Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is defined by the International Restless legs syndrome Study Group, which was established to create a medical diagnosis. The IRLS Study Group narrowed the symptoms to four essential criteria needed for clinical diagnosis.

These criteria are:
1. The urge to move the legs, usually accompanied or caused by uncomfortable and unpleasant sensations in the legs
2. Symptoms of restless legs syndrome are worse during rest or inactivity
3. Symptoms are partially or totally relieved by movement
4. Restless legs syndrome is worse at night.

These criteria are the most frequently reported symptoms that something isn?t ?right? within the person?s mind, body and/or spirit. However, since western medicine only treat symptoms the root cause for these symptoms are never addressed.

People who suffer from restless leg syndrome often have other psychiatric symptoms, including depression and anxiety. Other risk factors are heavy smoking, unemployment status, hypertension, gastroesophageal reflux disease, arthritis, and diabetes. Sleep apnea and insomnia appear to be other risk factors for restless leg syndrome, along with difficulty falling asleep (taking more than 30 minutes), driving while drowsy and excessive daytime fatigue. Subjects with self-reported restless leg syndrome also have a higher incidence of being late for work, missing work, making errors at work and missing social events because of fatigue more often than those without restless leg syndrome.

Requip manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline is the most frequently prescribed antidote. The precise mechanism of action of Requip as a treatment for Restless Legs Syndrome (also known as Ekbom Syndrome) is unknown. Although the pathophysiology of RLS is largely unknown, neuropharmacological evidence suggests primary dopaminergic system involvement. Positron emission tomographic (PET) studies suggest that a mild striatal presynaptic dopaminergic dysfunction may be involved in the pathogenesis of RLS.

In clinical trials for restless legs syndrome, the most common side effects of Requip were nausea, extreme drowsiness, vomiting, dizziness and fatigue. In December 2004, a European Union panel of experts initiated a probe of the drug after concerns surfaced about the product's effectiveness and long-term safety. Called Adartrel in Europe, the drug is sold in a few countries but has not yet received full European approval. Whether the drug, Requip has been approved seems irrelevant since the side effects seem worse than the problem. One is trading?the urge to move the legs, usually accompanied or caused by uncomfortable and unpleasant sensations in the legs with nausea, extreme drowsiness, vomiting, dizziness and fatigue.

THERE IS HOPE: In twenty-five years of working with those suffering with RLS, I have learned RLS can be readily healed with 100% long-term results and satisfaction with no side effects. While the western medical profession says there is NO known cause for RLS, there is a plausible explanation for the symptoms to occur and therein lies the clues to the healing process.

100% of the RLS sufferers I have worked with were also, verbal, physical and/or sexual trauma survivors. While this fact may not give reason to assume that other RLS sufferers are verbal, physical and/or sexual trauma survivors, it is a strong indication there is a high probability.

First let us look at the dynamic of verbal, physical or sexual trauma. There are several inherent factors that can not be underestimated in these acts of trauma. Behavior between adult and child is traditionally looked at from the perspective of the adult rather than the child. The adult reasons that because an adult does not experience adverse affects neither will a child. This reasoning is faulty to the nth degree. There are several reasons why an experience can be damaging to a child and not damaging to an adult.

First and foremost, the child generally has no frame of reference from which to reconcile the experience. Second, since the experience is usually orchestrated through an adult the child knows and loves, the child has no one to discuss their adverse experience, because the adult is unwilling to acknowledge the negative consequences of their behavior. Thus, the child suffers in silence?holding the blame, shame and humiliation of their reaction, which has been deemed by an adult as uniquely inappropriate, uncharacteristic for the circumstance and therefore unworthy of discussion.

The child?s only source of comfort and avenue to reconcile experiences is the family. Thus, when the family fails to meet the child?s emotional needs, it is an insidious betrayal so profound that a child?s sense of trust is compromised and the child works mightily to regain fully what is a birthright.

The next layer of betrayal is the ?age old? tradition of using hitting as a form of discipline. It is rationalized that hitting will ?teach the child a lesson? they will never forget. This reasoning is faulty, because spanking creates shock, whereby the mind is unable to focus or retain logic rather than enhance comprehension. Furthermore, hitting engenders rage rather than respect. Thus instead of creating learning and compliance the child has learned to distrust adults. In order to maintain the relationship, the child pushes the rage deep into the psyche; the accompanying response to body boundary violations is to act out in other ways that may include rebellion, violence, self-destructive behavior etc. In addition, hitting is a body boundary violation?the skin is the largest sensory organ and when it is compromised it causes untold damage.

Last, but not least, hitting is hypocrisy?I love you therefore, I hit you. Love and hurting can not coexist simultaneously. Thus, while hitting the child?the adult is not being loving?they are hurting the child. This is abundantly clear to the child, but has become a distorted concept as adults have been indoctrinated in the ?spare the rod, spoil the child? rhetoric.

During the act of verbal, physical or sexual traumatizing, the mind, body and spirit have experienced an assault. This assault is experienced vis-?-vis all five senses?touch, hearing, smell, taste and seeing. These sensory organs hold the experience until it can be reconciled. Unfortunately, since the child seldom has the opportunity to reconcile the experience and have a meeting of understanding between adult and him/herself, the experience stays trapped in the system. Thus, for example: the traumatizing spanking on the buttocks stays trapped in the buttocks and legs. Or because a child who is being verbally assaulted has a flight or fight reaction, but can neither, fight or flee, the energy is trapped in the legs, which is the first line of defense for fighting or fleeing. Since the child can do neither the energy is stored and never released. Thus, years later when one?s faces a similar emotionally charged experience the old experience resurfaces as RLS. This phenomenon is commonly called trapped energy.

These childhood experiences can be healed through a seven-step multifacted process. Talk therapy is inadequate to uncover the emotional pain, and heal the trauma trapped in muscles and tissue. To fully appreciate the depth of this pain, I will quote one of my clients, Even my blood hurts. A multifaceted healing process specifically focused on trauma recovery and diligent work is the most effective; wherein the survivor can replenish their emotional and spiritual identity and empowerment.

Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD specializes in: Emotional healing and Physical/Sexual Trauma Recovery. As an inspirational leader, Dr. Neddermeyer empowers people to view life's challenges as an opportunity for Personal/Professional Growth and Spiritual Awakening. http://www.drdorothy.net

Take care of your skin now and you?ll reap the rewards later. Celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Aniston and Nicole Kidman have flawless skin. Legendary beauty, Sophia Loren gives meaning to the phrase ?aging with grace?.

Of course these beauties have an advantage that most Americans do not have ? large amounts of money. Many of us cannot afford to spend large amounts of money for beauty products. Some celebrities are known to spend up to $500 on small jars of ?fountain of youth? type elixirs.

So what can the average American do in their quest for healthy looking skin? Stick to two basic practices:

The body wrap is a beauty treatment that helps you tone up and tighten your body, improve your body circulation and detoxify your body. There are many spas that offer different types of body wraps like chocolate, aloe Vera, seaweed body wrap, etc. Body wraps basically work in two stages through absorption and squeezing. By wrapping the body, the pores get opened and fluids are extracted or absorbed by the wrap. This stage is called the absorption stage of the body wrap. Once the fluids are extracted, empty pockets are left in between the cells that when squeezed together, makes the body thinner and leaner than before. This is called the squeezing stage.

Now, not everyone has the time and the patience to go to the spa to get a body wrap done. This is when you should give yourself a partial or full body wrap in the privacy in your home with the help of home body wraps. Not only do you save time in this way, you also save money as the kit basically costs about 1/3 of what a salon may charge for the same wrap!

When applying a body wrap at home, it is necessary to choose a place in your house where you will not be disturbed for an hour. You need some space where you can lie down comfortably. To do this, you can put a camping mattress on the floor, or a plastic sheet to avoid any. Once this is ready, keep some towels handy to wipe yourself after the body wrap and a blanket to wrap yourself warm, if needed.

The next step lies in mixing the body wrap and smearing in onto the body, as you would a suntan lotion. Then the blankets have to be wrapped around your body. Sit in this wrap for half an hour to one hour, and then when you wash yourself, you are sure to be happy looking at your body that has become more slimmer and compact. However, there are some tips to be kept in mind when applying a body wrap.

It is always better to have a warm shower before applying the wrap as this opens the pores of the body and facilitates better absorption of the body wrap. The thermal blanket can be used to keep yourself warm if you feel cold with the body wrap on. It is always better to drink lots of water both before and after the body wrap helps in flushing the toxins out. It is also advisable to stay away from caffeine, soda drinks, sugar, fried fatty foods and alcohol for 48 hours after the body wrap, to experience a better effect from the body wrap.

This article is to be used for informational purposes only. The information contained herein is not intended to be used in place of, or in conjunction with, professional body wrap advice.

Find more about infrared body wrap, mud body wraps and many other bady wrap and spa resources on http://www.alldayspas.com/

We are all aware that sugar is not our friend. Sugar increases insulin levels and may lead to a myriad of diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, inflammation, premature aging and so on.

Artificial sweeteners such as Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal) and Splenda come with their own set of debilitating and damaging effects. These chemical substitutes are not the answer for good health or for caloric restriction. Aspartame for example has been linked to brain cancer, emotional disorders, seizures, and birth defects. More than 75% of all non-drug complaints to the FDA are about Aspartame. These side effects are but a small sampling of the 100’s of adverse reactions caused by Aspartame.

Animal research has linked Splenda (succulous) with enlarged liver and kidneys, shrunken thymus glands, reduced growth rate and aborted pregnancies. Available only since 1999, the reports of adverse effects on humans is beginning to evolve, but understand that people having adverse reactions may not make the connection.

