Natural Prevention

One way to naturally stop hair loss from happening is to avoid using hot water to wash hair. Hot water can actually be detrimental to the health of the hair shaft and its roots. The same with the use of a hair dryer, hot water can make the hair shaft brittle which can lead to breakage as well as weal follicles which can lead to falling hair. Reducing the use of heat on the scalp can really help stop hair loss for many people, although, this may be considered a case to case basis since many people who use heat on the scalp may not have as much falling hair as others.

Another way to naturally prevent or stop hair loss is to avoid tying up the hair in tight braids of pony tails. The pressure of a tight ponytail, braid or any other way to tie hair can be intense enough to weaken the hair strands from the scalp and promote hair loss. Many hair experts recommend women (or men with long hair) to use clamps instead of an elastic band to tie the hair since there is less pressure from these.

The reduced use of hair dyes and straightening or curling chemicals can also work to stop hair loss. This means reduced visits to the hair salon since most of these visits end with a hair drying job as well as a perm or a hair coloring session. An individual’s diet can also help stop hair loss. Many foods rich in protein and calcium can actually help stop hair loss. The use of shampoo and conditioner which care not too strong can also prevent loss of hair for many people.

Go here for more about Stop Hair Loss and Hair Loss Remedy

Television commercials for hair products can throw women into the depths of despair. Long beautiful trusses are swaying from side to side on some gorgeous model’s head, shiny, thick and beautiful. Most of us wish we had hair like that but will get by with our own, as long as we can style it in a manner acceptable by society. Normally, humans lose about 100 – 150 strands of hair a day.

This is the natural cycle of hair growth, hair dormancy and then hair loss. Only about 10 percent of our hair is actually dying or falling out at any one time. For women who are losing significant amounts (handfuls at a time) or whose hair loss is creating such thinning that the scalp is clearly visible, leaving the house can often become a major trauma. On come the hats, scarves or wigs and the worry that one will come off and expose the ugliness beneath. Add to this the loss of self-image and the constant worry about more hair loss, and there is one miserable person under that head camouflage. Social life is affected – who wants to attend parties and functions when she is miserable about how she looks?While significant hair loss is somewhat due to heredity, there are a number of treatable or temporary conditions which cause it as well.

A woman facing this condition needs to have it evaluated by a physician, to determine the root (pardon the pun) cause. While heredity may be a factor, there are hundreds of other causes, most of which are treatable. For hair loss that is permanent, there are yet the additional methods of replacement.Medical research is rapidly “closing in” on prevention measures, and it is quite possible that there will be some wonder drug available in the near future. As we speak, there is this very effective hair regrowth herbal supplement that goes by the name Provillus.

Provillus is an oral supplement, which works to block DHT, a form of testosterone that is responsible for 95 percent of hair loss. It also works to stimulate the scalp and bring dead follicles back to life. You can use Provillus as a preventative tool, starting the program before hair loss becomes severe, or you can use it after DHT has already begun to take hold of your hair and scalp. You can get it at www.provillus.com. However, a lot of money is going into the research, the most promising being in the areas of cloning or reversing the process.

The good news is the hair follicles are still there; the problem is they have become so tiny, new hair cannot grow. If researchers can find a way to open the follicle up again or to block the process of shrinking, hair loss can be both prevented and reversed. In the meantime, splurge with some wigs while treating with Provillus. They are far more acceptable than toupees for men, and are often considered a fashion accessory. Hair extensions are also a temporary “fix” but be careful not to cause damage to what hair is left. Fortunately, the common patterns of hair loss for women are not the same as for men. It usually begins at parts (they get wider) or in the frontal area of the head. This allows for creativity in hairstyle, by parting or styling differently. For more information visit: Hair Loss in Women

The prostate is an exocrine gland (carries fluids from the body) about the shape and size of a walnut and located in front of the rectum, just below the bladder. It surrounds the urethra that carries urine from the body. The fluids it secrets form part of semen and they are stored with sperm from the testicles in the seminal vesicles that are located behind the bladder. When the male reaches a sexual climax, muscles contract and cause the prostate to secrete this fluid into the urethra. From there it is expelled from the body through the penis.

