Understanding an Irritable Bowel Syndrome Diagnosis
The most common response to a new diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome is, “What exactly does this mean? What is IBS?”
Once you’ve seen a gastroenterologist, been through diagnostic tests, and found out your symptoms match the Rome Criteria for IBS, you should finally have a diagnosis you feel is accurate. You’ve got Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Now what? Well, one of the most important weapons in your battle against IBS is information. You need to know the enemy. Fortunately, over the past several years a great deal of new information regarding the brain-gut interaction that results in IBS has evolved, and more discoveries are being made all the time.
First of all, it helps to realize that you are not alone. Irritable Bowel Syndrome is estimated to affect 15-20% of all Americans, primarily (but certainly not exclusively) women. This is at least 35 million Americans, and half of them have never even seen a physician for their symptoms. Despite this, IBS is still the most-frequently seen illness by gastroenterologists, and is one the top ten diagnoses among all US physicians. It is also, incredibly, the second leading cause of worker absenteeism (behind only the common cold). These are pretty amazing statistics for a disorder that many people have never even heard of.
Interestingly, because Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a “functional” disorder, you can’t actually be tested for it. Rather, it is determined by a diagnosis of exclusion. This is because there are no structural, inflammatory, biochemical, or infectious abnormalities present in IBS. In other words, when IBS patients are examined by doctors, there is no physical problem to be found. So, are you just imagining your symptoms? No – you absolutely are not. A functional disorder simply means that the problem is an altered physiological function (that is, the way your body works), rather than something that has an identifiable origin behind it. In other words, while an IBS attack and its resulting symptoms are clearly visible as physical manifestations, the underlying cause behind these symptoms is not. The root of the problem in IBS sufferers cannot yet be identified by yielding a positive result from any existing medical tests. What then, precisely, is wrong with the way your body works if you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
IBS is indisputably a physical problem. Simply put, the brain-gut interaction of people with IBS influences their bowel pain perception and motility. In a nutshell, the processing of pain information within the central nervous system varies between normal individuals and those of us with IBS, with the result that we can experience even normal GI contractions as painful. The interactions between our brains, central nervous systems, and GI systems are just not functioning properly. We have colons that react to stimuli that do not affect normal colons, and our reactions are much more severe. The end result is heightened pain sensitivity and abnormal gut motility, in the form of irregular or increased GI muscle contractions. It is this gut overreaction and altered pain perception that cause the lower abdominal cramping and accompanying diarrhea and/or constipation that characterize Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Interestingly, the origins of IBS may really be in our brains, and not in our bowels. Given that for many years people with IBS were dismissively told their problem was “all in their heads”, it’s ironic that, in the end, this may be factually true. The underlying problem might well be in our brains – but it’s absolutely not in our imaginations.
No one really yet knows exactly why some people develop IBS and others don’t. There is mounting evidence that for some IBS sufferers the condition is precipitated by some type of grievous insult to the gut – dysentery, food poisoning, intestinal flu, abdominal surgery, even pregnancy. The theory goes that even after full physical recovery from these traumatic events, the nerves within the gut retain a “memory” of the insult and remain hyper-sensitive to further stimulation, as well as prone to subsequent over-reaction. You likely know if you experienced any abdominal trauma immediately prior to the onset of your Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms, and if you did it’s probably nice to have a logical explanation for what has happened to your GI tract and why. There are those (and I’m one of them) who are exceptions to this theory, however, who suffered no gut insult prior to the onset of Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms, and we’re still patiently waiting for our explanation.
Now that you know exactly what Irritable Bowel Syndrome is, check HelpForIBS.com/ (HelpForIBS.com) for an overview of treatments for IBS, so you can begin to successfully manage the disorder.
