8 Ways to Boost Your Fertility: Trying to get pregnant? Pay attention to simple things -- diet, timing of sex, even your lubricant -- and you may conceive faster

If you're like most couples who are trying to conceive, you want to get pregnant sooner rather than later.

Having intercourse as close as possible to ovulation can definitely help. But fertility experts say there are other ways men and women can boost their fertility. These simple measures can increase the chances that next month will be the month you'll squeal: "We're pregnant!"

Read on for the best suggestions culled from fertility specialists who often recommend these measures before turning to assisted reproduction.

See When You're Most Fertile During Your Monthly Cycle
1. Her Fertility Booster: Weight Control

Being underweight or overweight can delay the time it takes a woman to conceive, research suggests.

Preconception weight is often an overlooked factor in fertility, says William Gibbons, MD, director of the division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and president-elect of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. But research suggests keeping a healthy weight can help with conception. "I am not sure women think about it as an issue for their fertility," he says.

Smoking and Heart Disease

Most people associate cigarette smoking with breathing problems and lung cancer. But did you know that smoking is also a major cause of heart disease for men and women?
About 20% of all deaths from heart disease in the U.S. are directly related to cigarette smoking. That's because smoking is a major cause of coronary artery disease.
A person's risk of heart disease and heart attack greatly increases with the number of cigarettes he or she smokes. Smokers continue to increase their risk of heart attack the longer they smoke. People who smoke a pack of cigarettes a day have more than twice the risk of heart attack than nonsmokers. Women who smoke and also take birth control pills increase several times their risk of heart attack, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease.

Get in Shape! 5 ways to get started.

1. Set a fitness goal. And give yourself enough time to reach it. Your mission is the motivation that will keep you going on days when you feel like giving up. Be sure to create smaller goals too (such as doing 15 sit-ups), and reward yourself when you reach them, to help propel you toward your big one.

2. Formulate a workout plan. Aim for three 40-minute workouts each week, at specific times. Your exercise schedule needs to be as important as any other appointment you have. Vary your routine — maybe it's tennis one day and a dance class on another — to challenge yourself and ward off workout boredom.

Amazing Secrets for Health and Wellness

Water prevents and helps to cure heartburn.
Heartburn is a signal of water shortage in the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract. It is a major thirst signal of the human body. The use of antacids or tablet medications in the treatment of this pain does not correct dehydration, and the body continues to suffer as a result of its water shortage.

Not recognizing heartburn as a sign of dehydration and treating it with antacids and pill medications will, in time, produce inflammation of the stomach and duodenum, hiatal hernia, ulceration, and eventually cancers in the gastrointestinal tract, including the liver and pancreas.


Water prevents and helps to cure arthritis.

Unintentional Chronic Dehydration (UCD) contributes to and even produces pain and many degenerative diseases that can be prevented and treated by increasing water intake on a regular basis.

If you are committed to a healthy lifestyle, make drinking enough natural water a habit in your life. It won't take long for you to feel the benefit.

It is a free investment for your long-term health.

A New Medical Discovery ""It Is Unintentional Chronic Dehydration That Causes Pain and Disease, Including Cancer In The Body "A New Medical Discovery ""It Is Unintentional Chronic Dehydration That Causes Pain and Disease, Including Cancer In The Body "
I invite you to read this report in its entirety. Read about the new discovery, and in the light of the new information, learn how to become your own healer and cure your own health problems naturally -- I repeat, at no cost! Become your own diagnostician and doctor during these health care crisis times -- when you need to take charge of your own health and well-being. Also, you will discover:
•Why we in medicine were not able to permanently cure any of the painful degenerative diseases -- until now. And why we have frequently made deadly mistakes that add more pain, suffering, and irreversible complications in the process!
•Why we constantly had to experiment using different chemicals in the futile hope of finding something that would work -- and nothing has worked until now! Look at the spiraling health care costs every year.
•Why the drug companies have had to produce so many chemicals that are now proven to make 2,000,000 sicker and have killed over 100,000 annually -- even when used according to their manufacturers’ recommendations! Judge for yourself how vulnerable we have become! The Washington Post of Wednesday, April 15, 1998 quotes the Journal of the American Medical Association:"One in 15 hospital patients in the United States can expect to suffer from a prescription or over-the-counter medicine, and about 5 percent of these will die as a result!" You should know that 1 in every 4 hospital admissions are said to be due to the side effects of routinely used prescription drugs.
•Why all of this is about to change, and with what mind-boggling simplicity!
What you are going to find out may at first sound too good to be true! This newly uncovered "ultimate cure" is so simple you will wonder why it has not been discovered until now! But I will prove every word you are about to read. I will also tell you why I think the drug industry has concealed this information when asking trusting physicians to prescribe its medications.
What you will discover in this letter is that we in medicine are trained to use chemicals to treat pain and disease when all the body needs is water -- a simple and abundantly available natural element.

