Women’s Health Blog

It is a fact that smoking is more of psychological addiction than physical addiction. The Nicotine addiction in your body can be controlled, but mind addiction is tough to control.

One thing that helps you in quitting smoking is a complete personal analysis.

Take a paper and make two columns in it. In one column put heading, the cause for quitting. In another column, write down the cause for taking up smoking.

Firstly, write down the causes for taking up smoking. It may be some kind of pressure, or family trouble or financial trouble or any other reason. Now, find out whether these troubles still exist or not. If they do not, then there is no need to smoke.

Now, write down the causes for quitting smoking. It may due to the scare of deadly disease you may get, or your fear of passing them to your family members. Thus, health is one of the causes for quitting smoking. 

However, it is quite possible that health reasons will not convince you in quitting smoking. They all have the possibilities. It is not sure that these things can happen. Lung cancer might happen or you may die early.

There are certain genuine causes that you are experiencing while smoking.

Write down those causes in the second column. For instance, you experience breathlessness while coming upstairs. Your feet are cold due to high blood pressure. You are always suffering from cough and it makes you feel uncomfortable.

Apart from health reasons, there are certain other reasons also. Such as, premature aging and drying of skin are due to smoking. Your fingernails, teeth are of yellow color and gives bad impression. When you smoke at public places, people make faces at you. You are spending a lot on cigarettes along with the mouth fresheners. You can save a huge amount by quitting smoking. You can use that amount for a good purpose. You can go for a holiday.

Think about your family. They would feel more secure, after your quitting smoking. Your house would be clean, no dirtier walls, or stinking cars. Several genuine reasons are there for quitting smoking.

Thus, you can divert your mind easily by thinking these genuine effects of smoking. However, your hands are still free. Try to make your hands busy by indulging it in some activities, for Instance knitting, cooking etc.

So, do not waste time and go ahead.

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       Television is

 

        For most children, watching TV involves more than just viewing cartoons.  It means playing video games, watching music videos, watching videotapes, and general channel surfing.  It has been estimated that the average American watches as much as four hours of television a day—a large amount, by any measurement.  Children’s dependence on television may be difficult to break, given the fact that television is so much a part of the American culture. 

        There are other reasons why television may promote obesity.  Children’s programming is filled with commercials touting sugary cereals and candy bars.  It has been shown that children are heavily influenced by television advertising; therefore, they are far more likely to indulge in sweets after watching television on a Saturday  morning.   Since freedom of speech makes it difficult to ban commercials featuring non-nutritious foods, it is up to parents to monitor their children’s television viewing.  Also, parents need to steer clear of the sugary cereal aisle when going grocery shopping. 

       Another reason that television is linked to obesity is because it promotes inactivity.  Many people watch television by lounging on a sofa, bed, or futon.  They can burn few calories in a prone position.  Also, the fact that they’re watching television means that they are not engaging in physical activities such as exercise.  Television promotes a sedentary lifestyle that leads to additional weight gain. 

        But how can you effectively fight television?  Some families have actually thrown out their TVs in the ultimate show of defiance.  If you aren’t ready to take such a drastic step, you might consider limiting your family’s viewing time to a single hour each day.  Another idea is to hold a “no TV” night where you encourage your children to engage in sports, games, and other activities.  Forcing your children to plan their viewing can be another effective step.  That way, they won’t waste precious time cruising through the TV channels. 

       It is true that television cannot shoulder the entire blame for childhood obesity.  However, medical research has now shown it is a contributing factor.  There are also indications that excessive computer use can also contribute to weight gain.  In fact, this might be the major health issue of the future, since so many children are doing their research on line and typing their reports using computer keyboards.   

      As a parent, in order to ensure that your children are a healthy weight, you have to be actively involved in their lives.  Monitor not only what your children are watching, but also what they are eating.  Encourage healthy snacks whenever possible, and discourage snacking while watching television.  Requiring your children to eat at the dining room table rather than in front of the television can also be an important step.    In the end, being involved in your children’s weight reduction program is the key to ensuring that they lead healthy lives.

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Everyone wants to eat a healthier diet, but it can sometimes be difficult to know if your diet is healthy enough.  There are a number of factors that go into creating a healthy diet, and it is important to evaluate the current state of your diet before embarking on a plan for healthier eating. 