Heather Van Vorous is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: Irritable Bowel Syndrome, the two best-selling and best-reviewed IBS books in America. She is the founder of helpforibs.com/ helpforibs.com/ (Help For IBS.com), the internet’s largest IBS community, dedicated to offering education, support, and products that allow people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome to successfully manage their symptoms through lifestyle modifications. Her groundbreaking IBS dietary work has led to clinical research studies of diet and IBS, a nomination for a “Julia Child Cookbook” award, and her inclusion in the 4th edition of Who’s Who in Medicine and Healthcare. Her Irritable Bowel Syndrome recipes have been licensed by Novartis pharmaceuticals and her products are recommended by physicians and dietitians across the world. Heather has had IBS since age 9, and is now considered the foremost “patient-expert” on Irritable Bowel Syndrome in America.
How To Go About Detoxing Your Body
In order to ensure that your body is working at its optimum levels at all times, you may find that on occasion you will need to detox your body. What this means is that you cleanse your body in order to remove all the toxins which, as they gradually build up in the body, can cause problems. These toxins may stay in the body for several hours or even for the rest of your life, and will in the end affect your general well being and health. Below we provide you with a number of different things that you can do in order to detox your body and remove those unwanted toxins from it. These particular tips will help to keep your body cleansed on a daily basis.
1. Include plenty of fiber into your diet especially such things as brown rice, fresh fruit and vegetables (especially organic ones are the best). Also include into your diet such foods as cabbage, broccoli, radishes, beets and seaweed as all of these foods have great detoxifying properties.
2. Instead of sticking to drinking several cups of coffee or tea each day, replace some with green tea instead, as this will help to cleanse and protect your liver.
3. Include into your new diet regime a Vitamin C supplement, as this helps the body to produce glutathione which is a liver compound and can help to remove toxins from the body.
4. Another thing that you should include within your diet each day is water (a really natural way for removing toxins from the body). It is vital that you should be drinking at least 8 glasses of water on a daily basis.
5. Every so often do some breathing exercises, as by breathing more deeply you are actually allowing oxygen to circulate more efficiently through your body’s system, and this helps to alleviate some of the problems of toxins as they are removed from your blood.
6. Have a hydrotherapy shower each day in the comfort of your own home. The best time probably to carry this out is in the evening. What you need to do is take a very hot shower for 5 minutes and allow the water to run on your back, and then follow it up with a cold shower for 30 seconds. Carry this out 3 times and then dry yourself off and go and lay in your bed for 30 minutes.
By using the tips shown above, you should be able to detox your body on a daily basis, and so help to keep it working at its optimum levels.
Don’t buy another vitamin, supplement, or Natural Cure until you’ve read these home-body-detox.com/ Master Cleanse Secrets
What Can I Use for Acne Rosacea?
Good question.
Nonetheless, before we address options for alternative remedies for acne rosacea, let’s see what acne rosacea is first of all shall we.
Now, speaking from my experience with both acne rosacea and vulgaris, suffice to say that both forms of acne are indeed very embarrassing, however on its own, Rosacea is a skin disease that affects the middle third of the face, causing persistent redness over the areas of the face and nose that normally blush — mainly the forehead, the chin and the lower half of the nose.
This considered, some dermatologists believe that rosacea is basically different from acne.
One unique factor may be that it occurs most often in adults (ages 30 to 50), especially those with fair skin. Moreover, there are no blackheads or whiteheads in rosacea.
In addition, acne rosacea strikes both sexes. And though It tends to be more frequent in women, it is more severe in men.
Well, regarding alternative remedies for acne rosacea and the available options, it’s my belief that since the skin is the largest organ on the body and it assists other major organs in the human body with eliminating waste, one of the best acne treatments is a diet change. If you are unhealthy inside it will be reflected in your skin.
There are so many alternative remedies for acne rosacea options on the market today that profess to be the answer to all of your problems but the truth of the matter is you will have to find the best acne products or try to find the best home remedies for you by simply researching on your own.
But, it must be mentioned that alternative remedies for acne rosacea through diet can alleviate many of your outbreaks because we truly are what we eat. If the eyes are the window to the soul then the skin is a reflection of your overall health so the beginning of a real cure starts from within.