Reducing or quitting sugar altogether is beneficial to good health. Yet, we all know how very hard this is to do. In our house, we have consciously reduced sugar to almost nothing. We do however, need a bit of sweetener on occasion, for example to sweeten lemon aid, ice tea, coffee, whole grain cereal, oatmeal etc. We therefore recommend choosing Stevia over sugar or artificial sweeteners.

What is Stevia?

Stevia is a non caloric sweetener, an herb, native to Paraguay. It has been used as a sweetener for centuries in Paraguay and decades in Japan without a single complaint regarding harmful effects. This small green plant bears leaves which have a delicious and refreshing taste that is 10-15 times sweeter than table sugar. Stevia extracts called steviosides, claim as much as 200-300 times the sweetness of table sugar.

Stevia is a natural dietary supplement which studies have shown offers a bounty of health benefits. Here are just some of the nutrients found in the Stevia leaf.

Vitamin A & C, Phosphorus, Potassium, Riboflavin, Fiber, Protein, Magnesium, Iron, Zinc, Calcium

Because the human body does not metabolize the sweet compound in Stevia, called glycoside, (causing the body to pass it through normal channels without raising blood sugar) it is an excellent sugar substitute for those wishing to lose weight.

Research carried out in Japan and South America, clearly demonstrates the beneficial effects of Stevia in regulating blood sugar levels and supporting the pancreas, reducing the symptoms of diabetes and hypoglycemia. Other traditional uses of Stevia are to lower elevated blood pressure (hypertension), as a digestive aid, to reduces gas and stomach acidity, and inhibit the growth and reproduction of bacteria that cause gum disease and tooth decay.

Stevia is widely used all over the world, from Japan (claiming 41% of the sweetener market, including sugar), China, Germany, Israel, South Korea and so on. And we repeat, with no reports of toxicity. In the US, the FDA banned this natural non-caloric alternative to sugar and artificial sweeteners in 1991. But, since the passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), Stevia can be sold legally in the United States, but only as a dietary supplement. Why?…Well, money talks and pockets and influence run deep.

Many companies today are using Stevia as a sweetener (whoops! dietary supplement) in nutrition bars, meal replacement drinks, protein powders, etc. And generally, you don’t have to go to the health food store to find Stevia. Most grocery stores are now stocking it. If yours does not, just ask. I’m sure they won’t mind stocking it. Ours didn’t.

If you give Stevia a try, be patient, it may not suit you the first few times you try it but believe me, soon you’ll wonder why you ever used anything else. Stevia is actually good for your health! It’s a no brainer! Do yourself and your family a big favor and try Stevia like our family has. It just may be a health changing experience.

Stevia, a sweet reward on the road to…TRUE HEALTHY LIVING NOW!

Due to personal health issues we have been researching health & fitness for the last five years. The information we have obtained has helped us and our family members get off pharmaceutical drugs and regain a level of health we had never known. Please visit us at http://www.truehealthylivingnow.blogspot.com.

Cerebral palsy can be classified into four types: spastic, athetoid, ataxic and mixed. Spastic cerebral palsy is the most common form, accounting for between 70 and 80 percent of all cerebral palsy cases. Limb muscles are stiff and remain permanently contracted. This form of cerebral palsy is further subdivided depending on which limbs are affected. Both legs may be affected, turning in and crossing at the knees. This is called spastic diplegia, characterized by the ?scissors? gait. Another type of spastic cerebral palsy is spastic hemi paresis or weakness of muscles in one half of the body. Uncontrollable shaking or tremors often accompany this type of spasticity. If the tremors are severe, movement can become very difficult.

Athetoid or dyskinetic cerebral palsy affects 10 to 20 percent of all cerebral palsy patients, and is characterized by slow, writhing movements. Such movements are uncontrollable and usually occur in the hands, feet, arms and legs. Face or tongue muscles may also be affected, resulting in drooling or grimacing. If tongue muscles are affected, patients may have difficulty speaking. Athetoid cerebral palsy typically becomes worse during stress, and writhing movements in affected body parts disappear during sleep.

Ataxic cerebral palsy affects between five and ten percent of all cerebral palsy patients. This form of cerebral palsy is characterized by deficits in sense of balance and depth perception. These result in poor coordination, particularly with fine motor tasks, and a wide-based, awkward gait. People with ataxic cerebral palsy may also have an intention tremor, which is a tremor that occurs when attempting a voluntary movement such as picking up an object.

Mixed cerebral palsy affects up to 30 percent of all cerebral palsy patients. In these patients, symptoms of more than one of the three main types of cerebral palsy described above may be present. Most commonly, spastic and athetoid forms of cerebral palsy coexist.

Cerebral Palsy Lawyers provides detailed information about cerebral palsy lawyers, ataxic cerebral palsy lawyer, athetoid cerebral palsy lawyer, spastic cerebral palsy lawyer and more. Cerebral Palsy Lawyers is the sister site of Brain Injury Lawyers.

The term cerebral palsy is used to describe a group of conditions that arise during the first few years of a child?s life. These conditions are usually the result of impaired development of, or damage to, the part of the brain that controls movement and posture. This developmental failure or damage results in spastic limb muscles and difficulty crawling, walking and grasping objects. Mental retardation and other symptoms may also be present. Cerebral palsy has no cure at present, and not all the factors that contribute to it are fully understood. However, research has helped explain some of the causes.

If cerebral palsy is present from birth, it is called congenital cerebral palsy. While the cause of congenital cerebral palsy is unknown in most cases, several factors are thought to contribute. Infections during pregnancy, such as rubella (German measles), toxoplasmosis and cytomegalovirus can cause damage to the fetal brain that may result in cerebral palsy. If the blood groups of the mother and fetus are not compatible, the mother?s body may produce antibodies that destroy blood cells in the fetus, leading to jaundice. Compounds that are produced during jaundice can cause fetal and infant brain damage. If either the mother or the fetus has a blood clotting disorder, this may lead to bleeding into the fetal brain, and subsequent brain cell damage and cerebral palsy.

During labor and delivery, a severe shortage of oxygen supply to the infant?s brain, or asphyxia, can result in brain cell damage. Such damage may lead to cerebral palsy, accompanied in some cases by seizures and mental retardation. Asphyxia only accounts for about six percent of all cerebral palsy cases; most infants with oxygen deprivation during labor and delivery develop normally.

If cerebral palsy develops after birth, it is called acquired cerebral palsy. Common causes of acquired cerebral palsy in infants are brain infections and head trauma.

Cerebral Palsy Lawyers provides detailed information about cerebral palsy lawyers, ataxic cerebral palsy lawyer, athetoid cerebral palsy lawyer, spastic cerebral palsy lawyer and more. Cerebral Palsy Lawyers is the sister site of Brain Injury Lawyers.

In April of 2002 the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) officially recognized obesity as a disease, making it far easier for American taxpayers to trim their tax bills and waistlines at the same time. The step is an important one, not so much because of savings to taxpayers (the deduction really has only limited value), but more because it marks a shift in government point of view.

Whether it's due to unhealthy lifestyles that lead to obesity, or to the obesity itself, overfat people suffer greater risk for disorders such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. Excess body fat is also strongly linked to depression and poor self-esteem. One recent study suggested that obesity exacts an even higher toll on health than smoking or drinking and raises an individual's lifetime health care costs by a whopping 36%.

Clearly, reversing the rising tide of obesity is important. A potential tax break offers a kind of official recognition that's encouraging. After all, it's estimated that the total cost of overweight/obesity in the U.S. approaches $100 billion annually, with about half of that spent in preventive, diagnostic and treatment services.

What's Covered and What's Not

Deducting weight loss expenses from taxes isn't new for Americans. But in the past, we could do it only if weight loss was undertaken at a physician's direction to treat other diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or cardiovascular disease. The difference now: The IRS recognizes obesity itself as a disease worth treating.

Thus, American taxpayers may deduct the cost of weight loss programs without having to show that the weight loss was undertaken to treat another disease. An individual who has been diagnosed as obese by a physician may deduct the cost of diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention, according to the IRS.

Weight loss programs, behavioral counseling, pharmaceuticals and surgery all qualify with one caveat. As always, medical expenses of any kind are deductible only after they exceed 7.5% of the taxpayer's adjusted gross income and if they are not reimbursed by insurance. If you meet that criteria for 1999 or 2000 (and 1998 if you have an extension to file), you can amend those returns.

On the other hand, weight loss expenses for cosmetic reasons or general good health are not deductible nor are personal trainers, health club memberships or diet- related foods. Bottom line: The new IRS rules are most likely to benefit only those who have a sizeable amount of other unreimbursed medical expenses that can piggyback onto weight loss expenses to bring total deductions above 7.5% of adjusted gross income.

Not Just Weight Loss

While we at Green Mountain are happy to see the government taking steps to support individuals' efforts to take charge of their health, we know it's just a beginning. The next steps need to go further to identify standards for treatment. A weight loss program should have documented that it works before it could qualify as a deductible expense. (See sidebar Choosing a Weight Loss Program.)

In case that ever happens, we want to state it loud and clear now: When it comes to measuring success, a smaller body size may not always be part of the picture. And if it is, it still may not be the most important part. What counts most is not whether a body qualifies as obese on a weight chart, or whether a person reaches ideal weight (whatever that is). Instead, what counts is whether that body, whatever its size, is generally considered healthy in terms of physical and emotional well-being, and supports its inhabitant in her life aims.

