “disease of aging”Lifestyle and HealthClinical studies that demonstrate how lifestyle choices are related to healthThe Optimal DietPositive dietary guidelines for the prevention and reversal of Western diseasesWeek 4Diet and CancerDietary factors in the development and prevention of common cancersAtherosclerosis of the MindThe importance of adaptability in achieving and maintaining optimal healthThe Gift of ForgivenessHow a spirit of forgiveness enhances emotional and overall healthBuilding Self-WorthThe development, preservation and role of self worth in a healthy personSidebarConnie Thebarge’s StoryAt the age of 59, Connie Thebarge, a patient at the Ottawa Heart Institute in British Columbia, Canada, was told that her doctors could no longer help her. After all, in addition to suffering from hypertension, she had diabetes and painful diabetic neuropathy. She had two heart attacks followed by a triple coronary bypass surgery and an unsuccessful angioplasty. Every day, she had to take 27 pills. Not surprisingly, she was also depressed. Yet, today, more than a decade later, Thebarge walks three miles a day, swims twice a week, dances, and travels to Florida and Europe. No longer depressed, she also requires far fewer pills. How was this accomplished? Thebarge participated in CHIP and transformed her life.

Impotence

by: John Hilton
Impotence facts in men In medical terminology it can be defined as the inability to have an erection of the penis adequate for sexual intercourse also called erectile dysfunction which affects as many as 18 million men in the United States between the ages of 40 and 70. Until recently, doctors thought impotence was mainly rooted in psychological causes. Now it is believed that 50 to 70 percent of all cases are caused by physical problems. Age is not the only factor for Erection difficulties, as it�s true that Erection tend to increase with age but still there are so many other reasons i.e. your general physical and psychological health, as well as lifestyle habits and certain medications, can all cause impotence, but you don't have to live with this problem. In most cases, impotence can be successfully treated. How Does an Erection Occur? Erection: A process in which the penis becomes stiff and hard due to augmented blood flow. Erections may happen in response to physical or emotional stimulation, or sometimes an erection happens for no reason at all. Erection also enables sexual intercourse and some other sexual activities, though it is not essential for all of them. How it occurs? The penis contains two chambers called the corpora cavernosa, which run the length of the organ A spongy tissue fills the chambers. The corpora cavernosa are surrounded by a membrane, called the tunica albuginea. The spongy tissue contains smooth muscles, fibrous tissues, spaces, veins, and arteries. The urethra, which is the channel for urine and ejaculate, runs along the underside of the corpora cavernosa and is surrounded by the corpus spongiosum. Erection begins with sensory or mental stimulation, or both. Impulses from the brain and local nerves cause the muscles of the corpora cavernosa to relax, allowing blood to flow in and fill the spaces. The blood creates pressure in the corpora cavernosa, making the penis expand. The tunica albuginea helps trap the blood in the corpora cavernosa, thereby sustaining erection. When muscles in the penis contract to stop the inflow of blood and open outflow channels, erection is reversed. Arteries and veins penetrate the long, filled cavities running the length of the penis--the corpora cavernosa and the corpous sponglosum. Erection occurs when relaxed muscles allow the corpora cavernosa to fill with excess blood fed by the arteries, while drainage of blood through the veins is blocked. What Causes Impotence Since an erection requires a cycle of events, impotence can occur when any of the cycle events is disrupted. These events include nerve impulses in the brain, spinal column, and area of the penis, and response