Meredith, 30, had been married to Ralph, 32, for more than six years. She was a stay-at-home wife and he was a top business executive. Ralph’s work has kept him so busy that he really thinks that he has no time to start a “family.” His frequent business travels have kept him away from home several days, and even weeks at a time. Like a typical workaholic, Ralph has made same mistake committed by many career-driven husbands — neglecting his wife. This situation has even made Meredith think that Ralph and really married to his career and not to her. Meredith and Ralph had been fighting more than ever before and it was pretty obvious that there was already a serious problem with their marriage. She accuses him of being cold and indifferent, and he accuses her of being a nagger. All their marital woes have caused them enormous stress and anxiety. Aside from financial trouble, infidelity, and problems with the in-laws, many marriages suffer from the simple lack of communication. Like Meredith and Ralph, many couples fail to resolve their problems early on. As a result, couples grow further apart and are left to struggle with their respective anger and frustration. Instead of speaking with each other as adults, many couples resort to withdrawal or the “silent treatment.” In many cases, couples have already formed the way they communicate based on how their own parents communicated with each other. A person who grew up with parents who constantly fight has the tendency to be argumentative too. A person who was raised by parents who ignored each other whenever they had problems may have the tendency to ignore his partner and his own problems in marriage. It is said that it takes two to tango and it takes two to argue. But many marriages end up in separation or divorce precisely because the couple even evades quarrels and just chooses to ignore their problem. With mutual “silent treatment,” a couple denies their own opportunity to discuss and hopefully resolve their problem. And when they do talk, the couples would often just exchange accusations and even hurl invectives at one another. Many women complain that men are so cold, indifferent, and insensitive to their needs and to the issues that affect their relationship. They say that men spend too much time at the office and neglect their duties as husband and father. Women feel angry when men go home only to spend time in front of the t.v. or go out to have drinking sprees with their friends. Men, on the other hand, complain that women are so boisterous, jealous, and nag all the time. So, how can men and women in marriage deal with their marital problems? The first step that couples should take is to improve the way how they communicate with each other. Shown below are some of the ways how couples can improve their communication skills in marriage: 10 Ways to Communicate Effectively 1. No name calling and don’t make any threats. 2. Don’t interrupt when your spouse is still speaking. 3. Don’t dominate the discussion and stay on the same topic or issue at hand. 4. Listen and pay attention to what the other is saying. 5. Respect each other and be prepared to make changes in the way you think, feel, and behave. 6. Avoid mentioning or bringing up past mistakes and old resentments. 7. Don’t assume too much that you know what your spouse is thinking or feeling. 8. Don’t presume that you’re always “right” in any argument. 9. Try to meet half-way or compromise. 10. Be honest and acknowledge the validity and importance of each other feelings. Many couples forget that simple affirmation or small acts of love and kindness can do wonders for their marriage. A warm hug or attentively listening to your spouse can bring back a semblance of peace, love, and respect in your relationship. Indeed, one of the keys to a lasting marriage is effective communication. Given enough time and lots of patience, any couple on the rocks can revive their marriage. It just takes a lot of listening and kind words to make your marriage a real match made in heaven.
Archive for ◊ November, 2009 ◊
Keywords:
athlete steroid use
The two most common types of steroid abuses are – athlete steroid use and non athlete steroid use. Athlete steroid use means the use of anabolic steroids by athletes in competitive sports. Non athlete steroid use is the use of anabolic steroids for non athletic or cosmetic reasons.
Steroids are widely abused by athletes nowadays. The NIDA-supported Monitoring the Future studies have revealed the number of young athletes, students, and teens has always been on surge. According to Dr. Ro Nemeth-Coslett of NIDA’s Division of Epidemiology and Prevention Research, the athlete steroid use is more often among young people who are involved in physical training, because anabolic steroids can increase muscle mass, strength, and stamina.
The majority of adolescent boys in athlete steroid use include high school students, particularly those involved in athletics such as football or body building. National surveys have revealed that adolescent girls are also widely involved in athlete and non athlete steroid use.
According to Dr. Linn Goldberg of Oregon Health Sciences University, the adolescent girls involved in non athlete steroid use are the girls who seek to stay thin. The adolescent girls in non athlete steroid use include the girls engaged in athletic activities ranging from track and field, soccer, basketball, and volleyball to school dance and drill teams.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) funded “ADOLESCENTS TRAINING AND LEARNING TO AVOID STEROIDS (ATLAS) PROGRAM” was designed to combat athlete steroid use among young athletes. The ATLAS was aimed to lower the use of anabolic steroids among high school athletes and encourage healthy nutrition and exercise behavior. The program included classroom and weight-training sessions to educate student athletes the risk factors of athlete steroid use.
According to Dr. Linn Goldberg, who led the research team that developed and tested the program, The Adolescents Training and Learning to Avoid Steroids (ATLAS) program uses a team-oriented educational approach that motivates and empowers student athletes to stay away from athlete steroid use.