There are several questions you should ask yourself when evaluating the healthiness (or lack thereof) of your current eating plan.  These questions include: 

Do I eat a wide variety of foods?Variety is one of the most important hallmarks of a healthy diet, since no one food contains all the nutrients needed by the human body.  It is important to eat foods from all the major food groups, including grains and breads, fruits and vegetables, milk and dairy products, meats, beans and nuts. 

If you find yourself avoiding some food groups, such as vegetables for instance, it may be time to look for a healthier diet. 

Do I recognize the importance of cereals, breads and other grain products?

Eating a wide variety of grain based products is important to a healthy diet.  Grains and cereals contain a large number of important nutrients, including high levels of dietary fiber. 

It is important to choose whole grain products as often as possible, since whole grain products like wheat bread contain more nutrients than more refined white bread and similar products.  When eating cereal, it is a good idea to choose whole grain varieties, or those that are enriched with vitamins and minerals. 

Do I eat lots of fruits and vegetables?Many people do not eat sufficient servings of fruits and vegetables every day.  Most experts recommend eating between 5 and 9 servings of fruits and vegetables every day, roughly equivalent to 2 cups of fruit and 2 ½ cups of vegetables. 

When shopping for vegetables and fruits, it is important to choose a good variety of dark green, dark red, orange and yellow varieties.  That is because different colored fruits and vegetables contain a variety of different nutrients, including vitamin C, vitamin A and beta carotene. 

Do I eat a good breakfast every morning?Breakfast, or the absence of it, is often a good indicator of the state of your diet.  If you rush out of the house every morning and grab a donut at the local convenience store, chances are your diet can use some work.  A healthy breakfast provides a foundation for the rest of the day, helps you avoid cravings and provides much needed nutrition. 

Do I choose low fat foods over higher fat alternatives?This is also an important question to ask yourself.  Low fat alternatives are available for a variety of products, including milk, cheese, meats and more. 

One part of following a healthy, low fat diet is avoiding prepared foods whenever possible, since prepared foods tend to have higher amounts of fat and sodium than fresh foods. 

It is also important to control the amount of fat that is added at the table.  Adding things like butter, sour cream and heavy sauces is a sure way to ruin an otherwise healthy meal.  Even healthy foods like salads can be sabotaged by the addition of high fat salad dressings.  Try using lower fat alternatives like flavored vinegars instead. 

Do I drink plenty of water?Drinking plenty of fresh, pure water is important to maintaining a healthy body and a healthy lifestyle.  Water is important to maintaining optimal levels of health.   

If you think you need more water, try substituting water for less healthy beverages like soda and coffee. 

Am I able to maintain my optimal body weight?Gaining weight without trying to is often a sign of a poor diet.  Following a healthy diet, and getting plenty of regular exercise, is the only way to lose weight and keep it off. 

Do I limit the amount of salt, sugar, alcohol and caffeine in my diet?While all of these elements are fine in moderation, excessive amounts of any of these four can indicate a serious problem with your diet.  It is important to limit the amount of unhealthy elements in any diet.

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For long, man had a common perception that emotions have nothing to do with success. On extremes, many believed that they do not only interact negatively with our decision-making but may also cause us to fail.

There are various intelligence types that human has. And lack of one doesn’t actually imply failure in the general picture of life. Some are naturally endowed with higher I.Q. scores that make them in the advantage of having larger storage for information. Other people, on the other hand, have the special ability to truly discern themselves. This is what they call intrapersonal intelligence.

Emotional intelligence therefore is the ability to become sensitive to understand one’s own emotions and the emotions that observe from other people. This in the end will be consciously monitored to serve as determining factors in creating decisions and in putting up reactions to various stimuli.

Since we are dealing with the various aspects of emotions, it is pretty obvious that there is no gray line between emotions and emotional intelligence.

Emotions affect decision-making, our reactions to things, our moods, our sentiments, our general disposition in a given situation. Oftentimes, solutions do not come from the intellect. Too much thinking may even cause paralysis of the mind. This is largely due to the fact that when we think too much for a solution, our minds seem to clutter with answers that point to nowhere but to the beginning. Analysis takes time and when it does, it may allow time for the aggravation of problems.

It is not to discourage anyone from analyzing personal problems clearly. However, we want you not to enclose yourself with the idea of I.Q. alone. There is more to intelligence than using your cranial capacities in creating decisions.