Still, the new IRS regulations are a start. And if they can help women along the path to health, fitness and increased self-esteem, we say good. It's about time. And certainly, most of us will take all the help with our taxes we can get!

Choosing a Weight Loss Program

Obviously, we at Green Mountain encourage you to choose non-diet approaches that don't focus on weight loss per se, but instead help you build your physical and mental strength to make choices that are in your best interests. Ask these questions about any weight loss program you consider.

Does the program focus on weight loss as an end in itself, or is weight loss recognized as only a part of achieving health and wellness for some people? If weight loss is the ultimate goal, we can get easily sidetracked with quick schemes that may lead to quick weight loss. Unfortunately, the weight regain is often even faster.

Is the food and eating advice restrictive? When choice is absent, deprivation often takes us in the opposite direction than desired. It's a set-up for overeating at some point. Look for programs that help you build your internal ability to choose foods that support well-being, and your internal ability to decide how much you need. Think twice about any advice that recommends you avoid specific types of foods, especially major food groups. If you follow it, you might set up cravings that lead to overeating.

Is enjoyable physical activity an integral part of the program? Research shows that physical activity is one of the key factors in helping people keep lost weight off. And after all, why go to all the trouble to lose it if you're just going to gain it back again? Been there, done that?time for a different approach.

Is there any peer-reviewed, published research that measures the program's effectiveness? In the weight loss field especially, lots of claims abound. But research that shows effectiveness is fairly sparse. Require it.

Whose program is it anyway? Check the credentials and experience of the people who have developed and are offering the program. But remember - academic or professional degrees don't always guarantee competence. Thoroughly check out what's being offered, and weigh it against your own experience. If you've been at this long enough, you can probably easily recognize hucksters. If you've got questions you can't answer, get the opinion of a health professional you trust.

Alan H. Wayler, PhD is executive director of Green Mountain at Fox Run, an all-women's healthy weight loss program. For 34 years, Green Mountain at Fox Run has developed and refined a life-changing program exclusively for women seeking permanent strategies for healthy weight loss and health, differing from traditional health spas or fat farms. Based on a combination of proven science and what works in the real world, our innovative non-diet lifestyle program offers an integrated curriculum of practical, liveable techniques that helps women take charge of their eating, their bodies and their health.

Our approach is not focused on just losing weight but on how to keep it off for a lifetime. Our participants' long-term weight loss results are among the highest of any program, as documented in peer-reviewed scientific literature. Learn more about our fitness and healthy weight loss spa and retreat.

My big city friends are always complaining about how they have no time to take a break and when they do they can hardly even relax. It takes a lot to come down from the intensity of the days activities. How many times after a long day at the job have you come home only to go over and over all that happened? Replaying the good and the bad until its time to start again? This is not the way to relax. This only continues to increase stress or, at best, put it aside for moments.

What people need is an alternative that won't shock them. People need to find a way to relax that won't put them through even more stress. Therde are many options available to people, depending on where they live. But even if you do not have access to some of the big city diversions there's a lot that can be done.

When people think about Buddhism they tend to remember that college roommate, the hippie one. Or maybe they think of those blowhard actors in Hollywood with all their money. None of this helps when you need to relax. Meditation is an exceptional way to relieve stress. There are many ways that Buddhists meditate but the crucial point is the discipline to do it and to continue to do it. There are a plethora of books, pamphlets, websites, and magazines devoted to this topic and even the slimmest volume can be of great help, but for those that are averse to those outlets for whatever reason, there is a remedy for you. All you need is some quite, some alone time, and some patience. At first you will think twice as hard about all you want to forget. Meditation is not easy, thus so many books, but once you calm down and get the hang of it you will see results.

But the body gets stressed as much as the mind, what can be done? Exercise is the best answer. Working out will relax you when you've finished. Still, sometimes all you want is to let go and pounding weights won't help. This is when you indulge and find a spa. Somewhere to get pampered. Obviously only the wealthy can do this with frequency. But after you've been to one you can take home some ideas. Indulge in the memory while you soak in a bubblebath at home.

There is a lot that can be done to relieve stress. It's funny, but one almost has to learn to relax in today's world. There are many healthy ways to do so... the important thing to remember is that you must take the time to relax. Otherwise what are you working so hard for?

Enrique Ramos is a frequent contributer to online publication NYWellnessGuide.com- New York Area wellness related resources and information for stress management, personal growth, nutrition, and wellbeing.

The range of ailments falling under the umbrella-term of abnormal involuntary movement disorders is diverse and includes conditions as different from each other as Parkinson's disease, restless legs syndrome and blepharospasm. Cases of blepharospasm, like those of other movement disorders, often go unrecognized or are blamed on other causes.

The term blepharospasm is the sum of its parts. Blepharon is Greek for eyelid and spasm means excessive muscular contractions. In blepharospasm the eyes blink excessively. The blinking can be too frequent, too sustained, or both. The distinction between normal blinking and excessive blinking is not exact. A practical method for sorting out cases relies on the answers to two questions:

• Does the blinking cause distress?
• Does the blinking interfere with usual activities?

Blepharospasm can occur alone or in combination with other involuntary movements. When paired with involuntary movements of the lower face -- like puckering of the lips or grimacing expressions -- the problem is collectively known as Meige syndrome, named for Dr. Henri Meige who described the condition in 1904. Blepharospasm and Meige syndrome are forms of dystonia, a sub-grouping within the overall range of involuntary movement disorders. Another example of dystonia is torticollis, in which there is sustained involuntary twisting or cocking of the neck.

Blepharospasm, like any other condition, can be mild, moderate or severe. It is not necessarily disabling, but if the blinking is so frequent or sustained that it interferes with vision, then it can impact activities like driving. Blepharospasm does not appear to be an insurmountable barrier for people whose job is to appear in public, as a well-known television personality with blepharospasm seems to be doing just fine.

How common is this condition? Not very. Researchers at Mayo Clinic tracked cases of blepharospasm in Olmsted County, Minnesota, between 1976 and 1995. They calculated just 1.2 new cases per year per population of 100,000, although this might be an underestimate of the true incidence because it doesn't include undiagnosed cases. The diagnosed patients were equally divided between the sexes and half of the people had Meige syndrome, meaning that the blepharospasm was accompanied by dystonia of the lower face. One in four cases resolved on their own.

The diagnosis of blepharospasm is based mainly on its appearance. This condition is sometimes misidentified as a reaction to (or secondary to) an irritation of the eyes, and is treated with eyedrops. However, in true cases of blepharospasm (designated as primary or essential blepharospasm) the excessive blinking is not driven by irritation of the eyes. Instead, the eyelids are just following orders from overactive brain-circuits, though in fairness, those brain-circuits might be misinterpreting non-irritated eyes as being irritated. Eyedrops are not helpful for primary blepharospasm.

Another condition which is similar in appearance is hemifacial spasm in which there is excessive blinking of just one eye, often accompanied by excessive twitching of the lower face on the same side. But hemifacial spasm is not a form of primary blepharospasm. In hemifacial spasm the affected muscles are driven by an overactive nerve rather than an overactive brain-circuit. That's why just one side of the face is affected. There is another, unaffected nerve controlling the opposite side of the face.

Although the source of excessive blinking in blepharospasm is undoubtedly the brain, the disorder does not show up on usual, brain-oriented tests like computed tomographic (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans or electroencephalograms (EEGs).

How about treatment? There is no curative treatment available. Existing treatments can relieve symptoms, but don't affect the course of the underlying disorder which usually continues long-term. Thus, the state of a person's blepharospasm in five or ten years will be the same whether or not symptom-relieving treatment is used in the meantime.

That said, many patients benefit from symptom-relieving treatment which nowadays usually takes the form of periodic injections of botulinum toxin (e.g. brand name Botox) beneath the skin, overlying the affected muscles. This weakens or relaxes the muscles involved in the excessive blinking to an extent that relieves the symptom without interfering with normal eye closure. Typical treatment cycles are no more often than every three months. Prior to the development of botulinum treatment for blepharospasm it was often treated with orally administered medications, though usually with a lower success rate.

As an example of clinical experience in treating blepharospasm, we can look at the results obtained by neurologists at the Sao Paulo School of Medicine in Brazil. Over the ten-year span from 1993 to 2003 they administered a total of 379 botulinum toxin treatments to 30 patients with blepharospasm. Sixty-six percent of the patients had previously tried oral medications for their condition and just 15% considered them satisfactory. (Of course, patients who were totally satisfied with oral medications were unlikely to seek treatment with botulinum toxin, so this figure probably underestimates the success rate with oral medication.)

So how did they do? Ninety-three percent of the patients showed significant improvement after their first injections with botulinum toxin and there was no loss of effectiveness when the first and last treatments were compared. Adverse effects -- mostly minor -- developed at least once in 53% of the patients. Six patients (20%) discontinued the treatment.

(C) 2006 by Gary Cordingley

Gary Cordingley, MD, PhD, is a clinical neurologist, teacher and researcher who works in Athens, Ohio. For more health-related articles see his websites at: http://www.cordingleyneurology.com and http://www.neurologyarticles.com

There are three types of cerebral palsy. Spastic cerebral palsy means a person can not relax their muscles or their muscles are permanently stiff. Athetoid cerebral palsy means that the patient can not control the movement of their muscles and may regularly suffer from involuntary movements of the affected areas. Ataxic cerebral palsy means the patient will struggle with balance and coordination. Cerebral palsy can differ in it's severity from mild to very severe. Very severe cerebral palsy will usually necessitate the use of a wheelchair and the parts of the brain that control speech and other functions may be effected.