in muscles, fibrous tissues, veins, and arteries in and near the corpora cavernosa. Disease: Some Diseases like Damage to arteries, smooth muscles, and fibrous tissues, are the most common cause of impotence. Diseases--including diabetes, kidney disease, chronic alcoholism, multiple sclerosis, atherosclerosis, and vascular disease--account for about 70 percent of cases of impotence and 35 and 50 percent of men with diabetes experience impotence. Surgical Cause: Surgery (for example, prostate surgery) can damage nerves and arteries near the penis, causing impotence. Damage to the penis, spinal cord, prostate, bladder, and pelvis can lead to impotence by harming nerves, smooth muscles, arteries, and fibrous tissues of the corpora cavernosa. Medication Causes: Many common medicines produce impotence as a side effect. These include high blood pressure drugs, antihistamines, antidepressants, tranquilizers, appetite suppressants, and cimetidine (an ulcer drug). Anxiety & Depression: Experts believe that psychological factors may also cause 10 to 20 percent of cases of impotence. These factors include stress, anxiety, guilt, depression, low self-esteem, and fear of sexual failure. Such factors are broadly associated with more than 80 percent of cases of impotence, usually as secondary reactions to underlying physical causes. Smoking: Since smoke affects blood flow in veins and arteries, and hormonal abnormalities, such as insufficient testosterone. What are the Treatment Options? When physical or psychological treatment fails to restore Impotency, then some other alternates can be considered: ED Pills: Phosphodiesterase E5 (PDE5) drugs such as Viagra (sildenafil), Levitra (vardenafil) and Cialis (tadalafil). These drugs are considered to be the most significant prescription treatment of erectile dysfunction today. Injection: Injection of medication was the principal form of treatment for impotence before Viagra was approved. Injection therapy helps up to 90 percent of men with impotence, and doctors often recommend it for men who do not respond to Viagra. Suppositories: Marketed under the brand name MUSE (the medicated urethral system for erection) these suppositories containing the drug alprostadil are inserted about two inches into the urethra, the opening of the penis. Sometimes a rubber band placed around the base of the penis is needed to sustained erection. About two-thirds of men respond to alprostadil suppositories. Vacuum Devices: A hand pump is used to create a vacuum in a plastic tube that has been placed over the penis. Once blood has entered the penis, a tension band is slipped around the base of the penis to trap the blood. The apparatus is removed for sexual intercourse to take place. There is no waiting for medications to take effect or wear off when finished. Surgery: Penile implants are the primary surgical option for impotence, albeit a costly treatment, that is usually recommended after other methods have been unsuccessful. Hormonal Therapy: This is an uncommon option, because only about 5 percent of men have a testosterone deficiency linking their lack of sexual performance to erectile dysfunction. Testosterone is usually administered by patch, topical gel or injection. While oral testosterone can reduce impotence in some men with low levels of natural testosterone, it is generally not recommended, because possible side effects include damage to the liver. When a hormonal basis is suspected for erectile dysfunction, Dr. O'Leary says routine blood testing is necessary to confirm that suspicion. Such tests may rule out or indicate some other underlying illness as the cause. Points to Remember: � Impotence is a consistent inability to sustain an erection for satisfactory sexual intercourse. � Impotence affects 18 millions (approximate) American men. � Impotence usually has a physical cause as well as psychological. � Impotence is treatable in all age groups. � Treatments include psychotherapy, drug therapy, vacuum devices, surgery and others.