We weren’t inherently equipped with emotions though. When we were born, we were likely to be blank white pages where various stimulus must be written before we ever find the concept of reactions to emotions. Only as we age and therefor exposed to spectrums of experiences do we learn to react with the different types of emotions.

This is probably the reason why when we were children, we had no fear or anxiety over tripping on the floor or doing something dangerous. After all, we still have no idea what fear is or what is anxiety or what are dangerous experiences.

Knowing the degree of your emotions and the various reactions that are created during specific conditions. Having enough knowledge of determining how well you cope up with given stimulation. And knowing what are the factors that will create the rise of emotions in you will all be helpful in gaining new insight of yourself.

Emotions are inevitable parts of our existence. And experts in the field have learned to evaluate emotion intelligence by determining its five domains.

Management of emotions
This generally covers the ability to handle one’s emotions to fit a given condition. This also entails the proper mixture of emotions and the realization of what caused a specific reaction to arise.

Self-awareness
This is different from self criticism mainly in the manner by which specific emotions are determined. It is the systematic observance of oneself to recognize feelings and moods as they happen.

Self motivation
This is evident in delayed gratification, in positive use of emotions to channel emotions into goals, and in over-all self control.

Empathy
This is basically the sensitivity to other people’s feelings and perspectives of things.  

Handling of relationships
This is one dimension of social intelligence, which is closely intertwined with emotional intelligence since it covers the management of emotions to retain and harmonize relationships.

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Sweets are one of the most delectable and craved goodies that a person loves to eat.  It’s probably one of the most favored tastes a person likes and whet for.  Not only will it fill one’s hunger, but it also soothes the tongue and satisfies an appetite’s pleasure.  And one of the most important things it does to the body is boosting the body cells’ energy, making the blood regulation flows smoothly and rejuvenated. 

It is significant though to know that what the body needs is not just any intake of sweets, but rather the body needs to absorb the glucose of those sweets, since its that particular glucose or sugar that gives energy to the body and its cells.  The glucose also is the main sugar that is measured to determine one’s blood sugar level.  Although fructose and galactose are sugars also, it is the glucose that’s measured so that one would know if the blood sugar level of the body is within normal range or if one needs to take insulin to control this. 

The blood sugar level is measured to know and check the amount of sugar, or glucose, in the blood.  The reason why the blood sugar levels must be maintained within the normal range is because somehow an imbalance of the blood sugar levels would lead to damage in the small blood vessels.  This in turn would result to other health related problems, which would attack the cardiovascular organs like the heart and arteries.  What makes this even worse is that, the effects or complications brought about by diabetes will oftentimes appear after a couple of years or decades.  This is why it is one’s responsibility to look out for his own blood sugar levels by having regular check-ups and consultation with a physician, so as to monitor the blood sugar levels.  It’s better if one doesn’t take any risk when dealing with blood sugar issues.

If one is too busy and cannot spare a day with the doctor, then he can avail of the home testing kits to measure his blood sugar levels regularly.  Just make sure you familiarize yourself with the testing kits to ensure that you have the correct information of your blood sugar levels or else it defeats the purpose.  If you’re using a home testing kit, you also have to know the normal blood sugar levels and ranges, so that when you check your results later, you would know if you’re doing fine or if you need to be more careful with your sugar intake.

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Those who have experienced a panic attack (or more) know first hand how terribly scary the incident can be. It is so devastating that long after it goes, and the doctor confirms that there is nothing wrong with you, you still have a lingering doubt that you are/were close to death.

The Cause of Panic Attacks Originate from Our Survival Instinct

When a panic attack occurs, it is usually in response to a trigger. This trigger would be something that is highly threatening to you. This is a reaction that comes from the ‘flight or fight’ response of all animals when faced with danger. This explains why some animals attack in the face of danger, while others run away. They both react this way to preserve their lives. Similarly, humans too have this programming enmeshed into their psyche.

When they are too stressed and they feel that they are at the end of their rope, they may experience a panic attack, which actually the inner system is trying to push the body into action to defend it and prevent perishing. The ‘perishing’ alarm could be anything from a physical to financial threat to loss of social position.

Since this is a normal reaction, it is a bit difficult to pinpoint the cause of panic attacks. It is safe to say however, that normally this would be the direct result of some major real or perceived threat. The cause of panic attacks and the triggers are two different things, though these are very easily interchangeable. When you mention ‘causes’ – this implies the overall situation that leads to a panic attack; the trigger on the other hand, is what sets it off.

