When women reach a point where they stop ovulating, it is called menopause. It indicates the end of fertility in women. Menopause affects different women differently. For some, menopause starts early, but most would experience it around the age of 50. There is a reduction in the production of estrogen and progesterone in the body during and after menopause. The reduction of estrogen and other hormones in the body leads to many symptoms, and women resort to various ways and medications to replenish the depleted estrogen.

Water retention is excessive accumulation of fluid in the body. It occurs in women during menopause or perimenopause when they take estrogen replacement hormones. Water retention in the body is an indication of weak adrenals or kidneys, the circulatory system, or perhaps the heart. Water retention and/or bloating during menopause or perimenopause can easily be cured. The kidneys become fatigued on overloading, especially when you bloat due to fluid retention. It would be advisable to limit the intake of fluids.

Menopause and Ways to Reduce Water Retention

If you often bloat with water retention during menopause, try the following:

· Reduce salt intake - Excessive sodium in the blood leads to water retention in the tissues. It would be ideal to cut down on junk foods. Avoiding salty fries, pepperoni pizza and other foods containing hidden salt, some types of salad dressings, cereals and canned soups would be a good start. Inculcate the habit of reading labels before buying food off the shelves.

· Get exercising - Start walking, bicycling, and similar activities. These can help reduce water retention in your body. With age, you generally tend to reduce such activities, when you actually need to do the exact opposite!

Although ascorbic acid - Vitamin C - increases water output from the kidneys, its excessive use could stress your kidneys and there is a likelihood of increase in water retention in the future. There are certain things you can try to increase the output of water from your body:

· Tincture of Dandelion - About 10 to 20 drops of this tincture is a great way to reduce water retention. It helps in removing excess fluid from the cells, nourishing and toning your kidneys, the adrenals and the liver. It increases the ability to digest food and aids hormones to ease menopausal change.

· Dong Quai - When used regularly, it relieves bloating, and has a diuretic effect - increase in the discharge of urine. This oil also has a mild sedative effect, soothing the intestines and bladder.

· Helpful Foods - Eating asparagus, corn, cucumber, grapes, and watermelon may be helpful. Reduce intake of parsley, celery, black tea and coffee in order to avoid water retention.

· Other Remedies - Certain oils, such as cypress, geranium, juniper, lavender and rosemary, may help reduce water retention in your body. These essential oils may be used in the form of baths, gargles, mouthwashes, vaporizers, inhalants, as well as compresses and massages.

Trying these remedies, including reduced salt intake, will help in reducing water retention.

The information in this article is for educational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice.

With these simple dieters tips you may be able to turn the tables on your weight loss success.

To eat more and weigh less sounds impossible doesn’t it? But with a few simple facts and gaining a little knowledge you may be able to turn the tables on your weight loss success. You may actually lose unwanted pounds without having that constant hungry feeling.Eating more and weighing less begins with learning a new way of eating that promotes weight loss without feeling hungry. You are eating healthier to lose weight.Nine out of ten people who try to lose weight fail to keep it off. Dieters know that empty feeling in the pit of your stomach, not to mention that growling sound that erupts when you lower your food intake.The key to eat more and weigh less is figuring out the energy density of foods. Energy density foods are divided into four categories:1. Very low energy dense foods, which include most fruit and vegetables, skim milk and broth based soups.2. Low energy dense foods, which include cooked grains, cold cereal with skim milk, low-fat meats and salads.3. Medium energy dense foods, which include meats, cheeses, salad dressings, and snack foods.4. High energy dense foods which include candy, chips, cookies, crackers and nuts.Our senses play an important role in being comfortable and satisfied with the amount of food we eat. A meal begins with our eyes and tiny portions make us feel we will never be full. While large portions of food make us believe that when we are done we will be satisfied and happy.