10 Powerful Hints to Stop Smoking

by: Adam Eason
Powerful Hints to Stop SmokingWhether you are using Nicotine Replacement Therapy, Hypnosis or just Cold Turkey, these strategies and hints for aiding you in stopping smoking are sure to assist. It is up to you to ensure that you do these things to really enhance what you are doing, the more effort you put into these exercises, the easier it is to stop smoking for good.Powerful Hint 1.Being a smoker is like cycling with stabilisers attached to the wheels, you can find it hard to be balanced without smoking. Now, when you cycle freely again, the natural balance returns. When people smoke, more than half of what they breathe is fresh air - pulled through the cigarette right down into the lungs. So if you feel any cravings you can instantly overcome them by taking three deeper breaths. Imagine breathing from that space just below your belly button. Whenever you do this you put more oxygen into your bloodstream. This means you can use deep breaths to change the way you feel instantly and give you power over the way you feel and help you let go of those old cravings and thus making it easier to stop smoking. Powerful Hint 2Next, think now of all the reasons you don't like smoking, the reasons that it's bad and the reasons you want to stop smoking. Write down the key words on a piece of paper. For example, you experience breathlessness, it's dirty, filthy and your clothes smell, your friends and family are concerned and it's expensive, unsociable and so on. Then, on the other side of the paper, write down all the reasons why you'll feel good when you've succeeded in stopping. You'll feel healthier, you’ll feel in control of your self, your senses are enhanced, your hair and clothes will smell fresher and so on. Whenever you need to, look at that piece of paper. Powerful Hint 3Next, we are going to programme your mind to feel disgusted by cigarettes. I want you recall 4 times when you thought to yourself "I've gotta quit", or that you felt disgusted about smoking. Maybe you just felt really unhealthy, or your doctor told you in a particular tone of voice 'You've got to quit' or somebody you know was badly affected by smoking. Take a moment now to come up with 4 different times that you felt that you have to quit or were disgusted by smoking. Remember each of those times, one after another, as though they are happening now. I want you to keep going through those memories and make them as vivid as possible. The more vivid you make those memories, the easier it will be to stop smoking. See what you saw, hear what you heard and feel how you felt. I want you to take a few minutes now to keep going through those memories again and again, overlap each memory with the next until you are totally and utterly disgusted by cigarettes. Powerful Hint 4Have a think to yourself about the consequences of you not stopping smoking now, if you just carry on and on. Imagine it, what will happen if you carry on smoking. What are the consequences? Imagine yourself in 6 months time, a years time, even 5 years time if you do not stop smoking now. Think of all the detrimental effects of not stopping right now and how a simple decision you make today can make such an impact on your future. Next, imagine how much better is your life going to be when you stop smoking. Really imagine it's months from now and you successfully stopped. Smoking is a thing of the past, something you used to do. Keep that feeling with you and imagine having it tomorrow, and for the rest of next week. In your mind, imagine stepping in to that non-smoking version of you and feel how it feels to be a non-smoker.Powerful Hint 5Also, your mind is very sensitive to associations, so it's very important that you have a clear out and remove all tobacco products from your environment. Move some of the furniture in your house and at work. Smokers are accustomed to smoking in certain situations. So, for example, if you used to smoke on the telephone at work move the phone to the other side of the desk. Throw away ashtrays, old lighters and anything that you used to associate with smoking. Make your environment conducive to stopping smoking. Powerful Hint 6Smokers sometimes use their habit to give themselves little breaks during the day. Taking a break is good for you, so carry on taking that time off - but do something different. Walk round the block, have a cup of tea or drink of water, or do some of the techniques on this programme. In fact, if possible drink a lot of fruit juice. When you stop smoking the body goes through a big change. The blood sugar levels tend to fall, the digestion is slowed down and your body starts to eject the tar and poisons that have accumulated. Fresh fruit juice contains fructose which restores your blood sugar levels, vitamin C which helps clear out impurities and high levels of water and fibre to keep your digestion going. Also try to eat fruit every day for at least two weeks after you have stopped. Also when you stop, cut your caffeine intake by half. Nicotine breaks down caffeine so without nicotine a little coffee will have a big effect. Drink 8-10 glasses of water (ideally bottled) to help wash out your system.Powerful Hint 7You were used to using cigarettes to signal to your body to release happy chemicals, so next we are going to programme some good feelings into your future. Allow yourself to fully remember now a time when you felt very deep ecstasy, pleasure or bliss, right now. Take a moment to recall it as vividly as