4 Biggest Pregnancy Myths Revealed

If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, there are a lot of myths and old wives tales out there you may have to deal with. Many people will tell you tall stories and myths regarding your baby and it's development, and sometimes it can be hard to extract the fact from the fiction. Below is the 4 biggest pregnancy myths out there, with the scientific research answering the myth.

1. An ultrasound is the only way to determine the sex of your baby 

There are a few different pregnancy myths regarding how to determine the sex of your baby. They range from whether you are carrying high or low, performing a home urine test or what cravings you have. None of these myths though have any substance to them. The only way to determine the sex of your new baby is to have an ultrasound performed by your doctor.

2. The myth of eating for two  

Many women use this as an excuse to eat as much food as they can. In reality you are not eating for two adults, and some health professionals claim that a pregnant women may only need to increase her calories by between 300-400 calories per day. This means that if you are pregnant, it doesn't necessarily mean you will gain heaps of weight during pregnancy. It has also been noted that overweight women can actually stay the same or even lose weight during pregnancy.

3. No level of alcohol when pregnant is safe 

Some myths surround the fact that a little bit of alcohol is ok when pregnant. The reality is no alcohol should be consumed whilst pregnant as it can damage your growing baby in many ways. But don't panic if you have had a big night and find you are pregnant a few weeks later, as the majority of damage occurs from regular binge drinking.

4. Danger of household appliances  

An old wives tale has surrounded the danger of televisions, microwaves and computers around a pregnant mother. Science has shown however that the radiation produced from these devices is extremely miniscule and highly unlikely to harm your developing baby.

With these tips in mind, you will now be able to set people straight when they hand out pregnancy advice. If you are at all concerned however with your babies development, please visit your doctor to obtain professional advice.

Menopause and Bone Loss

Menopause is one of the most challenging episodes in the life of a woman. The stage brings with it certain bodily changes such as the cessation of a female’s ability to conceive. Psychologically, menopause also poses quite a challenge for a woman as it will likely challenge preconceived views on her role that may cause great changes in mood and temperment as well as requiring greater effort to accept such changes as part of the natural process. Most women reach menopause when they are 50, although the average age for menopausal women is considerably earlier in most developing countries. There are plenty of challenges confronting a woman during her menopausal stage. However, none is perhaps greater or of more pressing concern than bone loss.

How Is Menopause Related to Bone Loss?

A woman who reaches menopause usually experiences osteopenia, running the risk of developing osteoporosis in time. Moreover, the onset of the decay of the bone leading to a weak structure causes body pain, predominantly in the back and joints.

To answer the question raised, bone loss comes about because of the body’s need to balance between blood production and bone creation. When still young, the body is able to produce blood as well as create bones. However, upon reaching the age of 30, the body begins to lose bones faster than it can replace them.

At the onset of menopause, bone loss dramatically becomes faster. Estrogen production stops after menopause. Once this happens, it means more bad news for the bones because the hormone is very vital in maintaining bone strength.

Are All Women at risk for Bone Loss?

Yes. All menopausal and post-menopausal women do experience bone loss. However, there are certain groups who stand out as having the greater incidence of the condition as well as showing a very rapid bone loss. These groups include the following:

* Those who are thin or have a small body frames. Body mass is directly proportional to body size: smaller women will experience bone loss in its most severe form.

* Those who are taking steroids. Steroids interfere with the body’s natural production of hormones. As such, when menopause comes, the body is further impeded with what little amount of hormone it can produce.

* Those who consume low levels of calcium and Vitamin D. These two nutrients are very vital in maintaining bone strength. As such, when the body does not get enough of them, bone loss during menopause is predictably more severe.

* Those with sedentary lifestyle. Lack of exercise also leads to atrophy of the bones. On the other hand, those who exercise regularly develop strong bones.

Are There Ways to Prevent or Minimize Bone Loss?

Taking in enough calcium by eating fresh fruits and vegetables allow the bone to become strong in their structure, making them withstand the decaying effects of menopause. A menopausal woman needs about 1,500 mg of calcium each day. On the other hand, calcium will not be maximized if taken without Vitamin D. Vitamin D is the nutrient that makes calcium absorption easier. The best sources for the vitamin are eggs, fish, and milk. Moreover, exercising regularly will keep the bones strong, thus preventing bone loss.

People Come Into Your Life For A Reason, A Season Or A Lifetime

People Come Into Your Life For A Reason, A Season Or A Lifetime

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLltt5cPDOc

When you figure out which one it is,
you will know what to do for each person.
When someone is in your life for a REASON. . .
It is usually to meet a need you have expressed.
They have come to assist you through a difficulty,
to provide you with guidance and support,
to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually.
They may seem like a godsend, and they are!
They are there for the reason you need them to be.
Then, without any wrongdoing on your part,
or at an inconvenient time, this person will say
or do something to bring the relationship to an end.

Sometimes they die.
Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.
What we must realize is that our need has been met,
our desire fulfilled, their work is done.
The prayer you sent up has been answered.
And now it is time to move on.