Other steps that will come in handy in controlling acne rosacea breakout are:
-Changing your pillowcases.
-Applying NOTHING but plain water to the face (cool that is) for rinsing.
-Avoiding excessive make-up
-Trying to control stressful situations.
-Believe it or not AVOIDING MICROWAVES!
It is my belief that you do have clearer skin, you perhaps just need to be shown how; and I sincerely hope the steps above will come in handy for that.
In Friendship,
Aje
Foras Aje is an independent researcher and co-founder of BodyHealthSoul LLC. Stop by His Natural Acne Treatment Blog today for more information on bodyhealthsoul.com/acnetreatment-blog/2006/10/options-for-acne-rosacea-natural.html acne rosacea natural treatment.
Hoodia Natural Diet
Who has not heard of hoodia gordonii? It is one of the latest diet fads to come
around. What everyone wants to know is, does it work? It absolutely does work
if you get the good stuff. The hoodia product that you get should be as pure as
possible with very few other ingredients. Read the labels closely on the product
to see what you are getting so that you will get the best hoodia natural diet
product.
One of the problems with hoodia is the price. It is a supply and demand thing.
Only one of the many South African nations where hoodia is a native, will allow it
to be exported. The reason for this is that it takes so long for the plant to
mature that it is getting scarce. So, because of this, the price is high and going
higher. Get your hoodia now while it is available. Who knows when it will be
pulled from the market.
Hoodia works by suppressing the appetite. It’s simple really, if you aren’t
hungry then you can lose weight. If your calories go down, so will your weight if
you eat sensibly and get some exercise. Hoodia helps you to not be as hungry,
thereby it is easier to diet.
The thing about hoodia is, it is a natural product. There are no chemicals in it
and there are no known side effects. Personally I prefer natural products than
ones that are created in the lab, don’t you? I get enough chemicals in food and
drink and the air I breathe, I don’t need or want anymore.
If you are serious about losing those extra pounds then you should seriously
consider taking hoodia. The dosage will vary by individual because our
metabolism is different. The starting dosage is 400 mg. daily. One can take up
to 1200 mg. a day. You should probably have your doctor monitor this so that
you will get the right dosage of the hoodia natural diet product for your body
type.
Just give hoodia a try. If you have tried a lot of diet products, you might want to get this
one and lose some of those unwanted pounds.
There is a lot of hype out there about hoodia. Find out the real info on this website:
hoodiaforyou.com hoodiaforyou.com
There is a page for ‘everything you want to know’ there.
Visit now while it is fresh on your mind and get started losing those extra pounds.
How To Make Your Penis Bigger – The Psychological Benefits Of Learning How To Make Your Penis Bigger
One of the first things that women notice about men is their confidence level. This article will reveal how women can tell your penis size with one look and the psychological benefits of learning how to make your penis bigger.
Women have a sixth sense and a gut feeling. It is their innate ability to take one look at a man that allows them to know whether to keep looking at that man with intrigue or walking away and looking elsewhere.
Failure unfortunately leaves a mark on your face and the way that you carry yourself. If you have a small penis size those face marks may be even more apparent to women.
A man with his eyes down and his shoulders hunched is a lot less likely to grab the attention of a woman than a man walking and standing confidently, making bold eye contact.
There is absolutely nothing that will give you more confidence than learning how to make your penis bigger. A man who knows that his penis size would be able to sexually satisfy any woman has a devil may care attitude and is not desperate for any one woman as he knows that he can take his pick.
Women find that kind of behaviour extremely attractive. Women pay a hell of a lot of attention to the way a man carries himself. A man with confidence and a little gleam in his eye who does not appear desperate for her is a man that’s interesting.
Having a bigger penis size allows you to show women that you are confident for a reason.
If you have low self-esteem about the size of your penis then penis enlargement is a very affordable option for you.
A bigger penis has no disadvantages.
