Important Things to Know About Dysmenorrhea

By Borgon Trocepticlon

Being a woman is very hard because you need to endure a lot of pain. The most common pain that women suffer is the pain of giving birth; however, there is also another pain associated with the women's reproductive system and that is dysmenorrhea. Dysmenorrhea is the pain experienced by a woman before or during onset of menstruation.

A woman that experiences dysmenorrhea will feel a lot of cramps along the lower portion of the abdomen. Some of the other symptoms associated with dysmenorrhea are nausea and vomiting, feeling of fullness or bloating, change in mood, headache, backache, and body weakness. These symptoms often cause a woman to feel uncomfortable and weak, causing a disruption in the performance of activities of daily living.

In general, dysmenorrhea can be divided into two different kinds. These are primary and secondary dysmenorrhea. Primary dysmenorrhea is common among teenagers and young adults. This happens when menstruation is fast approaching. Usually, teenagers know that their period will be near approaching because they would feel cramping at the lower portions of their abdomen. For teenagers who have just started to menstruate, dysmenorrhea will be evident after two years or three years from the first menstruation.

Another type of dysmenorrhea is called as secondary dysmenorrhea. It usually happens in the later part of life. Women who are aged 30 to 40 are the ones who usually experience this type of dymenorrhea. However, unlike primary dysmenorrhea that doesn't pose serious threat; secondary dysmenorrhea is usually a symptom associated with other illnesses such as endometriosis, myomas or fibroids, and pelvic inflammatory disease. The distinct characteristic of secondary dysmenorrhea is that it does not stop even when menstruation is almost over.

During menstruation, the uterus releases a chemical called prostaglandin. This prostaglandin is responsible for the contractions of the uterine muscles. Although prostaglandin is freely released in the body, its levels are increased during menstruation; causing increased contractions that leads to the pain associated with menstruation, called as dysmenorrhea. Increased contractions would lead to muscle spasms depriving it with oxygen causing more pain.

Usually, the main treatment or relief for painful dysmenorrhea is non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or better known as NSAIDS. Samples of these drugs include ibuprofen and acetaminophen. A heat compress is also an effective way to relieve the discomfort brought about by dysmenorrhea. This can be done through the use of heating pads. However, it will be different for secondary dymenorrhea because it can be possibly caused by several underlying conditions. Necessary diagnostics would then be required to know what couldve caused the secondary dysmenorrhea.

A hot bath can be a good relief for the discomforts brought about by dysmenorrhea. Exercise can also be beneficial because it enhances circulation. These exercises don't need to be strenuous because a simple walking or jogging would be enough.

Rest is the best way to feel better during dysmenorrhea, although physical activity can also provide relief. Women who have a stronger ability to endure pain can perform multiple tasks without feeling weak even with dysmenorrhea. - 17274

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New and Exciting Engine 2 Diet

By Joshua Anderson

Another popular method for losing weight and going on a diet is following the Engine 2 diet. In the Engine 2 diet plan you can lose weight and reduce cholesterol within a span of just around 28 days, as mentioned by the author of the book Engine 2 Diet, Rip Esselstyn. Under the Engine 2 diet plant you have to only follow the preplanned meals which are made from the ingredients mentioned in the diet plan. The meals are easy to make and can be prepared quickly. The ingredients for making the Engine 2 Diet food are available only in stores providing natural foods. If you strictly follow the planned Engine 2 diet and the exercise regime described in the Engine 2 diet plan you can easily lose weight within 28 days flat. It is always advisable to take the help of friends and others who have followed this plan and also those who wish to follow the Engine 2 diet plan.

Under the Engine 2 diet, low fat protein foods like fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains are the main ingredients for food. Such a kind of a diet is not followed by so many of us and so it is not very easy to switch immediately to this kind of a diet plan. During the transition period that is when you switch on to this plan one can include fish and chicken in the diet. Even soy yoghurt, tofu and vegetable burgers are allowed to be consumed. So are whole grain pastas and whole grain crackers, which are allowed so that the Engine 2 diet plan does not get too boring. You will be surprised to note that in this plan with every 1000 calories you consume you will be consuming just 2.5 grams fat contents. Usage of oil while cooking these foods is a strict no and sugar should be used just as a natural sweetener only.

Salt intake, too, is limited. Plant proteins are complete proteins. Research has shown that the belief that only meat, eggs and dairy products were the source of complete proteins is a fallacy. Proteins are made up of twenty amino acids which exist as chains. Eight of these are required to be ingested from the food that we eat. These are the important amino acids. Amino acids that are not as essential are produced by the body itself. Plants give us essential as well as nonessential amino acids. Carbohydrates are the body's main fuel supply. 70% of your daily calories come from carbohydrates.