Dr. Goldberg articulates that the athlete steroid use prevention program – ATLAS is comprised of highly interactive classes and sessions to explore the effects of steroids, the elements of sports nutrition, and strength-training alternatives to athlete steroid use. The classes teach decision-making and drug-refusal skills to athletes. The coaches, who have a great influence on student athletes, play an important role in the athlete steroid use prevention program; the coaches introduce topics and wrap up each session.
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Keywords:
health and beauty, food, diet, body cares
Advantages: lose weight fast, eat a lot of meat
Disadvantages: possible stomach/kidney problems, lack of energy
Recommended: yes
There are so many diet regimens offered in the market today. Each one has its own unique characteristics. Some of them work and others do not. The Atkins Diet is not actually new. In fact, it has been around for many years now and you can say it is not the “in” thing anymore.
The idea behind this diet is that you reduce your carbohydrate intake to the barest minimum. There are various stages in the diet. The first one is called the induction stage. This stage is where you practically starve yourself of any carbohydrate-containing food. The first day that I tried this, I felt myself shaking all over and I couldn’t do much anything else but sit down on the sofa! You get used to it though. Gradually, your body gets used to the decreased carbohydrate intake. After a couple of weeks, you can gradually increase your carbohydrate intake.
You must be very patient and disciplined in order for this diet to work for you. I had to learn the carbohydrate content of almost all food items while I was on this diet. You might also need to come up with a journal wherein you can list down everything that goes into your mouth – everything. That way you can keep track of your carbohydrate consumption for the day.
It is not as bad as it sounds because this diet focuses on high protein intake. That means you get to eat a lot of meat, eggs, and other such food. If you are a meat lover, then this diet might work out for you.
You might end up spending a lot more on your food though, as meat products and other high protein foods are more expensive than carbohydrate-rich foods such as rice and bread. Another disadvantage is that you might experience stomach and kidney problems. From my experience, I lost weight continuously and quickly as long as I stuck to my diet. However, after several months of being on it, I easily got sick and my stomach gave me problems. The doctor said that this is due to the lack of vitamins and minerals. So if you are going to try this out, make sure you have enough supplements to give you nutrients.
Another very important thing – Atkins works while you are on it. If you suddenly revert to your old eating habits, then expect to gain all the weight you lost back. As our doctors always say, a balanced diet, exercise, and a healthy lifestyle is the best way to keep a sensible weight.
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Becoming pregnant and giving birth is something a couple should give much attention to. But some circumstances in life may delay plans of couples to have children. If you and your partner don’t want to have a baby at this time, there are many different products that can help prevent pregnancy, there are various birth control or contraception methods available. Birth control or contraception is a course of therapy of one or more actions, devices, or medications that prevents pregnancy. The mechanisms responsible for lessening the possibility of the fertilization of an ovum by a spermatozoon can be precisely referred to as contraception. Some types of birth control are available without a doctor’s prescription. They have no side effects for most people. But some people may be allergic to them and get rashes if they use them. Probably one of the most popular birth control methods for a long time now is the use of condom. Condoms are a barrier method of contraception that, when used consistently and correctly, can prevent pregnancy by blocking the passage of semen into the vaginal canal. Condoms can also prevent the exchange of blood, semen, and vaginal secretions, which are the primary routes of STD transmission. Aside from condom, there are other birth control methods that are available. Learn about the different kinds of birth control to help you choose the best one for you. · The birth control patch is a thin, beige, 1ѕ-inch (4Ѕ-centimeter) square patch that sticks to the skin. It releases hormones through the skin into the bloodstream to prevent pregnancy. · The birth control pill also called “the Pill” is a daily pill that contains hormones to change the way the body works and prevent pregnancy. Hormones are chemical substances that control the functioning of the body’s organs. In this case, the hormones in the Pill control the ovaries and the uterus. · The birth control shot is a long-acting form of progesterone, a hormone that is naturally manufactured in a woman’s ovaries. The shot is given as an injection in the upper arm or in the buttocks once every 3 months to protect a woman from becoming pregnant. · A cervical cap is a small, thimble-shaped cup made of rubber that fits over the cervix. It is considered one of the barrier methods of birth control because it provides a physical barrier between a male’s sperm and a female’s egg. · The diaphragm with spermicide is put into the vagina before sex so that it covers the cervix, or neck of the womb. The diaphragm must stay in place at least 6 hours after intercourse, but not for more than 24 hours. If you have sex more than once while wearing the diaphragm, you must add more spermicide without taking the diaphragm out. Spermicide is available without a prescription at drugstores. · An IUD (Intra-Uterine Device) is inserted into the womb by a doctor. Two types of IUDs are now used in the United States: the Paragard Copper T 380A, which releases copper, and the Progestasert Progesterone T, which releases progesterone, a form of progestin. The Paragard IUD can stay in place for 10 years. The Progestasert must be replaced every year. A doctor must remove it. Several factors come into play when deciding which method of birth control is best for couples. With so many contraceptive methods available and so many factors to consider, choosing a birth control method can be difficult. Overall health, age, frequency of sexual intercourse, the number of partners you have, and whether you desire to have children in the future must all be considered before deciding upon a birth control method. If you have certain health problems or other risk factors, some brands of birth control may not be the safest option.