Here is a how a bigger penis size will improve your life:
You will have increased sexual confidence, you will last longer in bed, you will be able to control your ejaculation and orgasms, PLUS very importantly you will be able to sexually satisfy your partners easier and quicker than ever before.
Turn the tables on your sexual confidence and check out the website below.
Copyright 2007. The vimax-pill.com Vimax pill will make your penis bigger by as much as 3 inches in a matter of weeks with no effort on your part. No penis enlargement devices or exercises are required. It’s also covered by a 60 day money back guarantee. Vimax has been helping men increase their penis size permanently for five years. Only go with a penis enlargement pill that you can trust. To find out more about the Vimax Pill go to vimax-pill.com vimax-pill.com
Reduce Weight And Lose Body Fat Forever – Reducing Weight Guide
Want to know how to reduce weight permanently and lose that weight forever? Take these step by step reduce weight guide to reveal a healthy and well toned body.
1) Cardiovascular Exercises – Do your cardio exercises frequently. These can be any exercises that work up your heart rate to the extent that you are huffing and puffing for at least 20 – 30 minutes. Do your cardio exercises 5-6 times a week if you want to reduce weight or 2-3 times a week for weight maintenance. Cardio exercises will help you lose body fat fast.
2) Build Muscles – Muscles burn calories even when you are not doing anything but resting. The more muscle mass you have the more calories you will burn a day and in the course of over a period of time, the calories you burnt will add up very substantially. Building muscle mass is one sure way of losing body fat forever.
3) Eat Carbs Early – Take your meals with carbs earlier in the day and cut down on carbs on later meals. This is to prevent unused carbs from turning into body fat when you sleep and to regulate insulin level. Avoid high glycemic carbs to achieve your reducing weight objective.
4) Don’t be too afraid of fats – The fats in your diet that are bad for you are saturated and trans fat. So replace these bad fats with unsaturated fat and essential fatty acids (EFAs) and these good fats will keep your body fat and fat related diseases down. But do take your fats in moderation as after all, they are still calorie laden.
5) Complex Carbs – Choose your carbs. Avoid starchy and refined carbs such as pasta, pizza, white rice and white bread. Replace them complex carbs such as brown rice, brown bread and high fiber carbs like green leafy vegetables.
6) Food Portion – Decide how much you want to eat at each meal and then keep to it and do not eat anymore when that portion is consumed. Eat slowly to let your body signal to your brain that you are full. This usually takes about 20 minutes. Extra food means extra and calories mean extra body fat if the food is not converted to energy. So with less calories consumed, you will not gain extra body fat but steadily reduce your weight. But never skip meals or starve if you want to reduce weight healthily.
7) Avoid Canned Or Boxed Food – These food are usually high in trans fat, sodium, sugar and simple carbs all of which will help you to gain weight and body fat.
Eat Often – By eating often, say at every 3 hourly intervals, your body will think that food is abundant and therefore less likely to store body fat for emergency such as a famine. But do bear in mind to keep the portion small so as not to consume more calories than you expand.
9) Get 8 Hours Sleep – Research after research has shown that people with less sleep are more prone to being fat.
10) Do Not Skip Meals – Skipping meals will slow your metabolism and forcing your body to use your muscles for energy instead of your body fat. This is a vicious cycle, the less muscle you have, the more your metabolism slows down.
There you are. By following this step by step guide, not only will you reduce weight but will lose your body fat forever.
Chris Chew is a personal trainer of actors, male pageant winners and top models. More of his fitness tips at sgfitness.com/site/1388195/page/634691 Free Fitness Tips
sgfitnessonline.com/yourfitnesscareer.htm Personal Trainer Online
How to Use the Subconscious to Cope with Body System Triggers of Your Pain
The musculoskeletal, immune and endocrine systems can all be potent triggers of pain signals in your body. Here’s a way to use your subconscious mind to try to lessen the impact of those triggers.