1- An Orthopedist can help alleviate some of the problems and may be able to slow down problems that are associated with cerebral palsy. The orthopedist will be able to tell you any physical exercises or other forms of treatment that may be required and your doctor should instantly refer you to an orthopedist for further help.

2- There are no tests that can determine whether or not a child has cerebral palsy although doctors will use x-rays and other scans and tests to help determine the extent and severity of the disease. Doctors are very good at diagnosing cerebral palsy and also at explaining what is required to the patient's parents.

3- It is not always immediately obvious if a child has cerebral palsy and it may only surface when the child is around 18 months old and trying to sit or crawl. Most cases should be diagnosed by the time the child gets any older than this.

4- There is no cure for cerebral palsy but the patient will be given medication to help control seizures or spasms. Conversely, the cerebral palsy itself will not get any worse. If a child is born with cerebral palsy that affects the legs they will not develop cerebral palsy in the arms as well. However, the legs themselves will deteriorate over time and other conditions may develop. This is why it is vitally important to get the appropriate therapy as soon as possible.

5- Cerebral palsy does not ordinarily stop children from attending school and leading normal lives for the main part. Obviously, there will be some activities that they won't be able to take part in. It will take a good level of understanding from staff and students alike to give children with cerebral palsy the extra time they need to speak or get around. A child with cerebral palsy knows what they want to say it just takes a little longer and they should be given the opportunity to finish sentences themselves.

John Mancini has been writing about Cerebral Palsy online and offline for a long time. Visit http://cerebral-palsy-now.com or http://my-cerebral-palsy.info to read more about matters like what is cerebral palsy and cerebral palsy lawyers.

Ask a teenager about plastic surgery and the youngster will have enough to say about the contoured bodies, broad shoulders and the picture perfect features of the cine stars. For most of them, plastic surgery stands for cosmetic plastic surgery and they strongly believe in what the so-called reality TV shows show ? a slight downsizing here and a little enhancement there is going to change their lives. But why just blame the youths? The older generation is doing no better either. There seems a great need of setting their notions right.

Plastic surgery is actually a reconstruction or restoration of deformed, destroyed and injured parts of the body. This corrective surgery improves the appearance of the patient and at the same time adds to the functionality of the once deformed, defective part. Thus, birth defects like cleft lips and palates, disfigurements resulting from accidents like burn-marks or for that matter a deformity acquired in the process of disease treatment (removal of one or both the breasts as part of breast cancer treatment) can be set right by plastic surgery specialists.

The history of plastic surgeries runs back to the days of the ancient Egyptians. The word ?plastic? in the name is derived from the Greek word plastikos, which means to form or mold. The molding surgery became popular after the First World War (countless casualties with body disfigurements was an aftermath of the war).

Plastic surgery is real surgery, involving cutting and stitching. Hence, the plastic surgery specialists always emphasize on the patients emotional and physical fitness in order to handle the stresses of surgery. Plastic surgeons, therefore, make it a point to check medical history of patients. An ideal plastic surgery specialist agrees to give a surgical treatment only if he/she finds that the patient is a perfect candidate ? nearly the ideal age, ideal weight, not ailing and sticks to a healthy lifestyle. Thus, some surgeons will not perform certain procedures like Rhinoplasty (reshaping the nose) and breast implants on teens.

Plastic surgery costs are a bit exorbitant and especially if you go to a certified plastic surgeon. Nevertheless, considering the complexity involved, you should never be taking any risks. Moreover, if you are undergoing plastic surgery for the right reason (and surgery becomes a dire necessity) you shall have insurance coverage. In case you are opting for a cosmetic plastic surgery and simply want to undergo a metamorphosis from an ugly duckling to a beautiful angel, you will have to bear the costs.

Do not let yourself be fooled by each celebrity plastic surgery news! It may not be possible for you to check for the authenticity of the news but you know, there are simpler and safer ways of changing your looks and gaining confidence if you are thinking of plastic surgery as a makeover option.

For instance, TCA peels and laser treatments are external treatments that result in younger looking skin and can treat or even cure many skin conditions from acne and wrinkles to sagging skin and sun spots. TCA peels have been used in Hollywood by the stars for years on reality shows like The Swan, MTV?s Made, even on Oprah. Unlike Laser treatments, which are only available as a in office or spa treatment, TCA peels can now be purchased for at home treatment and they are considered to be the most effective spa treatment available by numerous plastic surgeons and dermatologists alike. For more information on TCA peels for home use and other spa treatments please see the link below.

David Maillie is a chemist with over 12 years experience in biochemical research and clynical analysis. He is an alumni of Cornell University and specializes in biochemical synthesis for public, private, and governmental interests. He can be reached at M.D. Wholesale: http://www.bestskinpeel.com

Waking up in the middle of the night with a muscle cramp in your calf is not fun. What can be worse is having a partner or spouse wake you up with a muscle cramp and not knowing what to do to help them. If you do the wrong thing, such as stretching the cramped muscle, you can hurt your partner.

There is a simple technique known to many massage therapists that will cause an immediate release of muscle cramps in a very safe way. It does this by tricking the body to release the cramp.

The way to release a cramp in the back of the calf is hold the top of your partners foot down, then have your partner try to raise their toes and the top of their foot against your resistance. The cramp should release within seconds. Then you can gently massage and stretch out the cramp. To see a video clip demonstrating this technique, please visit my website listed at the bottom of this article.

Having your partner try to raise the front of their foot will cause the muscles on the front of their calf to contract. When one muscle contracts, the opposing muscle is sent signals to relax. This happens so that we don't fight our own movements. The contraction of the muscles on the front of the calf will cause the muscles on the back of the calf to relax.

This technique can be used on any muscle in the body. You just have to have your partner try to stretch out the cramping muscle while you hold them to prevent the stretch from happening. For instance with a cramp in the bottom of the foot hold their toes down and have them try to raise their toes against resistance. If your partner has a low back spasm have them try to sit up while you hold their shoulders down.

This technique is only first aid for a muscle cramp, and does not address the cause. The cause for most muscle cramps is a deficiency of minerals, particularly calcium, magnesium, and potassium.

The muscle cramps that happen in the middle of the night are typically caused by a deficiency of calcium and magnesium. Sources of calcium include dairy products, leafy green vegetables, seeds and nuts, and seaweeds. Sources of magnesium include seeds, nuts, leafy green vegetables, and my favorite, dark chocolate.

Potassium deficiencies can also cause muscle cramps. Potassium is lost with the body fluids such as with sweating, vomiting, diarrhea, and through the urine with diuretic drugs. Potassium deficiency cramps are more common after athletic events or after illness. Potassium can be restored with electrolyte drinks such as Gatorade, or with fruits (bananas, oranges), vegetables, soup broth, and juices.

When a small child or infant is having muscle cramps it can be a medical emergency. They have much smaller stores of potassium to begin with, and a deficiency will affect the skeletal muscles first before affecting the heart. Electrolyte drinks such as Pedialite can replenish the potassium.

With proper nutrition and the application of this technique muscle cramps should no longer be a problem.

The Healing Arts Institute, directed by Dr. James Mally, N.D., is one of the leading Sacramento massage schools. Initial training, continuing education massage classes and instructional training videos-DVDs such as the full body massage DVD are offered for sale.

When it comes to exercising past the ages of 50 or 60, many people look at gyms, yoga studios, and health clubs with trepidation. Often, this reaction is a result of fear; fear of looking out of place, not knowing what to do or how to do it; price can also be a major consideration.

Unfortunately, this seems to be the time when many people seeking to improve their physical conditioning say the heck with it and just take a nap or watch a movie and eat another cookie.

Years ago, the options for these same somewhat determined would-be-over 50 exercisers were to workout at home. They would buy magazines on: physical fitness, books on aerobics, calorie counting, muscle building, running or yoga; then came exercise videos.

Today, there are daily fitness programs on cable. These programs cover the gamut of yoga, chair exercises, aerobics, aerobics with weights, and Pilates. The problem is you have to be ready to workout when the TV program airs, which may or may not fit your schedule.

Deciding what type of exercise program is right for you is often a daunting task for the un-initiated as well. For those who are too over-weight and out-of-shape to begin with, running is probably out of the question. Bicycling may be difficult as well.

One smart alternative to get started is to purchase a generic, aerobic chair or seated exercise video. This will allow the newbie to break-in slowly, stay motivated, and progress at their own speed.

Seated exercises are a great way to add aerobic conditioning to your daily routine, avoid damage to any joints, increase your metabolism to lose weight and accomplish the rest of your daily tasks with renewed energy.

Many of these videos will offer beginner, intermediate and advanced programs to allow for steady progress to greater fitness.

To get started:

?Check with your physician before beginning any exercise program.

?Start out slowly at a pace you can repeat several days a week.

?Steadily increase your participation from one or two days a week, to three and ultimately four. Resting in-between workout days.

?If something hurts, either don?t do it or do it slower, or easier and allow your body to become accustomed to the new demands you're placing on it.

?Drink enough of water to replace what you lose sweating and to flush-out toxins. This is a wonderful way to detoxify the body, burn calories and gain strength and energy all at the same time.

?Eat a sensible diet, reducing calories and you will see quick results.

Re-evaluate your progress every 30 days so you don?t settle into a comfortable routine; the body needs to be challenged to improve.

Once you can complete an exercise program with ease, celebrate your accomplishment and move up to the next level. This could include: standing or step aerobics, cycling, swimming, jogging, weight lifting, etc.

The most important things are: to start, be kind with yourself, if you find the exercises difficult to perform, don?t be discouraged, be encouraged and proud that your have taken the first step at improving your life. Be persistent, consistent and brave.

