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Archive for September, 2007

Health Tips – Some Answers To Frequently Asked Questions About Fertility Problems

Saturday, September 29th, 2007

Having a baby can be a monumental moment in a woman’s life, but getting pregnant depends on a person’s fertility. Various fertility issues affect men and women all over the world. Many don’t know they suffer from infertility until they try to get pregnant. Fertility issues usually can be addressed by a medical specialist, and can often be remedied through treatments and procedures. With today’s advancements in health technology, women and men can even conceive without using their own sperm and egg. In the following questions and answers, you will learn about different issues regarding fertility in both men and women.

What is the concept behind the Basal Body Temperature?

Women have two main hormones that are present during a 28-day menstrual cycle. The hormone that shows up during the first part of the cycle is estrogen, considered to be a “cool” hormone. The second part of the cycle is taken over by progesterone, considered to be a “warm” hormone. The presence of progesterone is when ovulation occurs for a female, usually around day fifteen or sixteen of her menstrual cycle. Because progesterone is warm, the body temperature will spike up, usually around .4 degrees over a 48-hour period. Basal body temperature is your body’s temperature at a resting state, usually before getting out of bed in the morning. The Basal body temperature goes up and can be charted by using a basic thermometer and a menstrual cycle chart. All of this together tells a woman when she is more likely to conceive because her ovaries have released an egg to be fertilized.

What is polycystic ovary syndrome?

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, often called PCOS, is a condition that affects about ten percent of women who are in their childbearing years. It’s considered to be one of the most common reproductive problems among women. PCOS affects the woman’s menstrual cycle, fertility, hormone levels, insulin production, heart and blood vessels. PCOS causes irregularity in the menstrual cycle and can cause small ovarian cysts to form. This is what leads to infertility because women do not ovulate when they are supposed to. Women diagnosed with PCOS usually have high levels of androgens, a male hormone. Doctors are not quite sure what causes PCOS and there isn’t a single test to tell if one has the syndrome. Your doctor will need to check medical history, hormone levels and measure sugar levels in the blood.

What is Varicocele?

Varicocele is one of the most common causes of infertility in men, affecting around forty percent of men tested for infertility. It’s the abnormal dilation of the internal spermatic veins that drain blood away from the testicle to the abdomen. Defective valves cause the blood flow to go back towards the testicles and scrotum instead of away, causing a dangerous environment for the growth of sperm. Sperm can not grow in overly warm testicular environments, leading to infertility. Tests can be performed to find out if you suffer from the disease and the problem can be remedied through surgery or other medical therapies such as in-vitro fertilization.

Read the full article here: Achieving Conception

Some Info on Martial Arts Training

Saturday, September 29th, 2007

Self Defense Training
The martial arts teach you more than just self-defense. They aim to refine your discipline, character and behavior. The main purpose of martial arts is to develop the head, that is the regions of analytical thinking and strategic decision-making, the heart wherein lies emotional health and stability and the hands or physical agility. When all three of these elements work in unison, this concept offers much more than just a way to escape from muggers. It provides you with a whole new way to look at life.

Martial arts rely on mental focus and acute physical coordination. They were developed in Asia over the period of several thousands of years. During all of this time, there have been myriads of martial arts variations, and there are many disciplines that are practiced today all over the world.

Traditionally, the martial arts have been associated with the Pacific Rim, that is, China, Korea and Japan, but different forms of the martial arts have existed for many years in Thailand, the Philippines, Brazil and in other parts of the world. There are also non-violent forms of martial arts.

Martial arts is a sport to many people but to others it is a healthy hobby. It is a way to not only achieve fitness, but you meet other healthy people in your class that have the same goals as you do.
My son and I enrolled in a martial arts class years ago, and I must say that it was one of the best times of my life. Studying marital arts is a year round activity and is not governed by the changing of the seasons.

I remember that the first thing we did in class was to sit down and free ourselves of all inner distractions so we could focus on the task at hand. You also learn the art of meditation when you decide to take up martial arts. Meditation is also a great way to reduce the stress that you have in your life.

Studying the martial arts gives you a feeling of self-confidence. As you progress from one color belt to the next, you develop a sense of pride and accomplishment.

Studying the martial arts also strengthens your mental acuity. In many of the martial arts, you have forms or katas to memorize in order to progress from one belt to the next. You get a deep sense of pride and of a job well done when you have executed your form perfectly. I used to love performing the kata with my son. It made us develop a closer bond as we had something to share with each other.

I would recommend taking martial arts as a family. It will strengthen your bond with your spouse and your children. If you are looking to lose a little weight, then it will help you accomplish that goal as well. You will gain much flexibility when studying the martial arts as there are always stretching exercises that are performed before a session begins.

To sum up, then, martial arts is a discipline and a hobby. It is not only used for self defense purposes but it keeps your mind and your body healthy and working in unison. Try taking up martial arts. You will be glad you did!
Seattle Self Defense Schools and more on Seattle Kung Fu here.