"You're not sick; you're thirsty. Don't treat thirst with medication."

Our life, our planet. Over 70% of the earth's surface is water. However, most of it—98%--is salt water. Only 2% of the earth's H20 is fresh water that we can drink, and of this, almost all is trapped in frozen glaciers.
You are not just what you eat; you are what you drink.
This is why water is so important to your health.
The Water Cure (TWC) does not sell water or purification systems or any related products. We offer insights and information; both free and in books that give you easy-to-understand scientific explanations on why water is vital to your well-being.
TWC believes promoting "water for health, for healing, for life" is an invaluable public health message. We can all change the way we drink – by drinking pure, natural water that is good for our health, our pocket book, and our environment.

Decoding Men's Oddball Love Signals

His gifts are terrible. He talks when you want him to listen. His idea of a date is take-out pizza on the couch. Is this your guy's notion of affection and romance? Well, actually, yes.

Fifteen years ago, I found myself in a romantic pickle: Cheryl, a woman I had been dating for about three months, was nearing her 25th birthday. The birthday gift in any three-month-old relationship is a dicey one, and I deliberated over it for weeks. Too big too soon and it could look like I was trying too hard. Too little and I might appear indifferent. Too romantic and I'd run the risk of setting the bar too high.

And so it was with great enthusiasm that I finally unveiled the gift. It was heavy — about 8 pounds. And big — the size of a bowling ball. In fact, as Cheryl discovered after excitedly tearing off the wrapping paper, it was a bowling ball. And not just any bowling ball, but a blue, personalized bowling ball ("The Spanker," the twin to the 12-pounder I had bought myself: "The Wanker"). And the pièce de résistance: Both balls came in matching brown leather bags.

6 Ways to Ruin Your Knees:Expert tips on how to avoid damaging your knees.

Whether you're a seasoned athlete, a weekend warrior, or totally laid-back when it comes to exercise, knowing how to protect your knees from damage can mean the difference between a fulfilling lifestyle and longterm, strained mobility.

Cruising on the track in the heat of a roller derby match, 27-year-old Rachel Piplica was not at all prepared for the realization that her knee could sideline her from competitive skating for months, possibly years.

"Suddenly, I heard a pop and it felt like my knee bent sideways. The pain was so bad I just fell and crawled away
The Los Angeles fashion designer who skates under the name Iron Maiven tried to keep going. "I took one more stride and my knee just let go again. The doctor immediately said, 'I think you tore your ACL.'"
Piplica had experienced some warning signs during her previous season of skating as captain of her team, but she ignored them for the most part. "I had tremendous pain in my leg anytime I'd squat down so I just kept my right leg straight. But I never saw a doctor for it. I just assumed, 'I'm in a contact sport and this is what

Scientist 'Infected' With Computer Virus:A British scientist has become the first human to be infected with a computer virus.

A British scientist has become the first human to be infected with a computer virus.

Dr Mark Gasson, a cybernetics expert at the University of Reading, has had a computer chip implanted in his hand.

The chip is programmed to open security doors to his lab - and ensure only he is able to switch on and use his mobile phone.
But Dr Gasson deliberately infected the chip with a computer virus, which was then automatically transmitted to the lab security system.
"Once the system is infected, anybody accessing the building with their passcard would be infected too," he told Sky News.
The virus on his chip is benign. But malicious computer code could give criminals access to a building.
Dr Gasson says his experiment also exposes the vulnerability of chips now routinely implanted in patients.

What Stress Does to Your Body

The human body is well adapted to deal with short-term stress, but if it remains on orange alert for an extended period of time, you can grow vulnerable to some serious health problems. Here's how major systems respond to your worries.

NERVOUS

The "fight or flight" response begins here: When you're stressed, the brain's sympathetic nerves signal the adrenal glands to release a chemical variety pack, including epinephrine (aka adrenaline) and cortisol. Persistently high levels of these chemicals may impair memory and learning, and up your odds for depression.