The smell and taste of food also adds enjoyment to our meals. With larger amounts of food, we have more time to take in the sensory delights. More food takes longer to digest, which sends full-feeling messages to our brain. The more we eat the more satisfied signals our brain receives.If you want to eat more and weigh less, most of the foods you eat should come from low energy dense foods (#2) and should be combined with fruit and vegetables from very low energy foods (#1).You can combine medium energy dense foods (#3) in small amounts and you’ll have a full plate of food and won’t leave the table hungry.The key to all of this is to train your senses by filling your plate full with the right kinds of food with fewer calories, which in turn means you can eat more and weigh less.Copyright ฉ 2005 Treadmill Info.com All Rights Reserved.This article is supplied by http://www.treadmill-info.com where you will find valuable information, ratings, reviews, articles and buying tips before you make the investment in quality fitness equipment. For more fitness related articles go to: http://www.treadmill-info.com/articles_1.html

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How to Decrease the Appearance of Wrinkles Using a Natural Remedy

While beauty is only skin deep, and wrinkle decrease skin cream can cost a fortune, or be a cheap cosmetic you wouldn’t want to use as an anti-ageing skin care, omega 3 fatty acids are a healthy beauty treatment. As many people in medical studies, or on their own, are adding ultra purified fish oil to their diet to prevent or treat high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and many other debilitating conditions, they are finding that their hair, skin and nails are improving too.What a delightful bonus. Ads about cosmetics bombard us hourly on television, and in fashion magazines. There are so many wrinkle decrease blogs, wrinkle decrease bloggers and wrinkle decrease chats going on, that it is mind boggling.It comes as good news that the omega 3 fatty acids are beneficial to skin health, because they prevent or sooth inflammation. Wrinkles in our skin are caused by inflammation and lack of good oils. A hand in hand situation. So here is a natural remedy, in good food and available as a healthy food supplement.How to wrinkle decrease even better, is to understand the balance of omega 6 oils and omega 3 oils. Omega 6 oils, found in grain-fed animal fats, and most vegetable oils, (therefore most salad dressings) and many nuts, is not bad for us. However, we must limit the ingestion of omega 6 oils, because they promote an inflammatory response in the body.Inflammatory responses can cause high blood pressure, artery disease, heart disease, gum disease, arthritis, diabetes, and oh my goodness that list can go on and on……so we’re talking too much of a good thing.Omega 3 fatty acids, are opposite in biochemical affect. They decrease or prevent inflammation in the body. Ideally if you were to eat a certain number of grams of omega 6 oil, say from a peanut butter sandwich, you would want to eat the same amount of omega 3 fatty acids, or oils, in the same day.This does not take a huge lifestyle change. Tuna, salmon, mackerel, sardines and anchovies are a good source of omega 3 oils. Their ingestion should be limited because of the pollutants they contain, particularly mercury. Some doctors say restrict these to three times a week, some say two times is enough. If you are pregnant or nursing, ask your doctor for his latest updated recommendation.But, you can supplement your intake of omega 3 oils with ultra purified fish oil. It is inexpensive (remember, good quality fresh wild caught salmon is about $12.00 a pound, or much more if flown to you) and easy to get. If you prefer shopping online, it’s even easier to get. Another source of omega 3 oils might be some fresh chopped walnuts in your salad instead of croutons. Avocado, walnut, flaxseed and olive oil are all healthy omega 3 oils that you can make your salad dressings from.This is a big subject and there is lots more to say about it. How to wrinkle decrease the best way, is to eat healthy omega 3 oils that improve many conditions in your body, and give you healthy skin as well.

