Saturday, April 23, 2011

What Men Want Women to Know


Men Will Talk About Feelings
Was your guy raised as a traditional, stoic, man's man? If so, let me walk you through 18 relationship secrets, gathered from psychologists who study gender roles. Secret No. 1: It may be easier for your man to talk about feelings indirectly. Ask what he'd do during a romantic weekend. Or what he thought the first time he met you. His answers will reveal how he feels and bring you closer.

Men Say "I Love You" With Actions

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

What is alcohol?

Alcohol is thought to be responsible for 34,000 deaths in the UK each year because of the damage it does to the body, plus many more deaths due to the indirect effect of alcohol on others.

Alcohol is a sedative hypnotic drug that depresses the central nervous system, making you feel more relaxed.
Most adults in the UK drink alcohol moderately and on a social basis and derive a lot of pleasure from doing so.
However, about one in five men and one in seven women regularly drink more than the Department of Health suggests is strictly safe for good health. This is up to two to three units of alcohol a day for women and up to three to four units of alcohol a day for men, to a maximum of 14 units a week for women and 21 units a week for men. A unit of alcohol is equivalent to half a pint of ordinary strength beer, a small glass of wine or a single pub measure of spirits.

Friday, April 8, 2011

What's Causing My Chest Pain?

Chest pain. The first thing you may think of is heart attack. Certainly chest pain is not something to ignore. But you should know that it has many possible causes. In fact, as much as a quarter of the U.S. population experiences chest pain that is not related to the heart. Chest pain may also be caused by problems in your lungs, esophagus, muscles, ribs, or nerves, for example. Some of these conditions are serious and life threatening. Others are not. If you have unexplained chest pain, the only way to confirm its cause is to have a doctor evaluate you.
You may feel chest pain anywhere from your neck to your upper abdomen. Depending on its cause, chest pain may be:

Thursday, April 7, 2011

The Basics of a Healthy Diabetes Diet

The Basics of a Healthy Diabetes Diet

Contrary to what you may have heard, there is no "diabetes diet," per se -- and that's good news! The foods recommended for a diabetes diet to control blood glucose (or blood sugar) are good for those with diabetes -- and everyone else. This means that you and your family can eat the same healthy foods at mealtime. However, for people with diabetes, the total amounts of carbohydrates consumed each day must be monitored carefully. Of the different components of nutrition -- carbohydrates, fats, and proteins -- carbohydrates have the greatest influence on blood sugar levels. Most people with diabetes also have to monitor total fat consumption and protein intake, too.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Better Health Solution, Health Tips and Information: Cocoa Rich in Health Benefits Cocoa Consumption May Decrease Blood Pressure, Improve Cholesterol

Better Health Solution, Health Tips and Information: Cocoa Rich in Health Benefits Cocoa Consumption May Decrease Blood Pressure, Improve Cholesterol

Cocoa Rich in Health Benefits Cocoa Consumption May Decrease Blood Pressure, Improve Cholesterol

March 23, 2011 -- Cocoa, used throughout history as a folk medicine, may actually have significant health benefits, according to a new study by Harvard researchers.
Their analysis of 21 studies with 2,575 participants shows that cocoa consumption is associated with decreased blood pressure, improved blood vessel health, and improvement in cholesterol levels, among other benefits.
Eric L. Ding, PhD, of Harvard Medical School says the apparent health benefits come from polyphenolic flavonoids in cocoa that have the potential to prevent heart disease. Flavonoids are antioxidants that are commonly found in fruits, vegetables, tea, wine, and coffee.
Cocoa Flavonoids Good for Cholesterol
In addition to decreasing blood pressure and improving blood vessel health, consumption of flavonoid-rich cocoa decreased “bad” LDL cholesterol among people under age 50, and increased good HDL cholesterol, the analysis showed.

Flavonoid-rich cocoa consumption also was linked to reductions in risk factors for diabetes -- a major risk factor itself for cardiovascular disease.

Also, resistance to the hormone insulin, which helps regulate blood sugar, favorably dropped among people who consumed flavonoid-rich cocoa, compared to people in comparison groups.

Further, consumption of flavonoid-rich cocoa did not change triglyceride levels of study participants or make them obese. Triglycerides are a type of blood fat that have been linked to coronary artery disease when levels are elevated above normal.
More Research Needed to Nail Down Benefits of Cocoa

Most of the previous studies analyzed were short-term research projects using mostly sugar-free, dark chocolate.

Ding and his colleagues say in the new study that because most chocolate is high in added sugar and fat, more research is needed to determine the risk-benefit effect on the heart health of eating commercially available chocolate.

Though past studies by Ding and others have found that cocoa may reduce heart attack risk, the dosage necessary to produce this effect is not known, and further research is needed to shed more light on that question, as well as on cocoa’s direct benefits on preventing strokes and heart attacks, according to a news release.

The new research is being presented in Atlanta at the American Heart Association’s Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism/Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention 2011 Scientific Sessions.