Keith Edwin Renninson is co-owner, along with Jeffrey Forman, of Golden Years Videos, LLC a production company dedicated to filming exercise videos for anyone over 50 or those of any age rehabilitating from an accident or illness.

Renninson is an avid exercise enthusiast. Now in his late 50?s, he still races bicycles in the Cat 4 55+ class and regularly skis the black diamond runs in Colorado where he lives. For many years a bona fide gym rat, Renninson loves to lift free weights and use exercise machines.

You can contact Renninson or read more about his company and their videos at: http://www.goldenyearsvideos.com

I was born with cellulite, it was my destiny. Unfortunately its in my family genes, my mom had it and her mom had it. There is no cure for it. The good news that there are things you can do to help the cellulite. The bad news there is no cure for it.

The best thing you can start off with is a good eating plan that is low in fat and carbohydrates. Talk to your doctor first about your plans. Just to make sure you do not have any health issues.

Once you are on a good plan make sure you drink atleast 8 glasses of water/add some lemon juice to eat. What drinking water does it flushes you system of unwanted toxins. It is amazing how smooth your skin will look and feel. The key is to do it every day for the rest of your life.

Yeah, sounds easy, but it is quite from being easy. If you have a busy life and don't even have time to sit down, we'll how will you remember to drink eight glases of water?

The way to start this regimen is with baby steps. Instead if drinking 8 glasses. Drink 3 glasses the first day and work yourself to 5 glasses the second and third day. Even if you never reach 8 glaases of water, you will still benenfit from drinking 3 to 5 glasses.

Purchase a loofah/body brush or a loofah/spa brush. Every nite brush you body with the brush and make sure the brush is dry. They key to this technique of using the loofah, it must be dry.

What this will do is circulate the blood to those area that the cellulite appears and it will diminish the cottage cheese look temporily. It needs to be done nightly or atleast 3-4 times a week. Keep the Brush by your bed with a glass of lemon water.

Walking and biking are the best form of excercise combined with soft stretching. Low impact forms of excercises.

Take pride in your body. The older we get the closer we get to our final destiny. My goal is to be the sexiest 80 year old around my neighborhood. Take care of your body with a Zen approach. Think life, enjoy life and live it to the fullest

Good Luck!

Maria Brittis is a full time mom and is a fuller brush distributor. Check her website, it's filled with helpful hints http://www.fullerbrushhome.com

Have you ever considered just how much our diets have changes over the last 50 to 100 years, or how much our health is connected to the types of food we consume. With the majority of us eating on the run and looking for a quick way to produce a meal for our families, we thought it would be interesting to take a look at the modern diet. Without doing a lot of research to substantiate the exact date of introduction into the food supply, lets take a look at the approximate time frame of some of our most common food items.

If my memory serves me right, most neighborhoods started seeing an influx of McDonalds and other fast food restaurants somewhere around the mid nineteen seventies. Sure there were some McDonalds and other fast food joints before this time, but we?re talking about when this industry started to become mainstream. Early to mid seventies just about hits it right!

Soda drinking falls along the same lines as the fast food industry. There is no doubt that sodas were created much earlier, but when did it become commonplace to consume this sugary beverage on a daily basis? It was around 1965 that soda?s ?previously thought of as occasional treats? were dispensed in cans from vending machines. Today, sodas account for at least a third of the liquid consumed in the US. On average a 12 oz can of soda, is equivalent to 10 teaspoons of sugar. When you consider that many people drink them non-stop throughout the day, that?s a lot of sugar.

In the early 20th Century sugar consumption averaged about 5 pounds a year. Today according to the Department of Agriculture, that number is estimated at anywhere between 140 to 170 lbs a year. That?s alarming! Refined sugar contains no vitamins or minerals. It has zero nutritional value. Since the body is self regulating, it will call upon its own stores of micro-nutrients in order to assist the body in metabolizing sugar into the system. Sugar also suppresses the immune system, and contributes to just about every illness known to man.

Monosodium Glutamate has been used with increasing regularity since it?s introduction into the food supply some 50 years ago. You?d be hard pressed not to find this additive in most processed/boxed foods and many canned products as well. Fast food restaurants have also notoriously been a source of this chemical additive. MSG?s only value to the food industry is that it makes food taste appealing, causing folks to eat more. Evidence has shown that animals fed MSG become obese and prone to type 2 diabetes.

The artificial sweetener Aspartame entered into the food supply in the early 1980?s. Its use in diet soda?s and other diet products accounts for 75% of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA. Products that contain aspartame can include anything from instant breakfasts drinks and other beverages, cereals, desserts, candies, supplements, pharmaceutical drugs, sugar free products and much more.

Both MSG and Aspartame are excitotoxins. They over stimulates neuron receptors in the brain that allow brain cells to communicate with one another. This over stimulation causes them to die, and can result in brain damage. Science has shown that exposing the brain to these substances can produce symptoms of Alzheimer?s and Parkinson?s. Use of these products have also been linked to cancer.

Antibiotics came into wide spread use in the 1950?s. In the 1960?s they were introduced in livestock production. Today 3 million lbs of antibiotics are utilized for humans per year, while approximately 25 million lbs are used on livestock There is evidence that this over consumption of antibiotics in animals (as well as humans) is contributing to bacterial resistance. Taking antibiotics also decreases your ?good bacterial army? which accounts for 75% of your immune system. This assault can leave you open to additional infections and yeast overgrowth which can result in ever declining health. Yeast overgrowth is often called the great mimicker because it can imitate many diseases.

But lets say you eat a healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables and only the best of meat, poultry and fish. Evidence has shown the our soils are depleted in trace minerals. This mineral depletion existed in the early part of the last century, as evidenced by the US Senate Document 264, 74th Congress in 1936 Second Session.

Here is a partial quote from that document:

?It is bad news to learn from our leading authorities that 99% of the American people are deficient in these minerals, and that a marked deficiency in any one of the more important minerals actually results in disease. Any upset of the balance, any considerable lack of one or another element, however microscopic the body requirement may be, and we sicken, suffer, shorten our lives.?

A recent article on ABC News by Megan Carpenter validated this continuing trend when the article revealed that ?recently grown crops have shown decreases of up to 38 percent in protein, calcium, vitamin C, phosphorus, iron and riboflavin when compared with produce from past decades.?

When you consider other food additives, radiation, pesticides, nitrates, trans fat and hydrogenated fats along with the changes in agriculture, food processing and lifestyle there is no wonder why people are dealing with the explosion of health conditions that we are today. Are we manufacturing sickness! You bet we are!

Learning the truth is essential to TRUE HEALTHY LIVING NOW!

Resource box or bio: Due to personal health issues we have been researching health & fitness for the last five years. The information we have obtained has helped us and our family members get off pharmaceutical drugs and regain a level of health we had never known. Please visit us at http://www.truehealthylivingnow.blogspot.com

Each ingredient varies in its smell as well as in its ?staying power? on the skin. Fragrance gets absorbed into the skin faster when the skin is dry and flaky. To make the scent last longer, you might look into body lotions in the same scent. You can even use unscented body lotion, but the scented ones obviously will give you more lasting power.

For the greatest lasting power, start in the shower. Use a buffing cream to buff away dry, dead skin. Use a cleansing gel, in a complimentary scent. Very often spa scents are produced with a variety of products-cleansing gel, sugar scrubs, lotions and a body mist sprays.

Next, apply the lotion to the areas where you generally apply your body spray to prevent the fragrance from being totally absorbed into the skin. This absorption is normal and in fact, perfumers distinguish between the various stages of the fragrance in the following way:

Top Note ? is the first impression of the fragrance, the initial impact right from the bottle.

Middle Note ? develops over a period of a few minutes after the perfume is applied to the skin.

Base Note ? is the final impression of the fragrance. This is the stage in which we refer to as the ?lasting power? of the fragrance.

Perfume (sometimes spelled parfum) is the longest lasting and strongest form of fragrance containing the highest concentration of essential oil. It is the fragrant oils that give a perfume a particular scent.

Eau de Parfum is the next in line according to the strength or the concentration of essential oils.

Eau de Toilette is a lighter version of a fragrance with less concentrated essential oils. Hence the reason it is generally more affordable.

Lastly, scented bath and body products have a hint of the fragrant essential oils. Layering the fragrance will make it last longer. Bath yourself in head to toe fragrance for a totally spa like experience.

Have a great day!

Dawn Hull
Professional Skin Care Consultant
http://www.MaryKay.com/ShopOnline

Sign up to receive a FREE monthly beauty newsletter: Beaut-e-News - Discover what's new, what's now ? what's changing the face of makeup and skin care! You'll find beauty secrets revealed and tips and techniques that will help you look your beautiful best. Click here to register: http://www.marykay.com/PWS/MyMK/Login.aspx?Moniker=SHOPONLINE

Acne is caused by an overproduction of sebum, a substance which is produced by your Sebaceous glands. Your Sebaceous glands can be found on your face, upper neck and chest. Sebum production increases during adolescence and starts to wean around the age of 20. This does not mean that acne vanishes at age 20. Infact, acne, which is usually thought of as a teenager's skin care issue affects adults both female and male.

Treating acne requires patience, finding the right acne treatment products and sticking to a good treatment routine. Here are tips on what to do and what to avoid.

Dos

Cleanse. Fighting acne requires you to establish a daily routine of gently washing your face with a good acne skin cleanser. Acne skin cleansers will get rid of the accumulated makeup, oils, sweat and dirt on your face. There are skin cleansers for various types of skin types: oily, dry, sensitive and normal. You will want to buy the correct product for your skin type.