possible. Remember that time - see what you saw, hear what you heard and feel how good you felt. Where abouts in your body were those feelings, imagine turning them up and spreading them through your body to make them more intense. Keep going through the memory, as soon as it finishes, go through it again and again, all the time squeezing your thumb and finger together. In your mind, make those images big and bright, sounds loud and harmonious and feelings strong and intensified. We are making an associational link between the squeeze of your fingers and that good feeling. Okay, stop and relax. Now if you have done that correctly when you squeeze your thumb and finger together you should feel that good feeling again. Go ahead do that now, squeeze thumb and finger and remember that good feeling. Now we're going to programme good feelings to happen automatically whenever you are in a situation where you used to smoke but now you stop smoking.So, next I'd like you to squeeze your thumb and finger together, get that good feeling going and now imagine being in several situations where you would have smoked, but being there feeling great without a cigarette. See what you'll see hear and take that good feeling into those situations without a need for a cigarette. Imagine being in a situation where someone offers you a cigarette and you confidently say 'No thanks, I don't smoke'. And feel fantastic about it!Powerful Hint 8Get social support. Your commitment to stopping smoking for the rest of your life can be made much easier by talking about it to friends and family and letting them support you. They will congratulate you on doing so well too! You really did stop smoking.Powerful Hint 9Be aware of making excuses for yourself. Some people talk themselves into smoking, especially if they encounter a stressful situation and in the past they used to deal with it by smoking. If those old thoughts pop into your head, shout the word “STOP” in your head, to stop the thoughts from progressing. Nicotine just stresses your body more and is like that itch that can never be properly scratched; the more you smoke, the more you have to. So say “STOP” and steer clear of old slippery slopes.Powerful Hint 10Reward yourself. Congratulate yourself. Treat yourself each time you get past a certain milestone; the first week or first month, the six month target. Let yourself know that you did something really special here.Keep on using your brain, stretching it and helping your self, by running through these exercises time after time; you are sure to be able to make it easier and easier and successfully stop smoking for good.

10 Powerful Tips to Stop Smoking

by: Adam Eason
Powerful Hints to Stop SmokingWhether you are using Nicotine Replacement Therapy, Hypnosis or just Cold Turkey, these strategies and hints are for aiding you to stop smoking and are sure to assist you in helping your neurology change and thus enable you to stop smoking with ease. It is up to you to ensure that you do these things to really enhance what you are doing, the more effort you put into these exercises, the easier it is to stop smoking for good.Powerful Stop Smoking Hint 1.Being a smoker is like cycling with stabilisers attached to the wheels, you can find it hard to be balanced without smoking. Now, when you cycle freely again, the natural balance returns.When people smoke, more than half of what they breathe is fresh air - pulled through the cigarette right down into the lungs. So if you feel any cravings you can instantly overcome them by taking three deeper breaths. Imagine breathing from that space just below your belly button. Whenever you do this you put more oxygen into your bloodstream. This means you can use deep breaths to change the way you feel instantly and give you power over the way you feel and help you let go of those old cravings and thus making it easier to stop smoking.Powerful Stop Smoking Hint 2Next, think now of all the reasons you don't like smoking, the reasons that it's bad and the reasons you want to stop smoking. Write down the key words on a piece of paper. For example, you experience breathlessness, it's dirty, filthy and your clothes smell, your friends and family are concerned and it's expensive, unsociable and so on. Then, on the other side of the paper, write down all the reasons why you'll feel good when you've succeeded in stopping. You'll feel healthier, you’ll feel in control of your self, your senses are enhanced, your hair and clothes will smell fresher and so on. Whenever you need to, look at that piece of paper.Powerful Stop Smoking Hint 3Next, we are going to programme your mind to feel disgusted by cigarettes. I want you recall 4 times when you thought to yourself "I've gotta quit", or that you felt disgusted about smoking. Maybe you just felt really unhealthy, or your doctor told you in a particular tone of voice 'You've got to quit' or somebody you know was badly affected by smoking. Take a moment now to come up with 4 different times that you felt that you have to quit or were disgusted by smoking.Remember each of those times, one after another, as though they are happening now. I want you to keep going through those memories and make them as vivid as possible. The more vivid you make those memories, the easier it will be to stop smoking. See what you saw, hear what you heard and feel how you felt. I want you to take a few minutes now to keep going through those memories again and again, overlap each memory with the next until you are totally and