Carbohydrates and Fats

Carbohydrates are the body’s source of fuel, giving the body energy to be active and to carryon its daily metabolic activities. Carbohydrates contain four calories per gram of weight. Simple carbohydrates are found in simple sugars, such as table sugar, honey, corn syrup, sorghum, date sugar, molasses, brown sugar, powdered sugar, turbinado sugar, and any substance that ends in ose (for example, glucose and fructose). Complex carbohydrates are cereals, breads, pastas, and vegetables. Fruit contains both simple and complex carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates are rapidly digested; complex carbohydrates are digested more slowly. Fats Fat contains a more concentrated source of calories (with nine calories per gram) than do carbohydrates or protein. Fats carry vitamins and important or essential fatty acids. Examples of fatty foods include butter and margarine, cream, salad dressings, oils, and lard. Some foods, such as avocados, olives, and certain nuts, contain large amounts of fat. There are five terms in the language of fat that you should know. The American Heart Association recommends the use of monounsaturated fats in controlling heart disease. Cholesterol is a fatlike alcohol found in animal fats and oils. Most of it is developed in the liver, but it can also be absorbed from the diet. Cholesterol is blamed for much of the heart disease in our culture. Recent research indicates that it is one of cholesterol’s fats-Iow-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) that is the bigger culprit. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is the “good guy.” Triglyceride in the body is affected by the cholesterol and saturated fat in the diet. When the blood sugar is lowered, the triglyceride level is usually lowered, too.

7 Dietary Detox Tips

Your body is in a battle zone. Constantly bombarded by inflammation, pollutants, toxins, synthetic chemicals, carcinogens, and free radicals from stress, second-hand smoke, and exercise, it’s a wonder that many of us even get out of bed in the morning. Of course, this constant struggle places the body in a catabolic state, in which muscle is broken down and fat is stored. In addition to an expanding waistline, other physical manifestations include acne, gas, bloating, fatigue, depression, and a depressed immune system.So let’s say that you wanted to know changes you could make to help fight against this constant barrage. A perfect place to start is the type of fuel that you are constantly pumping into your body. Is it high grade, quality fuel that allows your body’s engine to run smoothly and efficiently, capable of operating at maximum capacity? Or is it low grade, synthetically derived fuel that leaves you running about about 75%, incapable of achieving what your body should naturally be able to achieve?If someone walked into my office, called me on the phone, or wrote me an e-mail and asked me to recommend fuel changes that would eliminate synthetic materials and nasty chemicals from their diet, I’d give them the following ten tips for a “dietary detox”:7. Use garlic in your cooking. Allicin is a natural compound found in garlic, and contains important anti-fungal properties that help to fight against the harmful bacteria that have built-up in your dietary tract from improper nutrition. Try one spoonful of fresh, minced garlic over a salad or stir-fry.6. Avoid acidic condiments that place a high stress on your gut. This includes saeurkraut, most flavored salad dressings in the grocery store aisle, cooking vinegar and balsamic vinaigrette, Worcestershire sauce, and horseradish. Try to use as little “dress-up” on your sandwiches and salads as possible.5. Eliminate preserved meats and pickled, dried or smoked foods, including packaged lunch meats, hot dogs, beef jerky, pickles, salami, corned beef, etc. The chemicals used to preserve these items should be considered toxic. Choose meats that are as natural and fresh as possible.4. Avoid high consumption of coffee, tea, and wine, which contain acidic tannic compounds and often contain synthetic additives, toxins, and mold. Try to limit yourself to 1 cup a day of either coffee or tea, and choose light roasts and mild flavors.3. Eliminate frequent consumption of dense simple sugar sources, whether natural or artificial, including fruits and fruit juices. This means that the majority of your fiber intake should come from vegetables, with only light supplementation of fruits, such as two pieces of fresh, raw fruit per day. Sugar is a breeding ground for bacteria.2. Use grains sparingly. Choose gluten-free whole grains whenever possible, including quinoa, corn, millet, rye, and spelt. This will also assist in avoiding bacteria build-up in the intestinal tract.1. Go organic. Whenever possible, choose organic fruits, vegetables, meats, and other products that are free of herbices, pesticides, toxic preservatives, and other chemicals.An additional beneift of these changes is that your body gradually begins to build up natural chemicals and intestinal bacterias, leaving you with a lower risk of cancer and a super strong immune system. If you want more nutritional advice, you may want to look into a nutritional analysis from Pacific Elite Fitness. You’re required to keep a 3 day log of your exact dietary habits, and a diet and fitness expert then analyzes your nutrition to identify changes, substitutions, and habits that will help you adopt healthier eating patterns. This can make a huge difference in achieving your goals more efficiently. To get started today, visit www.pacificfit.net/fitness.html, and click on Nutritional Consultation.Until next time, train smart,Ben Greenfield