Exfoliate. Exfoliation allows your new skin cells to shine through by getting rid of your dead skin cells. The result is a new replenished look that helps give your skin a youthful, fresh appearance. It is advisable to exfoliate more during the summer months since you tend to sweat more.

Moisturize even if you have oily skin. Choose the right moisturizer for your skin type.

Use noncomedogenic comestics and skin care products. These products do not clog your pores.

Consult a day spa esthetician or dermatologist for expert advice, if your problem gets consistently worse.

Don'ts

Do not overwash your face.

Do not scrub or rub your skin excessively.

Never pop, squeeze or pick at acne. This spreads the inflammation and makes things worse.

If you find that certain foods aggravate your acne, try to avoid them (e.g. oily foods such as fast food).

Avoid excessive sun, tanning booths and sun lamps.

Avoid excessive sweating or humidity.

Visit your local day spa esthetician for more skin care tips.

Access the list of day spas in your local community at http://www.dayspafan.com

After a lengthy battle between anti-obesity advocates and major beverage distributors, an agreement has finally been reached. In a joint effort with the distributors and The William J. Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association, the distributors have agreed to eliminate regular soda sales in our nations schools.

This agreement shall be implemented by the 2008-2009 school year. It calls for only water, juices, and milk to be sold in elementary and middle schools, and diet sodas, unsweetened teas, fitness water, sports drinks, flavored waters, and seltzers in high schools. This ban on regular sodas applies during the regular or extended school day, and includes during after school activities.

This agreement will effect an estimated 75 percent of our nations schools or 35 million students. Keep in mind that this ban on regular sodas accounts for about 45 percent of beverage sales in schools during the 2005 school year.

While this is certainly a step in the right direction for our public schools and our overweight children, I am still troubled by the fact that diet sodas are considered safe.

Consider this fact, the dangers of aspartame has been a well hidden secret since the 1980's. You will not hear to much about aspartame poisoning because the diet industry is worth trillions of dollars.

People are starting to figure out for themselves that aspartame is at the root of their health problems. Here is just a short list of side effects associated with aspartame consumption, and may not be limited to these few.

*Fibromyalgia Syndrome/ and Symptoms of Fibromyalgia

*Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms

*Dizziness

*Headaches

*Menstrual Problems

*Weight control

Aspartame is the technical name for the brand names NutraSweet, Equal, and Spoonful. Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA. Many of these reactions are very serious including seizures and death.

Diet sodas may be worse than regular sodas, although a lot of refined sugar in anyones diet is unhealthy, can quite easily be eliminated by limiting sugar laden beverages. The consumption of to many diet sodas can contribute to obesity, and are quite possibly addictive, despite what consumers have been led to believe.

There is a preventive self-education manual written by F. Batmanghelidj M.D.called ?Your Body's Many Cries For Water?. This short but extremely informative book should be required reading for all high school students, and once this knowledge enters your mind, makes you responsible for your own health.

This science based knowledge presented by Dr. Batmanghelidj is so simple to understand and gives you the power of knowledge to choose the no-brainer beverage that your body so desperately needs, and that beverage is WATER!

As parents, teachers, physicians, and health conscious individuals we surely owe our children this precious knowledge. A gift that can reap huge rewards of a healthier body, healthier minds, and attitudes.

We are surely living in changing and progressive times, and the one thing you can count on in the future, you will see more people changing their minds about our current health care industry and crisis. They can and are, questioning the safety of manufactured foods and beverages as we gradually become a nation of health conscious consumers that demand safer and healthier products.

Consumer demand is what drives any industry in any nation it's the money trail that corporations pay attention to. What you buy and don't buy is what determines what becomes available to you.

Send them a message loud and clear. As a nation we need to each become more involved individually with our own health, choose to become more informed and teach our children well.

Brenda Skidmore has spent the last three years researching natural health care alternatives. She can attest to the many benefits of natural practical cures and preventive strategies for human health. Along with the many medical professionals whose published works she has studied. It is her sincere desire to bring forth this knowledge for the betterment of mankind. To improve your life today visit http://www.mywater4life.com/

Many weight loss dieters around the world are probably wondering if there are any foods that that have the ability to increase your fat metabolism which in turn aid the body?s fat burning capability for the purpose of loosing weight. The fact is that there are certain kinds of food that increase your metabolism just by eating them. These kinds of food are called negative calorie food.

What makes this kind of food so great in connection with weight loss is it's special capability to burn fat. In fact just by eating these foods, you burn more calories than you are eating. This is what makes negative calorie foods so outstanding when it comes to speeding up your metabolic rate and burning fat this way.

To make it crystal clear; let's say your plan is to eat a negative calorie item containing 10 calories. Before you eat it, you read from a table that this piece of food in the amount you will eat, will burn from 15 to 20 calories. So, let's say you ate this and it caused you to burn 18 calories: Here is the math: You ate 10 calories. These 10 calories burned 18 calories. You have burned 8 calories net just by eating this piece of food. Fantastic!

The food that is capable of providing these fantastic negative calorie burning results are Fruit and Vegetables.

Fruit

apples, blueberries, watermelon, grapefruit, lemons, limes, oranges, tangerines and more

Vegetables

Carrots, broccoli, cabbage, asparagus, beet roots and more

Suggestions regarding the food that burns more than you eat are

• If you want a quick weight loss and want to loose only a few pounds eat negative calorie foods only for 3 to 5 days.
• If you want a more sustainable weight loss, combine negative calorie foods into your meals in the proportion that fit your needs during your diet period.
• Combine your dieting with moderate exercise; this will boost your metabolism even more not only during the workout but continues for a period of time after you?ve stop.
• Do not try to loose weight by starving. Eat small and many meals; then your metabolism will be active all the time.

Terje Brooks Ellingsen is a writer and internet marketer. He runs the website 11-Weight-Loss.net. Terje enjoys to give advice and help people with rapid weight loss with increased fat metabolism and negative calorie food.

We are usually willing to spend lots of money on clothes, food, traveling and luxuries of life. However, making a trip to the spa and spending money on the treatments available there is something we are rather reluctant to spend money on. The well being of our body is something that has to have a priority in life. So it is actually not a waste spending some money on the treatments in the spa if you are going to get refreshed and rejuvenated after the treatments.

A visit to a spa, even for just an afternoon for a simple massage gives amazing effects to our state of mind. We feel relaxed and happier and can face the hassles of life in a better way. So it is actually worth it making a trip to a spa at least in our lives. However, choosing the right spa for the right treatment proves to be a great task. You have to first have a target to reach for through the treatments in the spa. This is because there are different types of spas that cater to your different needs like relaxation, conditioning, rejuvenation, etc.

There are basically four types of spas. The first is the spa that caters to the wellness of the client. This is for people who have an eventful medical history and treatments are vested after discussions with the client?s licensed health care specialists. Most of the people visiting these spas for treatments are persons recovering from operations and people trying to quit smoking or alcohol. Treatments are administered to the patients according to the case.

The second type of spa is those that take the fitness of the client into consideration. They are specially designed for those who want to relax. Activities like aerobics and outdoor sports are provided here for better physical fitness and relaxation for the client. So this spa is better for the person who is more playful at heart. They enjoy this program because of the chance they are given of learning more activities in the spa.

The third type of spa is the holistic spa. The main reason people join this spa is to learn more about spirituality. This is the best place to head to for to learn more about self-realization. There are different meditation techniques taught here and these treatments come from different cultures and beliefs like the Chinese Tai Chi meditation.

The fourth and the more famous spa is the day spa. People who visit these spas are usually the ones who are more beauty-conscious. Making a visit to these spas gives the client an opportunity to beautify themselves and to relax themselves too. There are different types of treatments that are provided in the day spa that help to relax you and beautify you at the same time like mud packs, sauna baths, massages and yoga. In fact, the day spa is the place the bride and bridegroom head for a few days before the great day!

So making a visit to any form of a spa is greatly suggested. You feel withdrawn from the usual monotonous routine here in the spa, and greatly rejuvenated when you leave it!

Find more about spa covers and spa chemicals and many other spa resources on http://www.alldayspas.com.

Hygiene ? is a science of preserving and promoting the health of both the individual and the community. It has many aspects: personal hygiene (proper living habits, cleanliness of body and clothing, healthful diet, a balanced regimen of rest and exercise); domestic hygiene (sanitary preparation of food, cleanliness, and ventilation of the home); public hygiene (supervision of water and food supply, containment of communicable disease, disposal of garbage and sewage, control of air and water pollution); industrial hygiene (measures that minimize occupational disease and accident); and mental hygiene (recognition of mental and emotional factors in healthful living). The World Health Organization promotes hygienic practices on an international level.

We will talk about personal hygiene which is very important for men's health. Good personal hygiene is an aid to health, beauty, comfort, and social interactions. It directly aids in disease prevention and/or disease isolation. (That is, good personal hygiene will help keep one healthy and thus avoid illness. If one is ill, good hygiene can reduce one's contagiousness to others, for instance, in one family.) Washing (with water) is the most common example of hygienic behavior. Washing is often done with soap or detergent which helps to remove oils and to break up dirt particles so they may be washed away. Personal hygienic practice, such as frequent body washing, has a profound impact on reducing the spread of disease. This is because it kills or removes disease-causing microbes (germs) in the immediate surroundings. For instance, washing hands after using the toilet and before handling food reduces the chance of spreading E. coli bacteria and Hepatitis A, both of which are spread from fecal contamination of food.

Maintaining personal hygiene enhances an individual?s physical and emotional well-being. Therefore, using bidet leads to better personal hygiene and can provide therapeutic benefits to sensitive genital and rectal areas.