Then people come into your life for a SEASON....
Because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn.
They bring you an experience of peace, or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons
: things you must build upon in order to have
a solid emotional foundation.
Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person,
and put what you have learned to use in all
other relationships and areas of your life.
It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

Thank you for being a part of my life,
Whether you were a reason, a season or a lifetime ...


---

http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewArticle.asp?id=21933

People Come Into Your Life for a Reason
By Alvin C. Romer
Last edited: Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Posted: Friday, April 28, 2006

http://blog.harisfazillah.info/2009/07/people-come-into-your-life-for-reason.html

Natural Treatments for Swine Flu

Although the chances of your catching swine flu are relatively low, it is still possible you could become infected. But if it does happen, don't lose hope. The virus can be fought with natural immune system boosters and antiviral substances. During this pandemic, natural remedies can help you recover from even a deadly disease.

Furthermore, proper natural remedies can help prevent you from catching this disease, or any disease, in the first place. By strengthening your immune system, you increase your body's ability to fight disease, viruses, and bacteria.

One way to boost your immune system is to take large amounts of Vitamin C. This antiviral vitamin can block the enzyme known as neuraminidase, which is needed by a virus in order to reproduce. There are anecdotes of people surviving the Spanish Flu by drinking large doses of Vitamin C. The elderly should take Vitamin E along with Vitamin C, to enhance the effects of the vitamin.

Garlic is common in most kitchens and it can also be used in the fight against the swine flu epidemic. It is an efficient natural antiviral herb. It is most potent when freshly crushed. Garlic must be consumed within one hour of crushing. Recommended dosage is two to three cloves per day. Organic garlic is more potent and effective than non-organic garlic. But remember that it can burn the stomach when taken in large amounts, so its a good idea to eat it with bread or yogurt.

My favorite way of taking large amounts of garlic, to fight normal colds and flues, is by spreading butter on toast and then adding garlic slices, or crushed garlic.

Possibly the best alternative to the medical drugs, Tamiflu and Relenza, is Green Tea. This is a highly effective antiviral. It decreases the production of the cytokine TNF-a, and inhibits the reproduction of neuraminidase as well. Best of all, it is natural, and therefore it doesn't have any of the harsh side effects that synthetic drugs have. If you want to use Green Tea for this purpose, remember that what you find on the shelves of a grocery store will probably be relatively ineffective. Organic varieties, particularly those grown for health or medicinal purposes, are the best.

Another antiviral you can get is Resveratrol. It comes from the Japanese Knotwood root, from red grapes, and from raisins. It causes your cells to stop manufacturing viruses. There are supplements available in liquid form, for better absorption, and it has no toxic effects.

Apple juice is an antiviral which is available just about everywhere. But if you want to have the best results, try making your own, in a juicer. You should include the skin and pulp. This is more powerful than simply using commercially-available apple juice.

Scuttellaria, better known as Skullcap, is an herb that can be taken as tea. It is an effective antiviral that is also used as a mild tranquilizer. Just like other natural antivirals, it inhibits the reproduction of neuraminidase.

Cat's Claw, or Uncaria Tomentosa, boosts one's immune system as well as decreasing the production of cytokine TNF-a. Your white blood cell count can be increased with this treatment. Although no toxicity is noted, however, it should not be used by children and pregnant women. This is due to its damaging effect on the DNA of growing cells.

There are still plenty of other natural treatments for the swine flu that you can find in your cupboard. You don't necessarily need to drink synthetic medicines, or get vaccinations that can be harmful to your body.

Source : http://www.articlesbase.com
Author : Anna Williams

What To Eat To Have A Baby Boy

As strange as it may seem to some, what you eat can have a profound effect on whether you conceive a baby boy or a baby girl! Let me explain:

The foods you eat can and do effect you're body's ph. Eat foods that are acidic and your body will become more acidic. Eat foods that are more alkaline on the ph scale and your body's ph will raise in response, becoming more alkaline.

Ok, so how does your body's ph affect the gender of the baby you will conceive? Well lets first understand first off that it's the father's sperm determines the sex of your baby! That's right, your egg only carries an (xx) chromosome (all female) but the father's sperm come in two configurations, or sexes if you will, if his (xy) sperm fertilizes the egg a female baby will result, if his (yy) sperm fertilizes the egg a male baby will result. If only Henry VIII had known maybe he would have cut off his own head instead lol.

You need to understand some differences in the (xy) sperm (I'll call the "girl sperm") and the (yy) sperm (I'll call the "boy sperm".) The girl sperm is physically larger and stronger (longer lived) than the boy sperm. It is however a much slower swimmer (takes longer to reach the egg) than the boy sperm. Therefore the boy sperm tends to be smaller weaker (less hardy) and much faster to swim to the waiting egg.

Ok, now that you can see how these two sperm differ, it's time to take advantage of these differences, in an attempt to influence the gender of your new baby!

If you can keep your body on the acidic side of the ph scale at the time you are trying to conceive, you will make life very difficult for the boy sperm, and raise the odds to conceive a little girl. If, on the other hand you can keep your body's ph more to the alkaline side you will give the boy sperm a fighting chance (remember they are much faster) to win the race and fertilize the waiting egg resulting in a boy baby.