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Cholesterol is a fatty substance present in the human body, 80% of which is manufactured by the liver. The other 20% comes from your diet such as meat, eggs and dairy products. We have always considered cholesterol to be bad. But that is not the case; there are two types of cholesterol, good cholesterol – HDL (High-density lipoproteins) and bad cholesterol – LDL (Low-density lipoproteins). High levels of LDL cholesterol present in the body enter the inner walls of the arteries and harden it, leading to coronary artery disease. Similarly, high levels of HDL cholesterol minimize the harmful effects of LDL cholesterol. Some measurements you can keep in mind to maintain healthy LDL cholesterol level. Less than 100 mg/dL would be optimal 100 to 129 mg/dL is near optimal/ above optimal 130 to 159 mg/dL is borderline high 160 to 189 mg/dL is considered high 190 mg/dL and above is very high Regular check up or screening of your cholesterol level is very important. It is recommended for men and women of 20 years or above to get the test done every five years. This kind of screening helps to keep your health in check. It also helps if the patient has a family history of diseases like diabetes, obesity or cardiovascular disease. Tips to remember Do your exercises regularly to keep your heart healthy. It also helps in burning out the excess fat you have been carrying around. Avoid trans fatty acids like French fries, cookies, cakes and many other fried fast foods. Consume fewer carbohydrates by avoiding sugar, flour, potatoes and white rice. Avoid food which contains too much cholesterol like egg yolk, liver, kidney, brain etc. Stop smoking, it increases HDL levels by seven points. Natural Ways to Increase HDL Red wine consumed in reasonable quantity gives a positive result. It contains antioxidants such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir that slows down oxidation of HDL and LDL cholesterol. By drinking wine HDL level does not shoot up, but it contains higher level of various types of blood fats, thus making it useful for the body. Drinking orange juice every day increases HDL level by nearly 21%. This is possible due to the presence of flavonoids. Kidney and red beans are another source to increase HDL level. They contain low-glycemic carbohydrates which do not require insulin spikes during digestion. Eating fish several times a week is very useful in increasing HDL level as it contains omega-3 fatty acids. Fishes like sardine, salmon, sea bass, herring and many more are some of the sources of good cholesterol. If you do not like fish, you can have fish oil supplements. Olive oil contains the highest number of mono-saturated fats. Having 1-2 teaspoons in your daily diet would help you tremendously. Oat bran lowers LDL and increases HDL. Studies have shown that two ounces of oat bran per day helps in reducing 16% LDL and 15% increase in HDL. Half raw onion per day increases HDL level by 30%. Soy products increase HDL level thereby decreasing LDL. Soluble fiber found in fruits like apples, grapes and citrus fruits are useful in increasing HDL level. Guggul lipid a native herb used mainly for Ayurvedic medicine also helps in maintaining healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Green tea lowers LDL levels by increasing HDL levels. Eat more fiber and include raw garlic in your diet, these are very useful in lowering cholesterol levels. Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.
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There are many ways to lose weight, but you do have to be careful of the food you eat, the amount of exercise you do and the amount of food that you eat. There are many foods that are filling and yet do not contain any calories that may hamper your efforts to shed the extra pounds. Most diets involve using eight habits that teach you how to eat healthy, lose weight and keep it off. 1. Use tools to help you measure out the right servings of food. These include scales, ladles, measuring spoons and measuring cups. This will help you recognize what constitutes a portion. Some dieters find that when they divide their plate into four equal sections it helps them get the right servings of the food groups at each meal. 2. Fruits and vegetables are foods that you can eat in limitless amounts. These are great for snacks when you feel the craving for something sweet. You should make fruits and vegetables the main focus of your meals. Even when you can’t get fruits and vegetables in season, the frozen vegetables will give you the nourishment that you need. 3. All diets should include at least 2 servings of milk each day. If you happen to be lactose intolerant, there are dairy products available that are lactose free. Making sure you get the right servings of milk will make sure your body has the proper amount of calcium to keep your bones healthy and strong. 4. Grains form the basis of healthy eating. Whole grains are best and you can check the labels when you go grocery shopping. The following ingredients are the ones you should look for: * Brown rice * Bulgar * Cracked wheat * Graham flour * Oatmeal * Whole barley * Cornmeal * Whole rye * Whole oats 5. Protein will give you the energy you need to burn up the calories. It is the muscle food that you need and will give you the energy you need to keep exercising. 6. You need to limit the amounts of fats and sugars that you have in your diet in order to lose weight healthy. Alcohol is also something you need to restrict when you are trying to lose weight. One drink a day is the recommended allotment for a woman and no more than two for a man. 7. Take a vitamin supplement. 8. Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.