ENDOCRINE

Stress hormones trigger the liver to produce more blood sugar, to give you that kick of energy in the moment of perceived danger. But if the "danger" you're concerned with is a long-term dilemma and you're already at risk for type 2 diabetes, bad news: Elevated glucose levels may turn you into a card-carrying diabetic.

RESPIRATORY

Dental Care: Good Teeth, Good Gums, Good Life

Toothpastes

With the number and types of toothpastes on the market, the best strategy for selecting among these products may be to simply ask your dental hygienist or dentist what the greatest concerns are for your mouth and which product he or she recommends.

After consulting with your dentist or hygienist about your oral health's greatest needs, look for products within that category (for example, within the tartar control brands or within the desensitizing toothpaste brands) that have received the American Dental Association's (ADA) Seal of Acceptance. The ADA's Seal of Acceptance means that the product has met ADA criteria for safety and effectiveness and that packaging and advertising claims are scientifically supported. Some manufacturers choose not to seek the ADA's Seal of

What Diabetes Can Do to Your Body:Heart Disease and Diabetes

Heart disease is common in people with diabetes. In fact, statistics from the American Heart Association estimate that heart disease and stroke are responsible for two-thirds to three-fourths of the deaths amongst those with diabetes.
While all people with diabetes have an increased chance of developing heart disease, the condition is more common in those with type 2 diabetes.
The Framingham Study was one of the first pieces of evidence to show that people with diabetes are more vulnerable to heart disease than those people who did not have diabetes. The Framingham Study looked at generations of people, including those with diabetes, to try to determine the health risk factors for developing heart disease. It showed that multiple health factors -- including diabetes -- could increase the possibility of developing heart disease. Aside from diabetes, other health problems associated with heart disease include high blood pressure, smoking, high cholesterol levels, and a family history of early heart disease.
The more health risks factors a person has for heart disease, the higher the chances that they will develop heart disease and even die from it. Just like anyone else, people with diabetes have an increased risk of dying from heart disease if they have more health risk factors. However, the probability of dying from heart disease is dramatically higher in a person with diabetes. So, while a person with one health risk factor, such as high blood pressure, may have a certain chance of dying from heart disease, a person with diabetes has double or even quadruple the risk of dying.
For example, one medical study found that people with diabetes who had no other health risk factors for heart disease were 5 times more likely to die of heart disease than those without. Another medical study showed that people with diabetes, no matter the number of other heart disease risk factors, were as likely to have a heart attack as someone without diabetes who has already had a heart attack.
Heart disease experts recommend that all people with diabetes have their heart disease risk factors treated as aggressively as people who have already had heart attacks.

What Causes Heart Disease in People With Diabetes?

Super Food for Your Bones

Strong Bones: Yours to Keep

Our bones remain strong throughout young adulthood. As we hit middle age, they slowly begin to thin out. In women, this process accelerates after menopause, but there are ways to put on the brakes. One of the best lines of defense is your diet -- eating the right foods can give you the maximum peak bone mass and boost your bone density at any age.

Got Milk?

  Calcium is the cornerstone of strong bones. Adults younger than 50 need 1,000 milligrams per day, and people over 50 need 1,200 milligrams a day. The pop star of calcium sources is undoubtedly milk. A single 8-ounce cup of milk, whether skim, low-fat, or whole, has 300 milligrams of calcium.

10 Surprising Health Benefits of Love

Lower Blood Pressure, Fewer Colds, Better Stress Management Are Just the Beginning

“I need somebody to love,” sang the Beatles, and they got it right. Love and health are intertwined in surprising ways. Humans are wired for connection, and when we cultivate good relationships, the rewards are immense. But we’re not necessarily talking about spine-tingling romance.


“There’s no evidence that the intense, passionate stage of a new romance is beneficial to health,” says Harry Reis, PhD, co-editor of the Encyclopedia of Human Relationships. "People who fall in love say it feels wonderful and agonizing at the same time.” All those ups and downs can be a source of stress.

Decoding Men's Oddball Love Signals

His gifts are terrible. He talks when you want him to listen. His idea of a date is take-out pizza on the couch. Is this your guy's notion of affection and romance? Well, actually, yes.

Fifteen years ago, I found myself in a romantic pickle: Cheryl, a woman I had been dating for about three months, was nearing her 25th birthday. The birthday gift in any three-month-old relationship is a dicey one, and I deliberated over it for weeks. Too big too soon and it could look like I was trying too hard. Too little and I might appear indifferent. Too romantic and I'd run the risk of setting the bar too high.
And so it was with great enthusiasm that I finally unveiled the gift. It was heavy — about 8 pounds. And big — the size of a bowling ball. In fact, as Cheryl discovered after excitedly tearing off the wrapping paper, it was a bowling ball. And not just any bowling ball, but a blue, personalized bowling ball ("The Spanker," the twin to the 12-pounder I had bought myself: "The Wanker"). And the pièce de résistance: Both balls came in matching brown leather bags.