The prostate also plays a role in controlling the flow of urine. Since it is wrapped around the urethra, its muscles contract, slowing the flow of urine from the body.

Non cancer related problems with the prostrate fall into one of two main categories- prostatitis, and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia or BPH.

A fourth of men having urinary problems have prostatitis. It is a condition that causes inflammation or infection of the prostate. There are four types off prostatitis.

1) Pelvic floor myalgia or Prostatodynia (PFM) may cause pain in the prostate, pelvic area, and penis and may cause problems in urinating. Inflammation is not caused nor is bacteria related to it. Non-bacterial prostatitis (NBP) on the other hand, has the same symptoms as CBP (see below), though the cause is not known.

The third type of prostatitis is call Acute bacterial prostatitis (ABP) and is caused by bacterial infection. Symptoms may include malaise, frequent urination (day & night), muscular pain, lower back pain, fever, chills, pain in pelvic area with urination, inability to empty the bladder, and/or pain with ejaculation. These symptoms may appear suddenly and may be very severe. Chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP) is also caused by bacteria, and the symptoms are similar to ABP, but are not usually as severe or as sudden.

2) Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia or simply BPH is another major prostrate problem. As men age, the prostate enlarges because of tissue change. Men over the age of 40 may begin to experience these symptoms without even realizing they are prostate related. The cause of BPH is not known, although it seems to be linked to hormonal imbalance, heredity, or high fat diets.

Some men with BPH experience no symptoms. If, however, the enlarged prostate presses on the urethra, symptoms will result. These are: weak stream, inability to delay urination, more frequent urination (day & night), painful or bloody urination not emptying the bladder completely, difficulty stopping and starting, and incontinence (no control).

Though these problems range from annoying to serious, they do not mean a person has cancer. Men over 50 need to have a yearly checkup to be sure prostate cancer has not developed. Before going for this test, make an itemized list of any urinary problems you have had and how severe they are. This will help the doctor in diagnosing the problem. Here’s some good news; most of the above symptoms can be reduced or eliminated medically.

So be aware of the potential problems, but act so you can avoid them and experience prostate health.

If BPH is left untreated, urine can back up into the kidneys, leading to kidney damage and failure, and weakening of the bladder muscle so that it is not strong enough to expel all the urine. While treatment options for BPH include surgery and medicine to reduce the amount of tissue and increase the flow of urine, there are some natural remedies to treat the symptoms that have been used for many years.

Saw Palmetto can be used for treating benign prosthetic hyperplasia symptoms. It comes from the berries of the saw palmetto tree found in the West Indies and some parts of the Southern States. Research has shown that it may stop the prostate from further growth although it does not cure the condition.

When looking for a supplement, make sure that if contains 85% to 95% fatty acids and sterols, as these are the active ingredients. At the moment there are no known drug interactions, however, we always recommend that you consult your doctor. Side effects are uncommon but they have been reported include abdominal pain, nausea, and headaches.

Following the dose recommendations of your health care provider and take the supplement with meals to help reduce the likelihood of nausea.

Gallstones are hard substances that develop in the gallbladder. There are two types of gallstones: cholesterol stones and pigment stones. Cholesterol stones are by far the most common and are made up of hardened cholesterol formed when you cannot break down of all the chloresterol produced by your liver (and NO, statin drug do not help this condition!).  Pigment gallstones are usually small and dark and occur when you produce too much billirubin or insufficient bile salts.

Although we don’t know if we can completely prevent galstones, a recent study from the University of Kentucky Medical Center have now discovered that low magnesium levels and gall bladder disease seem to go hand-in-hand. Of the over 40,000 men in the study, those with the highest intake of magnesium had a 33% reduced risk of getting gallstones. Both dietary sources and supplements achieved the same beneficial result.

You can take a magnesium supplement or eat some magnesium-rich foods to help you out, such as halibut, almonds, spinach, oatmeal or baked potato.

Additional preventative measures are:

Make sure that you do some form of exercise regularly.  There are numerous studies that show that men who excercise regularly are less likely to develop gallstones.

Maintain a healthy body weight and, if you need to lose weight, do so slowly.