There are plant varieties that may have a higher content of one or the other amino acid, but a well planned diet will include vegetables that complement each other, thus giving the body all the amino acids it needs. This protein is safer than the protein obtained by eating flesh foods. The rate of your heart beat, your digestion, exercising, breathing, etc are all given the energy they need from the carbohydrate in your diet. There are two kinds of carbohydrates - complex and simple. Both are sugars and when digested are changed into glucose.

Glucose obtained from carbohydrates remains in our blood in the form of glucose. Carbohydrates are stored in the form of glycogen in the liver and muscles. But since the body knows how to regulate itself, any excess carbohydrates in the body are converted into fats. Health friendly complex carbohydrates are found mainly in vegetables like sweet potatoes and beans and also in fruits and different other grain cereal breads. Complex carbohydrates release sugar in a very controlled manner in our system so that we have enough energy in our body to carry out our daily activities throughout the day. One can now know and understand from the Engine 2 diet, that even plants can supply our body with the necessary fat content.

Most foods give us simple carbohydrates which may give you instant energy and give you a very high feeling but then they get stored in the form of fat in your body. So the simple carbohydrates that are stored in our body and that make us fat are actually very dangerous for the well being of our body. Good fats that are either poly saturated or mono saturated fats are found in different kinds of plants. Different fruits and vegetables contain various fat contents, for example bell peppers contain 6%, spinach 11%, strawberries 5%, broccoli 8% and the super food soybeans contain 41% fat content. Fats obtained from plants are a good source of fats.

From various case studies of famous champions and athletes we are able to find that so many of them were on plant diets alone. The hugely competitive Martina Navratilova was on a constant plant based diet during her career. Esselstyn, the author of Engine 2 Diet book has stated various examples in his book. For example Tony Gonzalez won more than a thousand triathlons, by beating breast cancer. Salim Stoudamire, NBA player and Dave Scott have won the very famous Iron man triathlon which was held in Hawaii. So from these studies we can understand that we need not resort to eating only non vegetarian foods to obtain the best nutrients. Plants can also provide the same good nutrients which are released slowly in to our body system. Vegetarian food like the fortified soy milk can give our body a rich supply of essential supplements like Vitamin B12.

Flaxseeds, walnuts and soybeans are a very good substitute for fish oil. So if you wish to enjoy good health, consume a lot of vegetables or plant foods which are not only rich in fiber, but also give you the required energy throughout the day. Rich omega 3 supplements can be obtained from flaxseeds, walnuts, soybeans and other leafy vegetables. So you can replace fish oil with these given substitutes, for enjoying better health. Fatty foods like butter, sour creams and margarine may make your food very tasty but in the bargain you have a lot of good health to loose.

We all develop certain tastes, right from our childhood. So when we try out the natural plant food, in the beginning, we find the taste a bit different, but as the time goes by one can get used to it and it becomes a kind of a habit. Once you find that you are fitter than before you realize the actual benefits of plant food in comparison to non vegetarian foods. - 17274

About the Author:

The Engine 2 Diet is a fresh and exciting dieting program. Joshua Anderson, the author has been experimenting with many diets. After getting very excited about the Engine 2 Diet, he felt it was necessary to tell everyone. Click a link above to find information on the offical book, and how to get started.

Overcoming Mistakes: Essential Advice for Muscle Gain

By Brad Morgan

Starting any kind of fitness program can be difficult because of the sheer amount of advice out there. It is often hard to know where to start your muscle building efforts.

Why not start with what not to do? Here are some factors that can delay or stall your muscle building progress:

1. Buying overpriced gym memberships.

You may think that they only way to get a good workout is to go to a gym: they have stack-pulley, computerized, and hydraulic machines that you could never afford. And they're safer, right? Not necessarily. Often, the low-cost exercises that you do at home are much more effective and safe. If you are considering a gym membership, you may want to save yourself the expense.

In the comfort of your own home, you can use inexpensive free weights or totally free exercises like pushups, lunges, squats, and more. These are some of the most effective moves for building muscle, and all you need is your own body and a few free weights.

2. Not changing your workout.

When it comes to exercising and building muscle, what worked for you in the beginning may not work for you now.

Perhaps, but doing the same workout after your body has adjusted to the exercise will cause your efforts to stagnate. Your body is an incredibly efficient machine. The more you practice a move, the less your body actually has to work to execute it.

Therefore, doing the same workout routine causes your body to burn much fewer calories. Add some variation. Up the intensity. Never let your body get used to anything ? it needs constant challenges. The upside is that you won't get bored with your exercise routine.