The Musculoskeletal System
The musculoskeletal system consists of the muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, cartilage and other elements that make up the structural part of your body.
In chronic pain one or more parts of this system may not be working properly. Muscles may be cramped, joints may be out of alignment, tendons and ligaments may be overstretched or inflexible, cartilage may be inelastic, and so on.
These factors may be operating in back pain or pain in the neck or other extremities, arthritis pain, fibromyalgia pain , or neuropathic pain (nerve pain).
Chiropractic, massage and acupuncture are often helpful in relieving pain triggered by the musculoskeletal system. But if you don’t get results, or if the pain keeps coming back after a short interval, it may be worthwhile to focus your subconscious on the structures involved.
The Subconscious and the Musculoskeletal System
The subconscious may be able to identify general or specific parts of the musculoskeletal system that are contributing to your pain. If so, it usually can then generate visualization statements directed at those parts.
Visualization statements represent the specific language that your subconscious wants you to read back to it to help ease your pain. They’re simple and are targeted directly at the main factors that could bring you relief.
You can obtain these statements by learning how to communicate directly with your own subconscious mind. The process is straightforward and can be done at home by working with a facilitator over the telephone. You you need no special skills and no previous experience in working with the subconscious.
The subconscious appears to be able to relax muscles, align joints, increase the flexibility of tendons and ligaments, and make other changes that help to ease pain.
Any changes brought about may not need to be large. For example, removing just a slight amount of pressure from a nerve being pinched at a joint may be enough to provide relief.
The changes brought about tend to build on one another. For example, when a joint becomes more aligned, the muscles around it tend to relax. When a tendon becomes more elastic, it tends to stop pulling on muscles.
The Immune System
The immune system is a complex of organs and cells designed to defend the body when it is invaded. When the system is out of balance it could be implicated in arthritis, fibromyalgia and other conditions that cause pain. Visualizations may help to provide relief.
The major parts of the immune system include the lymphatic vessels, lymph nodes, lymphatic fluid, the spleen, the thymus and the T-cells it produces, and the bone marrow and the B-cells it produces.
Auto-immune problems occur when the system mistakenly attacks healthy tissues. In the case of rheumatoid arthritis pain or psoriatic arthritis pain, for example, it sends white blood cells into the joints, producing chemicals that cause inflammation. This swells the joint lining and wears down the cartilage, narrowing the space between the bones and causing pain.
In the case of fibromyalgia pain, it’s not known whether the immune system is a cause of the condition or an effect of it. But it is known that a defect in T-cell activation is associated with the disease.
The immune system could also be a factor in back pain or pain in the neck or other extremities, or neuropathic pain (nerve pain).
The Subconscious and the Immune System
The subconscious may be able to help you deal with immune issues in two ways.
First, it may be possible to use visualization statements to reduce the intensity of the immune system attack on healthy parts of the body.
For example, we have had some success in reducing both joint pain and skin eruptions in psoriatic arthritis. This is done by using visualizations to suggest to the subconscious that immune T-cells are to be put into action only when the body is truly attacked by an outside invader.
Second, it may be possible to use visualizations to strengthen the immune system. Your subconscious may be able to identify whether regulatory, helper, and/or killer T-cells are weak, and suggest a way to alleviate the problem through visualizations. It may also suggest visualizing stronger bone marrow, a healthier spleen, or a more robust lymphatic flow.
The Endocrine System
Hormones are chemicals that circulate in body fluids and are designed to produce particular effects. Hormones are secreted by the adrenals, hypothalamus, pituitary, ovaries, testes, thyroid and other endocrine glands.
When the chemicals produced by these glands are out of balance with one another they appear to play a prominent role in causing joint pain, and may be one of the underlying causes of conditions as diverse as fibromyalgia pain, migraines, arthritis pain, depression, and chronic fatigue syndrome.
The endocrine system could also be a factor in back pain or pain in the neck or other extremities, or neuropathic pain (nerve pain).