utterly disgusted by cigarettes.Powerful Stop Smoking Hint 4Have a think to yourself about the consequences of you not stopping smoking now, if you just carry on and on. Imagine it, what will happen if you carry on smoking. What are the consequences? Imagine yourself in 6 months time, a years time, even 5 years time if you do not stop smoking now. Think of all the detrimental effects of not stopping right now and how a simple decision you make today can make such an impact on your future.Next, imagine how much better is your life going to be when you stop smoking. Really imagine it's months from now and you successfully stopped. Smoking is a thing of the past, something you used to do. Keep that feeling with you and imagine having it tomorrow, and for the rest of next week. In your mind, imagine stepping in to that non-smoking version of you and feel how it feels to be a non-smoker.Powerful Stop Smoking Hint 5Also, your mind is very sensitive to associations, so it's very important that you have a clear out and remove all tobacco products from your environment. Move some of the furniture in your house and at work. Smokers are accustomed to smoking in certain situations. So, for example, if you used to smoke on the telephone at work move the phone to the other side of the desk. Throw away ashtrays, old lighters and anything that you used to associate with smoking. Make your environment conducive to stopping smoking.Powerful Stop Smoking Hint 6Smokers sometimes use their habit to give themselves little breaks during the day. Taking a break is good for you, so carry on taking that time off - but do something different. Walk round the block, have a cup of tea or drink of water, or do some of the techniques on this programme. In fact, if possible drink a lot of fruit juice. When you stop smoking the body goes through a big change. The blood sugar levels tend to fall, the digestion is slowed down and your body starts to eject the tar and poisons that have accumulated. Fresh fruit juice contains fructose which restores your blood sugar levels, vitamin C which helps clear out impurities and high levels of water and fibre to keep your digestion going. Also try to eat fruit every day for at least two weeks after you have stopped.Also when you stop, cut your caffeine intake by half. Nicotine breaks down caffeine so without nicotine a little coffee will have a big effect. Drink 8-10 glasses of water (ideally bottled) to help wash out your system.Powerful Stop Smoking Hint 7You were used to using cigarettes to signal to your body to release happy chemicals, so next we are going to programme some good feelings into your future. Allow yourself to fully remember now a time when you felt very deep ecstasy, pleasure or bliss, right now. Take a moment to recall it as vividly as possible. Remember that time - see what you saw, hear what you heard and feel how good you felt. Where abouts in your body were those feelings, imagine turning them up and spreading them through your body to make them more intense.Keep going through the memory, as soon as it finishes, go through it again and again, all the time squeezing your thumb and finger together. In your mind, make those images big and bright, sounds loud and harmonious and feelings strong and intensified. We are making an associational link between the squeeze of your fingers and that good feeling.Okay, stop and relax. Now if you have done that correctly when you squeeze your thumb and finger together you should feel that good feeling again. Go ahead do that now, squeeze thumb and finger and remember that good feeling.Now we're going to programme good feelings to happen automatically whenever you are in a situation where you used to smoke but now you stop smoking.So, next I'd like you to squeeze your thumb and finger together, get that good feeling going and now imagine being in several situations where you would have smoked, but being there feeling great without a cigarette. See what you'll see hear and take that good feeling into those situations without a need for a cigarette.Imagine being in a situation where someone offers you a cigarette and you confidently say 'No thanks, I don't smoke'. And feel fantastic about it!Powerful Stop Smoking Hint 8Get social support. Your commitment to stopping smoking for the rest of your life can be made much easier by talking about it to friends and family and letting them support you. They will congratulate you on doing so well too! You really did stop smoking.Powerful Stop Smoking Hint 9Be aware of making excuses for yourself. Some people talk themselves into smoking, especially if they encounter a stressful situation and in the past they used to deal with it by smoking. If those old thoughts pop into your head, shout the word “STOP” in your head, to stop the thoughts from progressing. Nicotine just stresses your body more and is like that itch that can never be properly scratched; the more you smoke, the more you have to. So say “STOP” and steer clear of old slippery slopes.Powerful Stop Smoking Hint 10Reward yourself. Congratulate yourself. Feel how good it feels to stop smoking and be a non-smoker. Treat yourself each time you get past a certain milestone; the first week or first month, the six month target. Let yourself know that you did something really special here.Keep on using your brain, stretching it and helping your self, by running through these exercises time after time; you are sure to be able to make it easier and easier and successfully stop smoking for good.