3. Not doing any cardio.

Cardiovascular exercise is an important part of building muscle, yet it is something that many people trying to gain muscle mass usually ignore. Focusing only on weight training can halt your results.

Cardio can keep you from gaining fat and also help your body recover from weight training sessions. For optimal muscle building, perform cardio immediately after your weight training. Also, cardio should be performed with high intensity intervals for no more than twenty minutes.

4. Not resting enough.

Your body builds muscle while it is resting, so it is important to take breaks for your training regimen. Take two or three days off per week and allow your muscles to rest.

Muscle fatigue and injury are other problems that will cause you to build muscle much more slowly. To avoid this, work different muscle groups during each workout. Try working on your arms and back one day and your legs and abs the next. This will allow muscle to grow.

5. Snubbing diet.

Food is fuel, and many people who fail when building muscle do so because they are not adequately fueling their body. To put your body into muscle building mode, eat properly.

Make sure that you are getting plenty of protein. This nutrient, which is found in lean meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy, is a key to muscle growth. Try eating a protein snack after your workouts to maximize their effect.

6. Giving Up

Quitting is the biggest mistake you can make when trying to build muscle. If you have been working out and not seeing results, it is tempting to stop. Your body might just take longer to build muscle than others.

If you feel discouraged at your progress thus far, it is a good time to look at your routine. What can you do to change it? Should you add some intensity? Are you resting enough? Do you use supersets or compound moves? It may be that you simply need to stick with it a little longer in order to start seeing results.

Whatever the cause of your stagnation, don't quit. If something is not working, change it. But don't stop; it will only put you back where you started and you won't have the body you want. - 17274

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Most effective Methods You Can Develop Chest Muscles To Be Admired

By Rob Molloy

For a body you can be quite proud of, you will find that it is crucial to build chest muscles. When it comes to well-defined chest muscles, men and women face the same dilemma. They both want firm chests rather than the flaccid musculature they now likely have. It isn't easy to build chest muscles but there are a number of things to assist you in achieving that muscular chest you want.

To build muscles, it is more effective to focus your workout on working the muscles instead of the up or down movement of the weight. For a more directed concentration, knowing something about the muscles in the chest that need to be worked will help. Understanding what muscles are in your chest and how they work to shape the overall look and fitness of your chest will help in building them.

In the chest area there are two main muscle groups, the pectoralis major and the pectoralis minor. The pectoralis major is the group of muscles on top, the ones that are mostly visible and the pectoralis minor lie towards the top of chest near the shoulder beneath the pectoralis major muscles. Many will think that you should focus your attention on just the pectoralis major muscles but if you develop the pectoralis minor muscles you stand to push the major ones forward making them look bigger.

The chest muscles, like all the muscles in the body, contain fibers that grow in a variety of directions. This means that the most effective way to exercise these muscles is to target the chest from different directions as well. Chest muscles have two main functions, namely to cross the arms and shoulders in front of the body, and to push.

In order to focus on the chest area for the purpose of increasing size and definition, there are two types of exercise, or movements, that will help to build these muscles, called presses and flys. Presses are exercises that involve not only the chest muscles but the shoulders and triceps as well. Whenever more than one muscle group is involved in this way, they are called compound exercises. Lifting weights involves several areas simultaneously, which naturally helps you to maximize your time and energy. Presses are exercises that involve moving the weight out and away from the body by the straightening of the arms. The second type of exercise, the flys, involve more than one joint movement but are more effective at isolating the chest and increasing the bulk. For this particular exercise, you begin with arms outstretched to form a "T" and then bring them together in the front of the body.

The press exercises that you are going to be doing most of are flat bench presses which are considered to be the best and most effective way to build chest muscles. If you change the position of your hands on the bar you can affect different parts of your chest. Wide spread of the hands affects the outer chest while a more narrow spread of the hands affects the inner part of the chest. An incline press helps to target the upper chest while a decline press targets the lower chest. If you have no spotter and are at the gym, make use of the various press machines to help keep you safe.

In order to target the chest using the fly exercises you will need to alternate between using the dumbbells and the cables, both of which effectively target the chest muscles. To exercise the whole chest you will use a flat bench. However, when focusing on the upper chest with fly exercises you need to do them on an incline. For the lower part of the chest, the exercise must be done on the decline. It is advisable that you begin by doing 3 sets of 10-15 reps in each set.