The Subconscious and the Endocrine System
The subconscious seems to be aware of the existing levels of your individual hormones, and through visualization may be able to increase or reduce their levels enough to bring them into balance with one another. It also appears to be able to increase the absorption of DHEA, which is the basic building block of all hormones.
For example, it’s possible to ask about the levels of adrenalin, estradiol, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, human growth hormone, melatonin, thyroxin, and other hormones. If your subconscious connects any of them to your pain it can then be asked to provide visualization statements to help bring them back into balance.
In addition the subconscious may be asked to identify which hormone-producing organs may need strengthening. Many times this turns out to be the adrenals and/or the thyroid gland. Visualizations to help shore these organs up can then be generated.
If the subconscious thinks the rate of metabolism needs to be adjusted up or down, it may be possible to obtain language helping the subconscious to make the desired change.
Programming the Subconscious
The subconscious is quite powerful. When programmed through the very visualizations that it suggests, it may be able to turn episodes of uncontrolled pain into events over which you have a degree of control.
Ben Plumb is CEO and President of The Visualization Group, Inc. The company’s service is delivered by people like himself who personally suffered from years of chronic pain, and used the visualization method described in this article to obtain relief when nothing else worked. For more information, please visit thevisualizationgroup.com thevisualizationgroup.com.
(c) 2005 The Visualization Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The methodology and program disclosed in this article are Patent Pending.
Migraines: They Don’t Have to be a Headache
Migraines are a very common and distressing problem. Studies show that as much as 5 to 10% of the population is suffering regularly from this annoying condition. Three out of four migraine sufferers are women. Migraines are responsible yearly for countless number of missed workdays.
Migraine attacks can last from hours to several days and are often recurring. A typical migraine attack is separated in a prodrome (feeling of a migraine attack coming), the headache per se and the recovery phase.
My purpose today is not to give a detailed dissertation on the physiology and the diagnosis of migraines as this, per se, has the power to give anyone a throbbing headache.
Every migraine sufferer has the difficult task of identifying the triggering factors for their attacks and removing them as much as possible from their daily life. The most common causing factors are: alcohol, caffeine (whether it be coffee or other foods containing caffeine such as tea, chocolate or certain soft drinks or energy drinks ), physical stimuli such as motion sickness, strong odours, solvents or fumes, etc.
Migraine sufferers have also often linked their migraine attacks to changes in their own body. Such changes can be hormonal (pre-menstrual and menstrual period for a woman), great variations of blood sugar in diabetic people, sleep disturbances and secondary effects of many medications. Poor working posture like bending forward towards the computer keyboard for eight hours in a day can cause tension in the neck and head muscles and trigger headaches or migraines.
Many treatments are available on the market today and every person suspecting to suffer from migraines should consult their doctor first for proper diagnosis and treatment. Migraine sufferers need to be informed that migraine treatments are just temporary solutions to a problem that will recur if the underlying cause is not lifted. Hence, a migraine sufferer can enjoy relief of her current migraine episode but if she does not implement any life changes, the migraine episodes will tend to recur.
Furthermore, many migraine treatments are powerful medications and carry their own risks of side effects not to mention their astronomical prices that can give anyone a solid headache.
One factor that has been well overlooked in the migraine equation is the predominant role stress plays. Migraine is a modern scourge because we live in a society where production and stress go hand in hand. Not long ago, migraines were unheard of. Migraine sufferers have to seriously examine the triggering factors for their episodes and change their unhealthy lifestyles. Too often a person suffering from a mild tension headache will take alcohol hoping to alleviate their stress, to only wake-up with a splitting migraine the next day.
Parts of healthy living consist of eating generous amounts of fruits, vegetables and fibres. It is also proven that people who exercise regularly (at least 30 minutes a day for 5 days a week) suffer less from tension headaches and migraines.
Although stress cannot be completely removed from our daily lives, one’s reaction to everyday stressors can be greatly controlled and managed. Hypnosis has proven very efficient in helping people cope with their daily stress thus reducing, if not eliminating completely, the rate of headaches and migraine attacks in a year.