Relieve Back Pain With Core Strength Training

Weak Muscles Lead to Back Pain

Dunn was referred to the sports medicine program at Life-Bridge Health and Fitness Center, part of a regional health network in Maryland overseen by medical director Michael Kelly, MHSc, a certified neuromuscular therapist. Kelly soon found that, although Dunn was very fit for a man his age, he'd neglected some areas of his body. "The muscle groups I was using were in good shape, but then I'd isolate other muscle groups, and I could barely lift the weight. I was like an infant," Dunn says.
About 25% of Americans are affected by back pain in a given year, and they spend more time at the doctor's office for back pain than for any other medical condition except high blood pressure and diabetes.
Instead of jumping for pills or surgery, says Kelly, people with chronic back pain should first seek out a thorough functional assessment from a qualified trainer with experience in sports medicine.

Do You Have Sitting Disease?

You're probably inactive for more of your day than you realize. Do you sit in your car while commuting to an eight-hour-a-day desk job, then unwind in front of the television all evening? Do you depend on email, direct-deposit paychecks, and online shopping to accomplish tasks that would have required you to run errands 10 or 20 years ago?
If so, then you may have "sitting disease." That's the new buzzword for a sedentary lifestyle, which may put your health at risk.
Levine's advice: Fight sitting disease by taking steps to become more physically active. But how do you actually do that when you're locked into a lot of sitting time at work and getting around town?

Beat Sitting Disease: 11 Simple Solutions

It's possible to drastically revamp your life to become more physically active – adding an expensive treadmill to your office or home, placing a new exercise bike in front of the television, hiring a personal trainer. But there are also simpler, less costly solutions.

The Wonder Vitamin: Vitamin D

Most of us know we need vitamin D for strong bones. Now it appears that this nutrient, or rather a lack of it, may play a role in asthma, cancer, depression, heart disease, diabetes, even weight gain. See why vitamin D may be one of the most important nutrients in your health toolbox, who's at risk for a deficiency, and the safest ways to get enough vitamin D.

Vitamin D and Your Bones

Vitamin D allows your body to absorb calcium. Without it, your bones can become brittle and weak. In adults, too little vitamin D can lead to malformed bones and osteoporosis.  In children, vitamin D deficiency once caused many cases of rickets, a bone disease and a major public health problem in the U.S. Fortifying the milk supply with vitamin D virtually eliminated the disorder.

Why Some Breast Cancer Patients Forgo Implants

The study showed that older women, non-white women, women who do not have insurance, and women who are not treated at a teaching facility where a plastic surgeon is more likely to be on hand are less likely to undergo reconstruction.

The study was presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Breast Surgeons (ASBS) in Las Vegas.

About 40% of Early Breast Cancer Patients Undergo Mastectomy
Although studies have shown that women with early-stage breast cancer who undergo breast-conserving surgery and radiation live just as long as women who have a mastectomy, about 40% of women still choose mastectomy, says study leader Laura Kruper, MD, a breast cancer surgeon at City of Hope Medical Center in Duarte, Calif.

"Once they choose mastectomy, there are clear psychological benefits to reconstruction," she says.

Prevent Foot Pain: you'll sail through life with comfortable, pain-free feet.

Foot pain isn't normal. Here are six ways to prevent it.

If you follow six simple steps -- some obvious, others often overlooked -- chances are good you'll sail through life with comfortable, pain-free feet.

1. Pay Attention to Hygiene and Pedicures

Feet are easy to ignore, especially in cooler months when they're often in closed-toe shoes or boots. But a little attention can go a long way toward comfort, Frisch says.
''Make sure you cut toenails straight across" to avoid ingrown nails, Frisch says.
Moisturize dry skin on the foot when it's cracked to keep feet comfortable, Frisch says, and to help ward off infections when bacteria enter through cracked skin.  
"If you go to a pedicurist, be sure the shop is clean and take your own tools," Frisch says. Pedicure tools are widely sold at beauty supply stores and at some nail salons.

If a shop recommends you bring your own tools, that's a good sign, he says, indicating they are aware of the importance of good hygiene standards.