Eating Healthy While Eating Outside

If you go out to a restaurant to eat, you probably watch your calories very closely. To assist you with your calorie watching when dining out, these tips will help you make the most of it. - Always order salad dressings or sauces on the side, as this way you have control over how much you add to your meal. - When you order grilled fish or vegetables, you should ask that the food be grilled without butter or oil, or prepared with very little or either or. - Anytime you order pasta dishes, be on the lookout for tomato based sauces instead of the cream based sauces. Tomato based sauces are much lower in fat and calories, and tomato sauce can even be counted as a vegetable! - You should always try to drink water, diet soda, or tea instead of soda or beverages that contain alcohol. - If you order dessert, share with a friend. Half of the dessert will equal half of the calories. - When you choose a soup, remember that cream based soups are higher in fat and calories than other soups. A soup can be a great appetizer, as most are low in calories and you fill you up pretty fast. - When ordering a baked potato, ask for salsa instead of sour cream, butter, cheese, or even bacon. Salsa is very low in calories and provides a healthy alternative with plenty of flavor and spice. - When you are full, stop eating. Listen to your body and what it tells you. - If you get full, take half of your meal home. The second portion of your meal can serve as a second meal later. This way, you get two meals for the price of one. - If you’re looking to eat less, order two appetizers or an appetizer and a salad as your meal. - If you get a choice of side dishes, get a baked potato or steamed vegetables instead of french fries. - Always look for food on the menu that’s baked, grilled, broiled, poached, or steamed. These types of cooking use less fat in the cooking process and are usually much lower in calories. - Plain bread or rolls are low in both fat and calories. When you add the butter and oil, you increase the fat and calorie intake. - As key ingredients to your meal, choose dishes with fruits and vegetables. Both fruits and vegetables are great sources of dietary fiber as well as many vitamins and minerals. - Choose foods made with whole grains, such as whole wheat bread and dishes made with brown rice. - If you crave dessert, look for something with low fat, such as berries or fruit. - Always remember not to deprive yourself of the foods you truly love. All types of foods can fit into a well balanced diet.

Weight Loss Diets: Better Choices for Salad Dressing

If you’re like most people, you love to pour rich, creamydressing all over the vegetables in your salad. And whileyou may think you’re eating healthier because you’re eatingyour veggies, the salad dressing may be weighing you downmore than you realize.No doubt salad dressings are very good, anything creamy isusually going to be good. But not when you are trying toeat healthy and lose some calories. There are otherdressings that are much healthierOne option is to try salad dressings made with balsamicvinegar. You can make your own at home using one part oilto one part vinegar. You can also add other seasonings fortaste, to make it just like you want itFlaxseed oil and olive oil make tasty alternatives to cornor canola oil. These oils contain necessary fats that canbe used by many bodily organs. Flaxseed oil doesn’t convertto fat cells so this is another added benefitAnother way to dress up your salad without adding extra fatis to squeeze a little lemon juice on your salad. It givesit a tart sweetness that many dieters enjoy.Some other healthier choices when eating salads are thespray dressings; these offer only 15 to 20 calories persquirt. This is much better than smothering your salad withfatty, creamy dressings that are loaded up with sugar andfat. You can save calories but using moderation.When you are trying to break old dining habits, tryordering the dressing on the side of your salad. You willfind this is an easy way to cut calories.Dip the tines of your fork in the dressing before puttingthe veggies on it. You’ll get a little dressing with eachbite, but you won’t use nearly the same amount as if youpour it all over the salad. In fact, you’ll be surprised atthe great flavor and the small amount of dressing youactually need to feel satisfied.Download our excellent free report at Weight Loss Insider! Or check out our reviews on the top 7 Weight Loss Programs

Vitamin K, usually associated with leafy green vegetables, is an important factor in proper blood clotting and bone metabolism. Researchers at the Jean Mayer U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, along with the USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, has found that vegetable oils are also an excellent source of vitamin K.