Dr Nathalie Fiset is a family doctor and a certified hypnotherapist. For more information go to: byebyemigraine.com byebyemigraine.com
aperfectharmony.com aperfectharmony.com or myalpha-power.com myalpha-power.com.
Successfully Maintaining Your Muscle Mass On Vacation
Although you want to enjoy yourself on vacation, it’s important to realise that a trip away is going to be a time when your muscle building program and willpower are going to be tested to the max!
The great news is, retaining your physique isn’t rocket science if you are able to show a bit of discipline and adapt when you are away.
But in order to get off to the best possible start, it’s important to prepare yourself even before you have set off on your journey. You see, the biggest problem for most people is they think they are going to mess up their program and end up eating junk food away from home…which dramatically increases the chance of this happening!
One of the best ways to avoid this is to write yourself some exact, positive guidelines of what you want to achieve. For example:
While on vacation this year, I am going to…
· Get a minimum of 8 hours sleep in every 24 hour period
· Eat 6 meals per day which contain around 40g of protein, 20g of carbohydrates and 7g of fat each.
· Rest for the first week, but exercise with the same intensity as I do in the gym every day there after.
But your guidelines could contain anything. Just tailor it to suit your fitness program, and you will find your determination to stay on track is massively increased.
While on the subject of nutrition, also remember that you don’t have to settle for any bland, nutrient-less food you might be served while travelling or at your destination. Nobody says you can’t take your own…so why no do so? Of course it can take a little time to prepare, but it’s well worth the extra effort. This way you know for a fact you are keeping up with your usual intake!
Also consider packing some MRP’s (Meal Replacement Powders) for your journey, and even for the vacation itself. These can be a real lifesaver when trying to stick with your diet while out and about as they can provide you with all the nutrients you need with the minimum of fuss!
There is a lot of debate about the amount of water you should be consuming, with the guidelines stating the average person needs at least 8 glasses of water every day. Of course it is difficult to tell what an “average person” is, but this 8 glasses may not be enough, especially if you’re visiting a hot climate.
Therefore I would actually recommend drinking at least 1 gallon (3.78 litres) of pure water every day while on vacation.
This may sound like a task in itself, but if you take a 2 litre bottle where ever you go such as the beach, your bedside, the pool etc, this allows you to have access to water continually through the day and night.
But don’t make the mistake of deciding to have a drink only when you get thirsty. This is a sign that you are already dehydrated! Therefore bear this in mind, and really make a conscious effort to keep your fluids at the right level.
Another area that is important not to overlook on your vacation is sleep. If you are getting a good amount at home, this is great. But have you thought how difficult it could be on holiday? It can be a real problem if you expect to be out until the early hours every night, or are staying at a noisy hotel.
The real problems occur if this lack of sleep is prolonged, as this can in fact have the same effect as being so drunk you’re above the legal driving limit…and working out in this condition puts you at risk to injury!
To prevent sleep deprivation, put this advice into action and use the extra hours in bed to your advantage!
1. Avoid doing exercise before going to bed. This causes your body temperature to rise and can take several hours to become cool enough before you can go to sleep.
2. If you have air conditioning in your room, keep it on while you‘re in bed. You may know the effects of this already if there’s an air conditioning unit at the office where you work, as it can make you feel half asleep sometimes!
3. Going to bed on an empty stomach can make getting a good night’s sleep more difficult than usual so make sure you eat something!
4. If you still find yourself getting less than 8 hours every night, take brief naps during the day.
But sleep is not the only form of rest you need to take into consideration when building muscle. Rest from the gym is just as important to your success.
If you haven’t taken a break from your training for a week or so within the last couple of months, it’s important that you do so in order for your body to fully recover. So if you thought it was going to be a struggle finding a gym or the time to workout when away from home, don’t worry. Having a week off is actually a very good idea!