Who uses bidet and why?

?The bidet can and is be used by both men and women. Bidets offer the user a hands-free and supposedly superior water wash in place of the wiping and occasionally irritating action of toilet paper. An invaluable aid to person hygiene, the bidet is gaining popularity among senior citizens, the disabled and those with impaired motor functions or incontinence.

?Bidets are also used for sitz baths. A sitz bath (also called a hip bath) is a type of bath in which only the hips and buttocks are soaked in water or saline solution. Its name comes from the German verb ?sitzen?, meaning to sit.

?A sitz bath is used for patients who have had surgery in the area of the rectum, or to ease the pain of hemorrhoids, uterine cramps, prostate infections, painful ovaries, and/or testicles. It is also used to ease discomfort from infections of the bladder, prostate, or vagina. Inflammatory bowel diseases are also treated with sitz baths. Bidets are principally used to wash and clean the external genitalia and the anus, as well as the skin near these areas. They may also be used to clean any other part of the body; they are convenient for cleaning the feet for example. Despite appearing similar to a toilet, it would be more accurate to compare it to the washbasin or bathtub. In fact, the bidet makes an excellent baby bath. Anyone who has mobility problems and finds it difficult to get into a bathtub, or is afraid of slipping in the shower, may find a bidet an excellent solution for maintaining personal hygiene.

Bidets are made in several different designs. The classic one has a faucet, which pours water into a china basin. The basin can be plugged and filled if necessary, or the water can be allowed to drain away. Modern bidets, as a Bidan, have a nozzle that propels an arc of water up into the air. This jet of water is angled to connect directly with the genital area. Some models, like Bidan Turbo, have a warm air jet to dry the body instead of using a toilet paper. It is strongly recommended for hemorrhoid sufferers. The newest is travel bidet (or bidanit), which is suitable for people-on-the-go. Additionally, there are special bidet seats for disabled people: electronic and pneumatic. The electronic bidan (or bidet) activates by remote control and the pneumatic one by pneumatic pads enabling the disabled to operate it independently and efficiently while retaining privacy.

Popularity
Bidets are common bathroom fixtures in some European countries (especially France, Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal), Latin America (especially Argentina found in approximately 90% of households), the Middle East and some parts of Asia. They may be installed both in private homes and hotels. In Japan, bidets are so common that they are often present in public toilet facilities.

The bidet is not normally used for cleaning the anus after defecation (which is done with toilet paper), but for optional supplementary washing, or for daily personal hygiene.

History
A bidet has allowed men and women since possibly the Crusades (11th to the 13th centuries) to wash feet, hair, beards, genitals and perineum. The bather usually rides it like a pony; pony is what the word meant in the French of 400 or so years ago. This odd etymology exists because early bidets were normally on a stand, which the user would straddle, not unlike mounting a horse.

The bidet appears to have been an invention of French furniture makers in the late 17th or early 18th century, although no exact date or inventor is known. The earliest written reference to the bidet is in 1710.

By 1900, thanks to the plumbing improvements of the Victorian era, the bidet (and chamber pot) moved from the bedroom to the bathroom.

1960 saw the introduction of the electronic bidet (bidan), an attachment that connects on to existing toilet arrangements - ideal for bathrooms lacking the space for both a separate bidet and toilet.

More historic facts:

?In 1750, the bidet ? seringue appeared. It provided an upward spray through the use of a hand-pump fed by a reservoir.

?Until the 1900's the bidet was confined to the bedroom, along with the chamber pot (a bucket that served as a toilet.)

?Modern plumbing brought the bidet into the bathroom and W.C. Where it sits on a basin instead of a regular toilet seat.

In conclusion, the bidet was developed for personal hygiene maintenance to limit the spread of infection and help prevent urinary tract infections. It gives a pleasant ?looked after? feeling and should be used by all family members.

Do you have any questions?

Please, contact:
uzanr@bezeqint.net
Sergei Tereschenko

Experienced, versatile freelance writer. Strong research skills, clear and concise writing, compassionate journalism.

The first thing to consider is, What is the origin of the sharp or sudden pain of a back injury? To some, it feels like a sharp, stabbing pain; to others, a seizing grip that interferes with breathing. Perhaps it is just that: the seizing grip of muscles going into spasm, causing stabbing back pain and interfering with breathing, nothing more.

Back Pain Treatment and Physical Therapy

Medical practitioners, including physical therapists, face a peculiar quandary with regard to back pain and muscle spasms in general: so often, the pain they encounter in their patients comes from muscular spasticity, so much of their effort goes into ending muscular spasms, and yet so many of their patients return with the same muscle spasms and back pain for which they have been treated in the past. According to one physical therapist, the likelihood of a patient who has had back pain returning again with the same problem is about 80%.

Let's take another look at back pain, in particular.

Overview Of Back Pain And Muscle Spasms

Unless you have had a violent accident, your back pain, whether sudden or chronic, has been coming for a very long time. Muscular tension builds up for a long time before crossing the point of no return and becoming a back spasm. Then, like the straw that broke the camel's back, a small movement is sufficient to trigger a crisis.

We return to the quandary of back spasms. What causes the build-up of tension? What controls muscular tension?

The answer may be obvious to you: your brain controls your muscular tension; your brain causes your muscles to go into spasm.

Why?

Muscle Spasms -- Usually a Brain-Conditioning Problem

Here, the answer may not seem so obvious -- but obvious it is when you think about it: brain conditioning. Your brain, the master control organ of your muscles, is an organ of conditioning (learning). People acquire their tensions through conditioning: repeated overuse, repeated overstrain, repeated stress. Repetition leads to habit formation and habit formation leads to involuntary habits of tension. Back pain is a nervous tension habit conditioned into you through the repetitive strains of life. At that point, your nervous tension is no longer a reflection of a momentary emotional state, but set in the habituation operation of your brain and muscular system.

So the problem is simpler than you might expect. You probably do not have a medical problem; you probably have a conditioning problem. With tingling or numbness, the muscles of your back are so tight that they are pulling your vertebrae (the small bones of your spine) so close that they are pinching nerves. By relaxing those muscles, you can take the pinch off the nerves.

Fortunately for those using the right methods, a muscular conditioning problem can often be cleared up fairly quickly -- past experience notwithstanding.

Perspective on Therapeutic Methods to End Back Pain

The problem with most methods used to relax muscles -- mental methods, manipulative methods, therapeutic methods in general --is that they may not adequately teach muscular control. Muscular control has two parts: the ability to create muscular tension and the ability to relax muscular tension. Both abilities are needed; otherwise, you are either musclebound (and prone to cramping) or weak. Such methods also often neglect an important part of control: sensory awareness. Too often, people are given therapeutic exercises but no instructions in how to do them; they're told, These are strengthening exercises, so people go for strength instead of control; they go for effort instead of sensory awareness. If you can't feel how to regulate your muscular tension, you can't feel how to relax your muscular tension. You feel pain with no connection to the sense of contracting those muscles to the point of fatigue. Progress comes slowly, at best, from working too fast and too mechanically.

So you need to improve both muscular control and the ability to feel your muscles.

Then, you develop freedom of movement, and then, you can relax more completely than you ordinarily do and stay more relaxed without thinking about it. Freedom of movement means it's your natural state.

To, show you how do-able this is, I'll present some coordinated movements that can often restore your comfort. Before I do, read and understand the following instructions:

(NOTE: If your problem is severe, (numbness or tingling in your extremities) see your doctor to rule out a medical emergency. That done, find a Hanna Somatic Educator (for fastest results) or use the procedure shown below or other self-help resources found below.)

Simple Somatic Coordination Exercises to Help End Back Pain

• Do these movements as a way of creating sensations of movement.
• Move slowly and smoothly.
• Be gentle, working within the range of sensations you're willing to experience. Done gently, they are safe to do even with disk problems. If in doubt, consult your physical therapist before proceeding.
• Always separate repetitions of a movement with complete relaxation.

If you do these movements mechanically (for example, by counting repetitions instead of feeling movement), if you do them too quickly or too hard, you deprive yourself of the sensations needed to discover your own control over yourself. You may make yourself tighter, instead of looser. You will get better results by doing too little than by doing too much. You will have an easier time if you have somebody read these instructions to you. The movements should feel comfortable to do; if they create pain, do a smaller amount of movement. Move more slowly, more gently.

A: STARTING POSITION:

• on your belly
• face turned to the right
• right hand under your left cheek (like a pillow, palm down)
• left arm loosely by your side

A clinical study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and benefits of Vital Science's Cellu-System products which consist of the following four items:

Cellu-System Toning Tea
Cellu-System Toning Capsules
Cellu-System Toning Cream
The study looked for effectiveness of these products in reducing the visible appearance of cellulite over an eight week trial period.

Selection of Participants

34 participants were recruited through a community posting. Criteria for participation in the study was as follows:

Female

Over eighteen (18) years of age

No chronic or severe medical conditions that could affect results of the study

Not pregnant or nursing

No significant changes in lifestyle (diet and exercise) during the study

Obvious cellulite skin condition

Age ranges of participants who have completed is as follows:

Between 18 and 24 = 1
Between 25 and 30 = 5
Between 31 and 40 = 14
Between 41 and 50 = 5
From 51 and over = 9
Evaluation Tools:

Subjective evaluation by the participants

Professional evaluation by the practitioner through assessment of skin tone, hydration and appearance

Participants degree of satisfaction with their condition, both before and after the trial

Participants opinion of the products for: their effects, their ease of use, and side effects or benefits

Monitoring of weight

Thigh measurements

Before and after photos

Instructions

Participants were asked to attend the study clinic for a ? hour assessment at the beginning and at the end of the study period. During the eight week period, the instruction was as follows:

TEA - drink 1 cupful, one hour before retiring at night.