Vitamin B is the Energy Vitamin

Friday, September 28th, 2007

Vitamin B is not just one vitamin but a collection of vitamins known as the B Complex. Vitamin B is sometimes known as the “energy vitamin” and is vital for an energetic and long life. Vitamin B is a natural vitamin, even an herbal vitamin, as it can be derived from natural-occurring sources such as potatoes, bananas, cereal, lentils, liver, turkey, and tuna. It is required for the manufacture of red blood cells, enzyme activity and for amino acid metabolism. Vitamin B is water-soluble, so it must be replenished every day through the diet or supplements. Vitamin B is also essential for the breakdown of carbohydrates into glucose, breakdown of fats and proteins, muscles in the stomach and intestinal tract, skin, hair, eyes, mouth, and liver.

Vitamin B Deficiency

Millions of American suffer from a Vitamin B deficiency for several reasons. These include any kind of stress (emotional or physical), too many processed foods in the diet, an abundance of refined sugar, all of which will rob the body of its Vitamin B stores. Recreational or prescription drugs can deplete Vitamin B, poisons in the environment or personal care product can deplete Vitamin B, malnutrition either due to poverty or by not eating the right foods to begin with, or the effects of cooking as most people do not eat ample amounts of raw food which is where the Vitamin B is destroyed so people are not getting enough in their diet. Vitamin B deficiency can be masked by many things and too often people are not even aware that they are deficient. Deficiency, while uncommon in humans, may result in hair loss, dry scaly skin, cracking in the corners of the mouth (called cheilitis), swollen and painful tongue that is magenta in color (glossitis), dry eyes, loss of appetite, fatigue, insomnia, and depression. There is an indication that certain mental disorders may be caused by Vitamin B deficiency. If Vitamin B deficiency becomes long-lasting or chronic, other problems are likely to show up. Problems with the adrenal system are a classic symptom of Vitamin B deficiency. Though the typical Western diet provides people with far more than the current RDA for B-12, certain individuals are at risk for a deficiency. In some instances, people who avoid animal products — such as vegans and followers of a macrobiotic diet — can develop a deficiency in vitamin B12 as a result of not eating enough B12-rich foods.

Vitamin B-12 is essential for maintaining healthy nerve cells and red blood cells; a deficiency in the vitamin can cause symptoms ranging from the subtle — including fatigue and mild dizziness — to more severe complications like nerve damage, anemia and even dementia. In a study of 98 middle-aged and older women, researchers found that 6 micrograms of B-12 per day seemed to be enough to prevent signs of mild vitamin B12 deficiency.

Basic Facts About Female Infertility

Friday, September 28th, 2007

Around one-third of all infertility cases can be attributed to female infertility issues. Whether it is a genetic inheritance or a traumatic event in one’s life, this can cause a great deal of stress and pain for a woman who is trying to get pregnant. In most cases, this problem can be overcome through the help of infertility clinics. With the correct information, couples can root out the causes of infertility in their individual cases and often can take measures problem.

Infertility information is your best resource for determining the cause of your infertility problems. Whether the problems arise from male or female infertility issues, there are treatments that will either correct the problem or, at the very minimum, increase your chances of starting a family. Infertility clinics and specialists are dedicated to helping young couples start a family through discounted services as well as making payment arrangements available for low-income families. You can even find organizations that specialize in distributing grants and loans to couples for the purposes of achieving their dream of starting a family.

Female infertility can be attributed to several things that can be rectified through changing certain behaviors. Oftentimes, the reason for female infertility problems is due to smoking or drinking. While these factors are not major causes of infertility, they can often hinder the chances for a woman to properly fertilize an ovum in her reproductive system. Caffeine also contributes to this problem as well as weight. Overweight as well as underweight women often suffer from female infertility. Although none of these factors are the sole reason for female infertility, changing these behaviors will often contribute to an increased chance for conception.

After finding the causes of infertility in your specific case, get in touch with your insurance provider to find out if they cover procedures to help overcome infertility. Some insurance providers view pregnancy as unnecessary and, as a result, will not offer coverage for female infertility treatments. If your insurance provider does not offer benefits for female infertility, you still have other options available to you. Some institutions offer grants and loans to couples who are trying to conceive but have infertility issues. Other non-profit organizations specialize in helping couples through free in-vitro fertilization (IVF) to help them achieve conception without straining their finances.

The most important aspect of overcoming female infertility is to understand the cause. The causes of infertility can vary from something as minor as a person’s diet to something as major as a biological issue. Either way, finding the causes of infertility in your particular situation will help you decide on the best treatments to help you conceive. Infertility clinics are your best friend when trying to determine your causes of infertility. With the proper infertility information, you can find what is causing your particular problem and then focus your attention on how to treat the problem for your greatest chance of getting pregnant.

For more articles about fertility, visit my site: Infertility Articles