But what if you are away for more than a week?
Well, having too much of a break can of course have a bad effect on your progress as well. Without exercise, your muscles will stop growing and your metabolism will slow down, causing you to take a few steps in the wrong direction.
But there are ways that you can get back into your routine while in unfamiliar surroundings.
The most obvious is to enquire at your hotel reception or with your travel operator about the nearest gyms to where you are staying. The problem is, many places offing non-member rates which are very expensive and can work out to be a large expense if you are there several times during your stay.
A much better (and cheaper!) alternative is to think ahead, and pack yourself some resistance bands or similar. They’re made of lightweight material, take up a tiny amount of room in your bag and are ideal for when you’re on the road. Not only are they convenient, but also offer a new challenge to your body over the days or weeks you are away.
Here’s an example. When performing a bicep curl with a dumbbell, gravity is pulling the weight down, and you lose tension and often drop the weight. With resistance bands, you can concentrate on both the lifting and lowering phases in an exercise.
Alternatively, try using your body weight or things around you for training. Buy 2 of the largest water bottles with handles you can find in the supermarket or fill an old pair of socks with sand. You now have a pair of light dumbbells to work with!
You can work just about every muscle in your body with these, just like you would do at the gym. The key is to increase your reps to 20 or more every set to make up for the lack of weight. This is a great way to work your slow twitch fibres and shock yourself into further growth!
Upon arrival home you are no doubt going to feel tired after a long journey. However, you may be completely jet lagged but it’s important to eat something first. You’ve just spent the whole holiday ensuring keep up with your diet, rest and exercise, so don’t let it slip on the last day!
Richard Howe is the founder of Basement Bodybuilding and has been helping others to build a better body from home for over 3 years. Visit his website for your free report revealing how to build your own home gym in 7 days at basementbodybuilding.com basementbodybuilding.com
Tingle, Tingle – Where’s My Blood?
Circulatory systems occur in all living things, from earth worms to mammals. As humans, our complex system of blood vessels is attached to the blood-pumping heart, which is responsible for keeping the blood flowing in the right directions. We all know we need air to breathe, and that’s because every cell in our bodies need that oxygen, too. The circulatory system is the responsible party; oxygen travels through the blood stream via the arteries, delivered to all of the organs, tissues, and cells by way of vessels and capillaries, and then the deoxygenated blood goes back to the heart, through the veins, to grab some more. Some people, though, have poor circulation, which means that either the blood isn’t delivering enough oxygen to some extremities, or it isn’t getting there at all.
Causes of poor circulation range widely, but one of the main reasons is that there is an obstruction that just won’t let the oxygen through. Think about this: have you ever woken from a deep slumber and realized your hand has been under your head? As you come back to consciousness, the numbness in your hand gives way to tingling, like pins and needles. This is because the pressure you had on your hand prevented the blood from getting to your fingers. As the pressure lets up and the blood flows freely once more, a sensation of tingling occurs; this is the blood finally getting back in. For some people, there fingers, toes, even their legs, always have this problem.
Poor circulation usually happens in the elderly, and can mostly be attributed to hardened arteries that supply blood to the legs. For these people, there are oral medications that can help break up the cholesterol clogs on the artery walls and restore blood flow. Other people, diabetics in particular, tend to always have cold feet and hands. This is because the circulatory system, in its delivery of blood, is also what makes sure the temperature stays constant. And when the blood does not get the whole way to where it has to go, the pinkish color of healthy, blood rich skin gives way to a blue tinge. This is a sure sign of poor circulation. For those people who have continuously bluish colored lips, fingertips, and toes, it means that poor circulation is probably the result of the heart not being strong enough to pump the blood hard enough.
Poor circulation, as with any health issue, should be investigated by your personal doctor. Don’t neglect your health or put off this much-needed visit.
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Evelyn Boichuk, former school teacher and principal, heard her uncle describe the effects of Strauss Heart Drops on his “frozen” lower legs. If you suffer from