Avoid crash diets or a very low intake of less than 800 calories a day.

As hig-fat foods seem to trigger attacks in some people, choose a low-fat, high-fiber diet that emphasizes fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Cut down on the amount of animal fat, butter, margarine, mayonnaise and fried foods you eat.

Studies have shown that women with higher levels of vitamin C may be less likely to develop gallstones.
 

What is Gout

Gout is a painful condition caused by the buildup of sharp uric acid crystals in the tissue around the joints when it is not removed from the body as efficiently as it should be.  It usually affects men and has some heriditary links but can also be caused by excess weight and alcohol consumption.

Trigger Foods

First, look for the foods that may trigger the condition.  A recent study published in the British Journal of Medicine linked the intake of regular soft drinks to increased incidence of gout in a 12 year study of 46,000 men.  Men consuming 4-6 servings per week increased their risk of getting gout by almost 30%.  Those drinking 1 per day, increased their risk by 45%, and finally, those who consumed 2 or more servings per day had an 85% higher chance of develping gout.

Other well know trigger foods include high protein foods as well as coffee, legumes, mushrooms, organ meat, shellfish, brocolli and asparagus.

Other Triggers

Besides foods, there are a number of things that may trigger gout:

Stress, surgery, vitamin deficiency, some medications, some medical conditions that inhibit the elimination of uric acid, such as kidney failure, or conditions that lower the potassium level (causes increase levels of uric acid) or fasting.

Helpful Foods and Natural Pain Relief

Cherries have long been used to reduce the pain associated with gout by helping the body eliminate the excess uric acid.   Drinking a glass of lukewarm water that contains the juice of one freshly squeezed lemon has also been shown to help.

There are supplements that may also help, including but not limited to Vitamins A, E and B complex and celery seed extract 

Foods that help increased the level of potassium are bananas, avacados, cantelope and potatoes with the skin.

Yoga, accupressure and a visit to the chiropractor may also help.

Recommended Reading

There are many books available on the treatment and prevention of gout.  The book mentioned below is quite helpful and includes dietary guidelines and a description of the new medications available for its treatment.  The author, a recognized authority on gout, outlines how effective prevention of gout requires understanding of the condition and offers sensible advice and dispels the popular fallacies about the nature and causes of gout.

Drinking large amounts of alcohol will not only cause you to gain weight but it will also make it harder for you to build muscle mass. You don’t want to sacrifice your fun but you want to make sure that you are responsible at times and stick with water instead of beer. Shots are just as bad and just one can put you over the 100 calories and one mixed drink has over 1000.

You should not drink if you have an endomorphic body and are having trouble trying to lose weight. If does not matter how healthy your diet is during the day if you drink all night long. Because of the way that beer and other drinks affect the body, you will pack on the pounds that can become a large beer belly – not a good look for a bodybuilder.

One of the many other adverse effects of alcohol on your body if you are weight training is that it will lower your testosterone level, which is the key player in the amount of muscle mass that you build. Thus, the more you drink the harder it will be to build the body you want.

If you want to consume alcohol, drinking every once in a while is going to be fine. Limit yourself to a few drinks or, better yet, you can always be the designated driver to reduce the pressure from your peers to drink.

It seems that learning to play the digeridoo (an Australian Aboriginal wind instrument) can help you snore less.  In a study published in the British Journal of Medicine, a Swiss team studied 25 individuals with moderate sleep apnea with snoring. 

 The participants were divided into the treatment and control group.  The treatment group took lesson in playing the digeridoo.  This requires using and strengthening particular throat muscles.  The control group took no treatment.

The study reports a signifigant decrease in sleepiness during the day and apnea score and they received comments from partners that there was less sleep disturbance for the treatment group.

So, what does this mean for you?

Well, you could go out and buy a digeridoo and then find someone to teach you how to play it correctly.  I don’t know about you, but we don’t have many (any?) digeridoo players here. 

OR

You could try another program that works in a similar way.  When you learn to sing properly, you use and strengthen your throat muscles.  Singer have excercises that they do for their throats.  It is the same principle as the digeridoo lessons.

What have you got to lose? Give this snoring solution… you even get one free exercise to try!