It is easy to think that the trigger is the cause of panic attack. In reality, the panic attack starts building up in line with the stress that you are accumulating in your day-to-day life. Of course, there are exceptions to this interpretation, i.e. sometimes; the trigger and the cause are one and the same. For example, you are faced with a running bull in your path. The moment you see it and realize that you are in its path, you jump away and try to get away from its line of vision and path. Your reaction (and the cause of panic attack) happens without you thinking about it. This is the ‘flight’ reaction from the ‘fight or flight’ response to danger. This is the most natural of all occurrences – and it is called self-preservation or survival.

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A woman who becomes pregnant for the first time should look for childbirth education information as soon as possible.  Learning everything she can about the childbirth process can help equip her to make the best choices for her prenatal care and childbirth preparation.  It may be an overwhelming time emotionally but education will help you prepare for the unknown.

Childbirth education can come from many different sources.  It can come from books, from the Internet, from pamphlets at your medical center, or via asking questions of your doctor, midwife or doula and talking to other people.  The childbirth education process should be an informative and fun part of pregnancy.  Learning about what’s to come and making choices should all be part of the joy of pregnancy.

Whether your pregnancy is planned or whether it is of great surprise to you , the almost nine months ahead should be a joyous time. Learning about parenting, educating yourself on the choices you have and talking to people about your upcoming bundle of joy are all part of the
childbirth education and parenting education process. While you may go through periods of feeling unwell in your first trimester, your second trimester may be a healthly and vibrant time for you. 

Plans for how you will go through childbirth may be on your mind.  There are childbirth education websites and books that will tell you all about the various birth processes you can choose from. You might have options of a midwife, a family doctor or an obstetrician. You might choose a home birth, a water birth or a traditional hospital birth.  You may want to try to have natural childbirth.  Perhaps you’re going to plan to take Lamaze classes or hire a doula to help you prepare.  There are many choices open to you and the more childbirth education you have, the better equipped you will be to make choices.

Beyond childbirth education, you want parenting education as well. Whether it’s a parenting class or just talking to other pregnant women on forums and reading books about childbirth and pregnancy, learning and educating yourself is a smart thing to do in preparation for your baby’s arrival. 

If you don’t have constant access to the Internet at home, most public libraries will lend you books and you’ll find an entire section devoted to parenting and childbirth education. Most libraries also have free Internet use as well.  Also, talking to other women who have had babies will likely result in their sharing books, resources and information with you about their experience as well.

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Pregnancy is one of the most exciting and anxious times in a woman’s life.  She contends with alternating feelings of joy and feelings of fear.  The changes taking place in a mom to be’s body are often confusing and sometimes uncomfortable.  Early pregnancy symptoms can be lessened using some tried and true methods used by mothers for generations, not to mention some of the more modern methods for feeling normal during a very unusual period in life.  The important thing to remember is that like everything else, this too shall pass and the result is a beautiful new member of your family.

Morning sickness that often includes nausea and vomiting is one of the classic early pregnancy symptoms.  This symptom’s name is a little misleading as morning sickness can and does occur at any time of the day.  Some methods to try to alleviate the discomfort are eating saltine crackers and drinking lemon lime soda and drinking peppermint or ginger tea may help.  Another idea is to eat a small snack high in protein before bed.  Fortunately morning sickness usually fades after the first trimester.

Another one of the early pregnancy symptoms that affects many pregnant women is fatigue and a lack of energy.  The reason this occurs is because of all of the hard work the new mother’s body is doing to support the growing life inside her.  Normal hormonal changes attribute to this symptom as well.  The only real fix for fatigue is to get plenty of rest.  It sounds easier than it is and mom will need the help and support of her partner and other family members to get the rest she and the baby needs.  Even a 20-minute nap or down time can do wonders for getting more rest and energy.

Luckily this symptom of dizziness is less common than some of the others, but still affects a large number of women.  Of all of the early pregnancy symptoms, new moms need to watch carefully for this one.  A dizzy spell could result in a fall or even fainting.  The biggest reason dizziness occurs is due to a shortage of sugar in the blood.  This is baby’s primary food source and a pregnant woman uses it more quickly than in a non-pregnant state.  Eating regular, healthy meals and not skipping meals and snacks is the best way to protect against feeling dizzy or faint.