You will need to decide on the number of sets and reps, as well as the weights you use, that are best suited to you. By using 3 sets, you will achieve the desired results. Using the first set to warm you up you can then proceed to the heavier set, followed by the cooling down third set. The trick is to do the exercise slowly although you might find you will need to use lighter weights. Although you might feel discouraged by this there is no need to be as doing these exercises slowly are most effective and you can gradually increase the weight over time. By following these steps, you will be well on your way to achieving that toned and muscular chest. - 17274

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Fitness Infos - Weight Loss Cleanse

By Gregor Mahrer

Are you interested in losing weight? If you are, have you heard of weight loss cleanses, also commonly referred to as colon cleanses, before? If you have not, you may want to take the time to examine them. Colon cleanses are mostly used to remove unwanted toxins from the body, but they can also be used in weight loss. That is why it is sometimes possible to find colon cleanses being referred to as weight loss cleanses. If you have never tried a colon cleanse before, namely to lose weight, you may be wondering what you should look for in a colon cleanse. If that is the case, you will want to continue reading on. Outlined below are a few of the many points that you should take into consideration, when looking to buy a colon cleanse.

Perhaps, the most important bourgeois to take into consideration, when looking to buy a colon cleanse or a weight loss cleanse, is safety. It is important that you find a colon cleanse that is innocuous to use. Colon cleanses and weight loss cleanses are prefabricated and sold by a number of different manufacturers and distributors. While many colon and weight loss cleanses do work, you will find that not all do. In fact, there are even some colon cleanses which can place your health at risk. That is why it is important that you review apiece colon or weight loss cleanse that you are interested in buying.

Perhaps, the easiest way to review this popular weight loss tools is by performing a standard internet search. You may want to perform a standard internet search with the name of the colon cleanse that you would like to try. You will want to examine all information that you come across, especially product reviews. Another way that you can determine if the colon cleanse or weight loss cleanse that you are interested in trying is safe is by consulting with a healthcare professional, like a dietician or your primary care physician.

When examining the length of the colon cleanse in question, you will find that it often depends on the type of cleanse that you are using. You should be able to find colon cleanses or weight loss cleanses that are in pill format, those that are in ready-to-drink format, as well as those that can be mixed into a drink. For the most part, you will find that drinkable colon cleanses require shorter use times, like for two or three days. It is common to find colon cleanses, especially those in the pill formats, which need to be taken for up to thirty days or more.

The directions of the colon cleanse or weight loss cleanse that you would like to try is also important when choosing a weight loss cleanse. As with the length of a colon cleanse, you will find that the directions of each cleanse also varies. For instance, there are some colon cleanses, namely those in pill formats, that allow you to go about eating your normal diet. On the other hand, there are some colon cleanses that require you to limit your food and drink intake, often to specific products. If you choose a colon cleanse that requires you to only eat certain foods or go without eating for a day, it is important to make sure that you can follow those directions. If not, your colon cleanse may not work as intended and you may not be able to lose weight.

The above mentioned factors are a few of the many that you should take into consideration, when looking to buy a weight loss cleanse or a colon cleanse for yourself. While some colon cleanses are not marketed as weight loss products, you will find that many do result in weight loss. - 17274

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Bodybuilding tips: What the heck is the recovery phase?

By Jon Cardozo

Spend a few minutes someday looking at bodybuilding magazines at your local bookstore, and you'll probably see some pretty outrageous claims on behalf of muscle building supplements. You might also see some tips on how to maximize your workouts and other similar information.

However, there will probably be one crucial bit of advice that is missing from any of these bodybuilding articles. I'm talking about the importance of the recovery phase. If you're serious about making significant gains in your muscle building program, you'll need to implement a good strategy for recovery (or resting in between workouts).

If you know how muscle grows in the first place, you should understand why a recovery period is so important. It has to do with our body's basic need to survive. If you want muscle to grow, you have to challenge it beyond its previous limits. By lifting heavier and heavier weights, the muscles will grow in response to these challenges.

In fact, the muscle fibers are actually being broke down at the cellular level. The body rebuilds these muscle fibers in order to prevent the situation from happening again. This is why you continually have to increase your weights if you want your muscles to get bigger and bigger.

If you don't give muscles rest in between your workouts, they will not be ready the next time you put them under stress. If you continue to work out without giving your muscles rest, you will really hurt your progress.

If you don't put a limit on your workouts and try to lift weights every day, you may end up hindering your progress. Many expert trainers only recommend you train a few hours per week, believe it or not.

Limiting your workouts and allowing enough time in between them is important to your progress. Getting enough sleep is also crucial to your success. Don't underestimate its importance.

Sleep helps the body repair itself, which is absolutely relevant to the topic of muscle building. Your muscles need to be rebuilt bigger and stronger, and proper recovery methods are crucial to help this happen. - 17274

About the Author:

If you would like to learn more about how to build your body , visit Jon Cardozo's Web site at http://maximum-muscle-gain.com. Learn the secrets to building a muscular physique and avoid the myths of the bodybuilding industry. Brought to you by Jcardozium.