How Do I Stop Smoking?

by: Alex Benyukhis
For many people around the world, the question they ask themselves every day is, “How do I stop smoking?” Unfortunately, many of these people will never actually have the opportunity to quit. They will have one excuse or the next to purchase another pack of cigarettes. The will power to stop smoking is often weak, and buried under a lot of stress and worry. But, there are ways to get yourself off the drugs and into a great situation to improve your health.We all know that smoking leads to many diseases. This isn’t even debatable anymore. But, what is is the method by which we can stop smoking. It is difficult in any case to learn how to stop smoking. It will take nothing short of determination to get it done. But, there are things to help you do it successfully.You have more than likely heard of patches and pills that can help you to stop smoking slowly. In these methods, they provide the nicotine that you body craves through a safer means. Slowly, you will step down from needing two packs a day to needing only one to needing none. The gradual movement helps you to stop having to fight the temptation for more and more. It helps to keep you on the right track as well.Another method to stop smoking is to go cold turkey. But, you will need to replace that need for nicotine with something else. In many studies, it has been found that people who stop smoking and begin exercise have a better chance of remaining smoke free. While this may not seem like something you can do, it has worked for many others. It does take a lot of dedication and determination.Yet another way to stop smoking is often one of the most terrifying. Being faced with the consequences of what smoking can do to you may actually help you to stop. For example, those who smoke are filling their lungs with tar. You know, that stuff they put on the roads? Yes, that is what is going into your body. Take a trip to the health museum to see what it’s like. Or, if you are already too late, you may be faced with cancer already. Is this enough to get you to stop?Unfortunately, it won’t be for many. If you want to stop smoking, you simply need to make the decision to do so and work hard at making that happen. You need to realize that your family and friends will suffer much more when you are not around to enjoy life with them because smoking has cut that short.

How 40,000 People Reverse Heart Disease

by: Joey Dweck
Written by the Editors at Weight Loss Buddy Press in colaboration with Hans A. Diehl, DrHSc, MPH, FACN, CNSIt is well known that about two-thirds of the U.S. population is either overweight or obese. The U.S. Surgeon General has stated that approximately 75% of Western diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, gout, arthritis, excess weight gain, hypertension, diabetes, some cancers, impotence, diverticular disease, constipation, heartburn, and gallbladder disease, are “lifestyle-related.” They are directly correlated with our high fat diet, inadequate amounts of exercise, smoking, high intake of caffeine, and high amounts of stress coupled with insufficient support.Hoping to address this alarming situation, more than 20 years ago, cardiovascular epidemiologist Hans A. Diehl, DrHSc, MPH, created the Coronary Health Improvement Project (CHIP). Since then, this 40-hour community-based lifestyle intervention program has helped more than 40,000 people rediscover their health by preventing, arresting and reversing their diseases. It has been conducted in more than 150 North American cities as well as in Bangalore, India, Australia and Switzerland. Depending upon the needs of the group, the meetings are held either “live” with Dr. Diehl delivering the program personally (usually meeting four times per week for four weeks) or as a “video-based” program with certified CHIP facilitators (normally two times per week for eight weeks). In addition, Dr. Diehl is a best-selling author – To Your Health, Dynamic Living, and Health Power (co-authored with Aileen Ludington, M.D.) -- as well as the executive editor of a 24-page quarterly Lifeline Health Letter; he has produced scores of health videos. CHIP empowers people through its scientifically-documented, educational and inspirational program that addresses common