Focusing on what a pregnant woman’s body needs to stay healthy is key in controlling many early pregnancy symptoms.  With the symptoms controlled, the new mom to be can focus on what’s important, having a healthy, happy pregnancy.

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Childbirth results in changes in a woman’s body.  Many women gain a significant amount of weight.  While a doctor recommends a weight gain of about 25-35lbs throughout your pregnancy, you may gain a whole lot more than that.  Many women are distressed and wonder, “why didn’t I lose weight after childbirth?” We hear stories of women fitting into their jeans two weeks after a baby’s born and can feel distressed if that’s not happening to us.

If you’re wondering, why didn’t I lose weight after childbirth? You’re not alone.  Many women have trouble shedding their pregnancy weight.  While it would be nice if the weight just melted off after our babies are born, it usually requires a few little things to happen.  Those things are related to time, effort and diet.

Why Didn’t I Lose Weight After Childbirth? Time…

It took nine months to gain that weight, it would take at least a little bit of time to come off.  Many women don’t start to see results until at least the six-month mark when your body starts to lose its reserves.  If you are breastfeeding your system will reserve a certain amount of weight to ensure that you are able to make the milk your baby needs.  Many women see a change in their body after their baby reaches six months old.  While not everyone will see that change, the vast majority finds that a lot of excess weight just starts to disappear.

Why Didn’t I Lose Weight After Childbirth?  Effort…

It’s going to take a bit of effort to lose the weight.  A healthy weight loss is between one and two pounds of weight per week.  If you are busy at work and with your child, you may lose this on your own after childbirth.  If not, you can take up a mild to moderate exercise routine and expect to see results.  Walking, swimming bicycling, yoga, aerobics or visiting a gym can all helps you meet your weight loss goals. 

Why Didn’t I Lose Weight After Childbirth?  Diet…

When we’re pregnant we’re often under the impression that it’s a free for all with food.  Women can eat excessively when they’re pregnant.  After the baby arrives, if you’re breastfeeding your body will still require extra calories in order for you to make milk so by the time you’re ready to shed your pregnancy weight, it may be just  a matter of retraining yourself on how to eat.  You may want to look at counting calories or reducing fat in your diet.  It may just take a few changes to reduce your caloric intake enough to result in reaching your pre-pregnant weight.

If you’re a busy Mom on the go, it can be hard to eat right but eating healthy, sensible meals will result in your coming closer to your weight loss goals.

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There are many benefits of breastfeeding your baby. Not only is it a natural and beautiful thing, it allows a mother to provide her new born baby with everything that he or she needs for a healthy start to life.

There are many benefits of breastfeeding and nearly no consequences. Babies that breastfeed are found to have a healthier body weight and are less susceptible to illness.

Breastfed babies, although they love to nurse, will stop when they are fill. And breastfed babies also take in essential antibodies from their mothers’ milk that fends off infections and other illnesses that can be very harmful to a developing baby. The benefits of breastfeeding are practically endless.

The benefits of breastfeeding also include the absolutely essential mother and baby bond that is developed during the first few months of life. If a mother does not spend this one-on-one time with the baby, experiencing such close and personal contact, the mother and baby could experience emotional distress.

Every baby deserves a healthy start and the many benefits of breastfeeding are absolutely essential to a baby’s health. If you’re pregnant and you want to breastfeed your baby, you should know that it is an easy way to give your baby the healthy start that he or she deserves.

Following are some simple instructions to teach you how to properly feed your baby.

First, sit in a comfortable position with your back straight and your lap flat. If you wish, you can position a pillow on your lap to support your baby during breastfeeding.

Now to position your baby properly during breastfeeding, turn your baby’s body toward your stomach. In this position, your baby’s bottom should be resting on your elbow and your baby’s head, neck and shoulders should be supported by your forearm and hand.

To begin breastfeeding, position your baby’s nose directly in front of your nipple. Allow your baby’s head to tip back gently and slightly. Then gently rub your baby’s lips against your nipple until his or her mouth opens very wide.

At this point during breastfeeding you should quickly bring your baby’s bottom lip and chin against your breast. In this position, your baby can breathe easily. You should be able to feel the baby’s mouth on a large portion of your breast.

You may need to support your breast to make your baby more comfortable during breastfeeding. It is also important that you are comfortable. You should be relaxed and you should be able to hear your baby swallowing softly.

If it doesn’t feel right, you should stop and start over.

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