To attain a more comprehensive understanding of vitamin K content of various fats and oils used by consumers in the U.S., the researchers analyzed margarines, spreads, butters, shortening, vegetable oils, and salad dressings

Their results showed that vitamin K content decreased with hydrogenation, the process of converting liquid oils to semisolid forms by adding hydrogen molecules to the fatty acid. Butter was shown to contain less vitamin K than vegetable-derived oils and spreads, corroborating the current USDA dietary guidelines recommending that consumers obtain most of their dietary fat from nonhydrogenated vegetable sources. The concentration of vitamin K varied according to fat content, which is why reduced-fat salad dressings contain lower amounts of the vitamin.

The guidelines suggest that women take in 90 micrograms of vitamin K a day, while the adequate intake (AI) requirement for men is 120 micrograms. One tablespoon of margarine would be equal to about 10 percent of the AI for men and 13 percent for women; two tablespoons of regular salad dressing provides 25 percent and 33 percent of the AI for men and women, respectively. Please send your review to Indo Munch.

The researchers also measured blood concentrations of several molecules that the body secretes in response to stress. High readings for these molecules can indicate increased vulnerability to various illnesses because stress molecules, such as various hormonelike prostaglandins, induce inflammation and oxidative stress. Inflammation normally aids the repair of injured tissue as part of the body’s infection-fighting defenses, but when a person’s internal regulatory mechanisms are faulty, systemic low-grade inflammation can cause progressive damage.

Acid reflux happens when the lower esophageal sphincter is weakened or forced open by eating certain foods. Everybody will have their own triggers when it comes to acid reflux, however there are certain foods that cause acid reflux in the bulk of those who suffer from the problem.

People who remember the acid reflux foods to avoid should be able to remove this condition from their lives and they will sleep and feel better throughout each day. Therefore it is important to change or adopt appropriate dietary habits.

Acid Reflux is an uncomfortable condition which can be reduced or eliminated with the correct diet. The following provides the dos and don’ts essential to maintain healthy lifestyles sans acid reflux. The following categorizes foods to avoid in preventing acid reflux from occurring

Beverages

Caffeine is high on the list of foods that cause acid reflux. This consists of coffee, tea, carbonated beverages and all kinds of alcoholic drinks.

Foods with high fat content

Fried foods and other high fat foods are at the very top of the list of foods that cause acid reflux because these foods take a long period of time for the body to digest. This adds pressure in the stomach, which then puts pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter and allows acid to reflux.

The high fat foods to avoid are mashed and French fried potatoes, chicken wings, chicken nuggets, marbled sirloin steak and ground chuck streak.

More foods include cakes that have creamy frostings, ice cream, brownies and doughnuts. Milkshakes, cottage cheese and sour cream are dairy products that should be added to the list to avoid. Macaroni with cheese, pastas with rich sauces, creamy salad dressings should not be eaten by those who have symptoms of acid reflux.

Foods with high acidic content

Other general foods that cause acid reflux consist of citrus foods such as grapefruit, oranges and juices, tomatoes and tomato based products.

Acid reflux foods to avoid may include many spices which often trigger this condition. People should not eat foods that are prepared with many different spices. In addition, these people should never consume spicy food in the afternoon or evening because most people suffer from acid reflux when they try to sleep. While retiring it is also a good idea to elevate the upper body to prevent acid from seeping back up.

While it is not a food, tobacco is also a major offender. It is also important to remember that smoking can cause many more serious illnesses such as cancer.

Medications may be needed in order to combat these foods that cause acid reflux. However there are other, natural ways to combat foods that cause acid reflux. One is to not to overeat. The other includes maintaining an ideal weight according to your height.