CREAM - apply to cellulite areas twice daily, once in the morning, once in the evening

CAPSULES - take two capsules in the morning.

For more information on Dermaglow telephone +44(0)800 328 7612, or e-mail info@dermaglow.co.uk; web site http://www.dermaglow.co.uk

If you are addicted to cola drinks that you are probably addicted to sugar. Sugar as you may or may not know is considered to be an empty calorie. It provides tons of calories with no nutritional value and numerous studies have proven a link between obesity and cola drinkers in the United States. In fact if you drink a cola a day you are also setting yourself up to develop a nice case of Type 2 Diabetes as the high fructose corn syrup in each eight ounce serving contains a whopping 14 tablespoons of sugar.

Let's take the most popular soft drink in the world, Coca Cola, as a nutritional example.

One eight ounce serving of Coca Cola Classic contains 140 calories, most of it from high fructose corn syrup and caffeine. That caffeine helps speed that sugar to your intestines and pancreas causing blood sugar spikes and crashes. These sugar crashes cause a craving for more cola, which provides yet another quick fix to get a sugar high. This is why so many people who drink colas often drink several a day. They are addicted to the sugar in the beverage. Many overweight individuals don't like to admit it but they consume way more cola a day than just eight ounces. Many drink at least three to four servings a day. Four servings adds an additional 560 calories to your diet a day.

Are you any better off drinking Diet Coca Cola? If you look at the ingredients on a can of Diet Coke you will see that aspartame has been added to the mix as a sugar free substitute. However this is absolutely worthless considering that the second highest ingredient in Diet Coke is still that high fructose corn syrup which speeds glucose to the pancreas and brain. This is why it is also easy to get addicted to the mood fix you get from drinking diet coke.

No matter what brand of cola you are drinking most have three ingredients that are harmful to human health.

1. Sweeteners. Sugar in soft drinks (including non-cola drinks) increases weight gain and also the incidence of dental cavities. Non-caloric sweeteners such as saccharin and aspartame can also have undesirable side-effects such as headaches, mouth ulcers and gas.

2. Caffeine. This poor man's upper is added specifically to cola drinks. It is a diuretic and can elevate blood pressure. It has been suggested that caffeine is linked to heart attacks, strokes and the development of rheumatoid arthritis. If you are already on a stimulant weight loss supplement you could be asking for trouble.

3. Phosphoric acid. This acid is typically only used in cola drinks, which are very acidic (low pH) compared to other soft drinks. This can increase the rate of enamel loss from teeth. Phosphates in general cause decalcification of bone tissue, accelerating the process of osteoporosis.

Obviously if you care about your health and you want to lose weight then one of your first steps should be to stop drinking cola drinks. It is estimated that you can lose 15 pounds a month simply by cutting all sugary, carbonated drinks from your diet!

Patricia has been interested in health and dieting since the early 70's and knows how to seperate fact from hype. Facts about weightloss, weight loss products and dieting

When did we all start counting carbs? After all, a basket of bread has long been the first dish to circle the dinner table. And how long have potatoes, rice and pasta been favorites in every meal?

Whether it's home fries with your eggs, rice with your beans, or a big plate of spaghetti, we love carbs and many people find themselves addicted to sugar.

Some researchers believe our society is paying the cost for all those carbs with diabetes on the rise and folks just getting fatter and fatter. If that's not confusing enough, some researchers are telling us that there are good carbs and bad carbs. So which is which?

Although the USDA maintains a food guide pyramid with 6-11 servings of bread, pasta, rice, and cereal at the base, diet gurus are shouting cut the carbs - particularly the bad ones, and America is apparently faithfully paying attention.

In a recent SG Poll on low-carb diets, 81% said they were following a low-carb diet. Skeptics may call it a fad, but the industry of low-carb eating is well established and getting bigger.

Are they wrong? Is it a money making scam?

They're definitely raking in the cash, but scientifically, it all comes down to what scientists came up with 20 years ago called the glycemic index (GI). Here's how it works:

When you eat carbs, your body converts them from starches to sugar molecules, which are either burned or stored. The faster carbs are broken down by the digestive system, the quicker your blood sugar will go up thus the higher the GI.

For example, white bread breaks down rapidly, while apples take a little longer. The theory is that when your blood sugar shoots up quickly, your metabolism is affected. The body then responds with a surge of insulin, which causes the sugar to be stored in muscle and fat.

A hormone that normally tells the body to burn it's stored fuel, is inhibited by the high sugar. Your blood sugar then decreases dramatically, leaving you hungry again in just an hour or so.

Sounds simple? Not, really. GI only measures the carbohydrate in food. So the GI can be deceiving. For example, a carrot has a high GI, but contains little carbs. Despite the high GI, the blood sugar is hardly affected. That's where glycomic load comes in, which is the GI multiplied by the amount of carb in a serving. A carrot has a glycomic load of 3 and a baked potato is 26.

Big difference.

It will probably take more time and more extensive studies to prove this theory and convince some of the more traditional nutritionists.

At this point, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) nor the American Heart Association recommend following the glycemic index as a weight-loss program. The ADA does agree that different foods have different glycemic responses, but they believe that first priority should be given to the amount of carbs consumed instead of the source of the carbs.

It should also be mentioned that research does not reflect what the glycemic responses are in combinations of foods, only single foods. Most people have more than one food on their plate at mealtime.

The bottom line is that highly refined foods, like sugared cereals, white bread and the like, are generally horribly bad carbs. Good carbs are raw, unprocessed foods like pears, oatmeal and the like.

Even while the nutritionists fight over the details, it is still a great idea to avoid the bad carbs and embrace the good carbs. It makes for a healthy lifestyle.

Living sugar free doesn't have to be boring, at first it may take a little more creativity to stay satisfied but the longer you go without feeding your sugar addiction, the easier it is to stay fit. The best part is that you can start now and be on your way in no time at all.

Copyright 2006 Cindy Lewis

More from Cindy Lewis on her gourmet sugar free recipes can be found at http://www.501sugarfreerecipes.com as she shares her good sense diet and weight loss tips that took took her from overweight and unhappy to fit and trim.

I imagine you can tell me at length about how tired your feet and legs get after your busy day. When?s the last time you got to treat yourself to a day at the spa? Even if you had the time, it?s not too often you can afford the $100 cost of a simple, relaxing, foot soak.

Doesn?t that sound nice? A relaxing foot soak at a spa. So I put together this simple recipe so you can have that soothing soak with ingredients you probably already have at home, and can whip up immediately.

***

Step 1. Create this wonderful foaming honey foot bath at home.

Here?s what you need:

1 tablespoon Honey
1 tablespoon Liquid Soap (I used dish soap)
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 tablespoons Sweet Almond Oil

The almond oil was the only things that sounded like it was tough to find, but my wife and I found it at the chain drugstore at the corner of our street. Just take a look in the beauty/cosmetic aisle.

Mix all these ingredients together in a bowl and its ready for your foot bath. Note: If you want to make this stuff in a large quantity to save for later, you can bump up all the ingredients to something like this:

? cup Honey
? cup Liquid Soap (I used dish soap)
1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1 cup Sweet Almond Oil

Now you can save this in a bottle and save some time for next time.

Step 2. Find yourself a foot bath

These days you can get a fancy, space-age, foot bath for about $20. They promise they do all sorts of things like vibration, bubbles, and heat. I haven?t tried one myself, but for $20 that probably isn?t a bad experiment.

My wife however didn?t need one as she had me volunteer to provide all the scrubbing and massaging for her.

Wait! Hon, I don?t recall you ever offering me a foot bath?

So anything around the house that can submerse your feet just above the ankle is going to work here. We ended up using a disposable aluminum roasting pan.

Yes it was brand new and didn?t have roasted meat in it!

Step 3. Fill up your foot bath

Put your mixed up concoction from Step 1 into your foot bath and fill with warm water.

Please be real careful with the water temperature. Do this by triple checking the temperature of the water with your hands when it?s done. And if you are doing this for a spouse make sure you understand their taste in temperature.

I speak from experience here. I got a little lazy, and didn?t judge the hotness of the water. Although my wife was a trooper and tried to go along anyways. I could tell from her grimace and refusal to dip more than like a toe into the water, that I made it too hot.

Step 4. Soak for 10 minutes

After I got the temperature of the water right, we soaked her feet for 10 minutes. There is all sorts of good stuff going on now during this soak.

The soap is obviously cleaning all sorts of impurities from your feet. I can?t even explain how many things the honey is doing. Here is a short list:

1) Apparently honey forms hydrogen peroxide which is a great anti bacterial agent. So there is goes cleansing your feet some more.

2) Honey contains antioxidants. Health news constantly revolves around us getting more antioxidants. So without me getting all biologist on us, I?ll just confirm that getting more antioxidants on our skin and in our diet is really super great!

3) Honey is also a terrific humectant. All that means is it makes a great moisturizer.

***

Just knowing about this foot bath, you can get started on your at-home foot spa. So take 15 minutes tonight and pamper yourself. Those feet are going to feel so soft, especially in a comfy pair of flip flops.

Another great way for women readers to treat their feet is to slide them into a pair of ultra-comfortable flip flops. Get a pair at http://www.yourflipflops.com.

Or if you?d like our FREE newletter with more articles about pampering your feet, send a blank email to mailto:flipflops@aweber.com