western diseases -- those that used to be seen primarily later in life. Today, these diseases increasingly appear at far younger ages. CHIP may make all the difference in one’s life -- even the difference between life and death.In 1999, CHIP launched a “community health transformation template” in Rockford, Illinois, a city with a population of 130,000. The intention was to transform Rockford into the healthiest city in American, thereby enabling it to serve as a model and template for cultural transformation on a community-wide level. Recently, CHIP was recognized as just such a model by HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson and was “approved” under the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a “STEPS to a HealthierUS” applicant. In addition to “live” CHIP, a series of CHIP videos are offered through schools, churches, corporations, and hospitals. In Rockford, CHIP is sponsored by the Swedish American Health System’s Center for Complementary Medicine.Who is the typical CHIP participant? Generally, CHIP participants are over the age of 40. Most are between the ages of 50 and 59. There are twice as many women as men, and almost 90% are married. Clinical research, published in peer review journals, has found that they have the following lifestyle diseases: 10% report having heart disease 27% have elevated blood sugar 42% are overweight 49% show evidence of hypertension 60% are obese 89% are cholesterol above 160mg%Over the course of the program, strict adherents are likely to experience significant clinical improvements such as the following: Serum cholesterol reduction average 15 – 20% Average weight loss of six pounds In about half of the participants with type 11 diabetes, a dramatic reduction in need for insulin and hypoglycemic agents Lowering of high blood pressure levels Diminishing of angina Reduced levels of depression and increase in self-esteemClass & Video Lecture ScheduleWeek 1Modern Medicine: Miracles, Medicines, & MiragesThe limitations of high-tech medical approaches in dealing with lifestyle related diseasesPortrait of a Killer: Onslaught from WithinAtherosclerosis, the culprit in many lifestyle diseasesStalking the KillerReviewing the risk factors for coronary heart diseaseEat More and Weigh LessBasic guidelines for healthy, sustained weight lossWeek 2Going Up in SmokeSmoking – the most controllable risk factor for coronary heart diseaseThe Magic of FiberThe role of fiber in preventing and reversing lifestyle diseasesReversing HypertensionChanging the major risk factors for high blood pressureDisarming DiabetesLifestyle factors that can arrest or reverse diabetesEffective Cholesterol ControlDietary factors that prominently affect blood levels of cholesterolFats in the FireThe role of excessive fat intake in lifestyle diseasesWeek 3Fit at Any AgeBenefits of regular exercise in preventing and arresting diseaseBoning Up on OsteoporosisCause and prevention of this so-called “disease of aging”Lifestyle and HealthClinical studies that demonstrate how lifestyle choices are related to healthThe Optimal DietPositive dietary guidelines for the prevention and reversal of Western diseasesWeek 4Diet and CancerDietary factors in the development and prevention of common cancersAtherosclerosis of the MindThe importance of adaptability in achieving and maintaining optimal healthThe Gift of ForgivenessHow a spirit of forgiveness enhances emotional and overall healthBuilding Self-WorthThe development, preservation and role of self worth in a healthy personConnie Thebarge’s StoryAt the age of 59, Connie Thebarge, a patient at the Ottawa Heart Institute in British Columbia, Canada, was told that her doctors could no longer help her. After all, in addition to suffering from hypertension, she had diabetes and painful diabetic neuropathy. She had two heart attacks followed by a triple coronary bypass surgery and an unsuccessful angioplasty. Every day, she had to take 27 pills. Not surprisingly, she was also depressed.Yet, today, more than a decade later, Thebarge walks three miles a day, swims twice a week, dances, and travels to Florida and Europe. No longer depressed, she also requires far fewer pills. How was this accomplished? Thebarge participated in CHIP and transformed her life.

Quit Smoking Advice