Ok, enough of the scientific stuff, what foods do you eat to tip the odds in favor of conceiving a male baby? Try to eat plenty of meats, pasta, fish, flour, vegetables, caffeine, and chocolate. Try to stick to a high calorie diet (over 2200 calories) while trying to conceive. Be sure to eat a good breakfast especially on those mornings you are trying to conceive. Eat foods high in potassium, and stay away from foods high in magnesium and calcium (like dairy products.)

I hope you have realized that if you want to be able to choose the gender of your next baby there is indeed simple, natural, steps you can take to tip the odds in your favor! If you are truly serious, please take the time to visit my website for more tips and links to the best ebooks available online to guide you through the process.


Author : Jerryl Lindenberg
Source : http://www.articlecity.com/

Different aspects of Hair Treatment

Almost all of us suffer from one hair problem or the other. In this world of too much pollution its really hard to protect our hair from damaging. Hair fall, broken ends, baldness, dandruff and scalp problems, etc. are the most commonly seen hair problems noticed in most of the people. The fact is that most of us are not even careful enough to take proper care of our hair. Even if we are aware, we really lack the knowledge of proper treatment for our hair.

The first and foremost point to be noted in relation to hair treatment is to figure out which type of hair problem you are suffering from. As soon as you have made this decision you are now ready to go for the specific hair care treatment suitable for you. There comes another decision to make, as different people have different hair types. As different people have different people have different hair types same hair treatment would not be suitable for all hair types. For example same hair treatment would not be applicable for dry and oily hair. Or problem faced by straight hair is different form curly hair.

The most commonly faced problems of dry hair are dullness, a dry or rough feeling, split ends, frizziness, and it is often difficult to comb or brush. In that case one should avoid spending too much time in strong sunlight, and use some suitable hair sunscreen and avoid the direct sunlight to fall on the hair. Dry hair needs more moisturizing than oily hair and should be treated with suitable conditioners. Dry hair should be massaged properly and gently with warm herbal oil at least thrice a week. Mild shampoo should be used to protect them from the harmful effects of chemicals and pollution. Excessive use of hair dryers and curlers may damage dry hair.

In the case of oily hair it is noticed that people with oily skin generally have oily hair. Oily hair needs a lot of washing. Excess oil,dust and dirt should be washed off as soon as possible.For oily hair, oils and shampoos having henna and neem are very good. And to prevent excessive secretion of oil one should avoid oily foods.

People with fine hair are more to hair damage as fine hair is too weak and an easy victim of hair breakage. In this case volumising hair care products may prove helpful as it help boost volume by coating the hair and make it appear thicker. It is advised to use light weight conditioners as fine hair is too much prone to hair breakage. Along with this curly, frizzy or wavy hair also have some particular problem of their own. They often need special care as compared to straight hair.

Another important common problem of all hair types is the problem of split ends. When the outer layer of the hair gets stripped off at the end of the hair, in this way the inner cortex fibers come out resulting in split ends. The only remedy of split ends is trimming of hair at least up to half an inch to avoid the upward splitting of hair.

Thus it is seen that different hair types have different problems of their own. And special care should be taken during treatment of different hair types.

Author : Mary Colonial
Source : http://www.articlebiz.com

Plus Size - You Are Beautiful

Pick any media source and what do you see? Super thin models who appear to eat a single bread crumb as their total caloric intake each day. This can be discouraging if you are a full figured woman. Don't let it be! You can be just as beautiful as them.

Most of us women focus obsessively on our outfits because we believe a particular look will get across a point we are trying to make. A sexy black dress will show off our smoldering, seductive side. A correctly cut skirt suit will show off our professional side. As you well know, there seems to be a look for just about every occasion.

Make no mistake. The outfit you wear does go a long way to making a particular impression. That being said, there are two parts to the process. The second is how you carry yourself. Some call this attitude, but it is really about confidence.

A woman who feels sexy, will be sexy. It is as simple as that. Why? Attitude shows through in everything we do. It always has and it always will. Any piece of clothing is only as attractive as the woman wearing it. Attraction is all about attitude. Many women think attitude really only applies to men. It doesn't. It applies to women just as much.

Picture in your mind a woman in a black cocktail dress. Is she sexy and the focus of men or not? The answer depends largely on her attitude which is conveyed by her body language. If she is "mousy" and passive, her body language will be in contrast to the attitude of the dress and she simply is not going to look good. If, on the other hand, she is confident, her body language will convey that and the dress will look great as an accessory to her overall beauty.

You are who you are. If you are plus size, you can do two things - lose weight or accept yourself. Even if you decide to lose weight, you still are going to be plus size for a bit and you still are going to want to look good. You can. It is all about being comfortable with yourself and confident. Any man would be lucky to have you. Don't forget that. Also, don't sabotage yourself by wearing outfits that are too small. Get clothes that fit or you will look like you are trying to hard.

Beauty is an equal opportunity thing. You don't have to be a rail thin supermodel to have it. You can be plus size and just as beautiful. You just have to be confident and believe in yourself.