What Diet Should You Use For Acid Reflux?

Each individual should focus on the delicious foods that they can eat rather than the delicious foods that they cannot eat. There are some superb meats to include in this diet that are nutritious and delicious.

Fruit is good for those on the diet to avoid acid reflux, but the fruit should be carefully chosen. For example, apples and bananas are good for those with acid reflux.

Extra lean ground beef, steak and chicken are usually suitable for a main course. Most fish is also very nutritious and safe for those suffering with acid reflux. All of these foods are acceptable in the diet to avoid acid reflux, but these should not be prepared with a lot of grease. The dishes should preferably be grilled or broiled.

Most bread, cereal and graham crackers should not generate the symptoms of acid reflux. Corn bread and pretzels are good additions to the diet.

The diet for acid reflux will abolish some desserts, but there are other desserts that should be fine for those with the condition. Cheese often makes a good dessert, and there are some cheeses that will be an important part of the diet for acid reflux. However as stated above, there are also some cheeses that should be avoided.

Fat free cookies are generally fine for those with acid reflux. People with acid reflux should avoid rich, creamy cakes and most ice creams although people can substitute some kinds of frozen yogurt for the ice cream.

Just like others even you want to enjoy the warm sunny weather and the pleasant cool breeze- but you can barely enjoy it. Right? The sunny weather gives you skin rashes, the smell of freshly cut grass gives you watery eyes, and the cool breeze carrying the fragrance of fresh flowers troubles you with inhalation problems.

Just like others even you want to enjoy the warm sunny weather and the pleasant cool breeze- but you can barely enjoy it. Right? The sunny weather gives you skin rashes, the smell of freshly cut grass gives you watery eyes, and the cool breeze carrying the fragrance of fresh flowers troubles you with inhalation problems. Do you know that all these symptoms are enough to show that you are suffering from allergies and should get a fast remedy? So here I have come to provide you with the best homemade remedies that will cure allergies instantly.

Homemade natural remedies for allergy

The best part of these homemade allergy-relief remedies is that it is present in your kitchen pantry. To begin with the natural remedies green tea is the best option. It is a natural antihistamine that you can drink as one or two cups a day for getting the required results. Honey can be a real natural remedy for combating with allergies. Local honey aids you to become resistant to pollens that might cause allergies. Chamomile tea is also a natural antihistamine that one can drink at least one or two cups a day specially after sweetening it with honey.

Other homemade allergy-relief items can include ginger obtained from peeling and crushing one-inch piece of fresh ginger roots. Ginger can act both as a natural antihistamine and also a mild decongestant. Garlic, on the other hand helps stimulate the functioning of immune system so you can not only add it in your cooking but also serve it with salads

and salad dressings. Iced Peppermint tea, Ephedra and Eucalyptus can be effective if you are suffering from allergies like coughs and congestions. The other three useful homemade remedies for reducing allergies are Oatmeal, Thyme and Apple Cider Vinegar. Whether its itching, sneezing or inhalation problems, these can provide instant remedy to heal your allergy.

Natural medication for allergies

SOS Histadrops is a medicated item that you can keep at home to fight against allergies. Histadrops contains herbal elements like Plantago Lanceolata, Allium Cepa C30 and Ars. iod. C30. These herbal elements reduce allergic rhinitis or any type of allergic reactions caused by allergens like pollen, grass seeds, animal dander, dusts and mites.

Keep these homemade remedies ready at hand to escape from all types of allergies.

Other effective treatments for allergies

Another common treatment for allergies is using a set of medications called antihistamines, which prevent the formation of histamines that are the main cause of allergy. The best example of such antihistamine is Benadryl that will reduce your allergies effectively. The other common over-the-counter drugs that are required for treating allergies include decongestants, bronchilators [for treating asthma related allergies], and allergy shots. The allergy shots are given in the form of vaccines but you should make sure about the amount of medication is needed to produce the desired effect in controlling allergic reactions.

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