Once they see the benefits that yoga can bring about and feel their energy levels increasing it is encouraging to make more changes to get even more out of life.

Diets are often changed where food of low nutritional value is substituted with healthier foods.

Lingering illness is often disposed of in a short period of time.

Sleeping patterns become better and old habits that were so difficult to cast aside prior to starting yoga are more easily sorted.

People become more aware of themselves and can see where there are factors in their life that have held them back either in health, mentally or other areas.

Old emotional problems that have dragged them down for years are suddenly set free and it is this new found freedom that makes many people seek more of the ‘good stuff’ that life has available for those who wish to take advantage of it.

And this powerful positive energy force becomes greater as it spills over into more and more areas of a person’s lifestyle. Each area brings the body and the mind into greater harmony with one another.

By eliminating the imbalance there is no longer the constant conflict that the various areas find by fighting with one another.

There comes a desire to live a healthier life because that is the natural state that we should all be living in and it is a state that makes you feel good. It opens up the mind to see more opportunities and to achieve higher levels of success.

Yoga is such a powerful source that once embraced the changes can be unstoppable and that is a good thing to look forward to.

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Come to find out, that there are a LOT of benefits to peroxide:

Consider the following:

1. Take one capfull (the little white cap that comes with the bottle) and hold in your mouth for 10 minutes daily, then spit it out. (I do it when I bathe)

No more canker sores and your teeth will be whiter without expensive pastes. Use it instead of mouthwash. (Small print says mouth wash and gargle right on the bottle)

2. Let your toothbrushes soak in a cup of ‘Peroxide’ to keep them free of germs.

3. Clean your counters, table tops with peroxide to kill germs and leave a fresh smell. Simply put a little on your dishrag when you wipe, or spray it on the counters.

4. After rinsing off your wooden cutting board, pour peroxide on it to kill salmonella and other bacteria.

5. I had fungus on my feet for years - until I sprayed a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water on them (especially the toes) every night and let dry.

6. Soak any infections or cuts in 3% peroxide for five to ten minutes several times a day. My husband has seen gangrene that would not heal with any medicine, but was healed by soaking in peroxide.

7. Fill a spray bottle with a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water and keep it in every bathroom to disinfect without harming your septic system like bleach or most other disinfectants will.
  
8. Tilt your head back and spray into nostrils with your 50/50 mixture whenever you have a cold, or plugged sinuses. It will bubble and help to  kill the bacteria. Hold for a few minutes then blow your nose into a  tissue.

9. If you have a terrible toothache and cannot get to a dentist right away, put a capful of 3% peroxide into your mouth and hold it for ten minutes several times a day. The pain will lessen greatly.

10. And of course, if you like a natural look to your hair, spray the 50/50 solution on your wet hair after a shower and comb it through. You will not have the peroxide burnt blonde hair like the hair dye packages, but more natural highlights if your hair is a light brown, reddish, or dirty blonde. It also lightens gradually so it’s not a drastic change.

11. Put half a bottle of peroxide in your bath to help rid boils, fungus, or other skin infections.

12. You can also add a cup of peroxide instead of bleach to a load of whites in your laundry to whiten them. If there is blood on clothing, pour directly on the soiled spot. Let it sit for a minute, then rub it and rinse with cold water. Repeat if necessary.

13. I use peroxide to clean my mirrors, and there is no smearing which is why I love it so much for this.

And I just found out that one of the main ingredients in the miracle cleaner “OxiClean” is peroxide.  Go figure

So it might be time to pay attention to some of the wisdom of our grandparents and head down to the local drugstore for a cheap bottle of peroxide. It is a little brown bottle no home should be without!

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"Why don’t you just call it ’stretching,’" he suggested.

"Whatever," I thought to myself as I continued to practice my poses and breathing exercises.

Over the years, however, I’ve discovered that Yoga is much more than merely "stretching."  The benefits of this practice go far beyond the physical dexterity that comes with the increased flexibility of relaxed and elongated muscle tissue.

I’ve found that I’ve become more "centered" throughout my day and more focused on things I turn my attention toward.  I’ve become more peaceful and more aware of the energy and activity around me.

Yoga is more than physical exercise.  It’s a wholistic approach that involves the physical, the mental and the spiritual aspects of my being.  Unlike the competitive base that most "exercise" programs are built on, yoga is based on YOUR body and YOUR state of being.  It is "cooperative" and emphasizes your individual state at the present moment.  You find yourself "growing" as you gently relax into each exercise over time.

Yoga can be an extremely rewarding way to get started on an "exercise" program.  It will help you in ways that go way beyond mere "stretching."  Start slow and allow your body to tell you how much it wants to do each day.  Doing just a little bit will reap tremendous rewards.

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Breast cancer is a rapid, uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in one or both breasts.  It is life-threatening because it quickly spreads to vital organs.

The years since World War II have seen a tremendous increase in the incidence of breast cancer, so efforts on identifying its causes often focus on changes in our society that have occurred since then, such as the increased use of pesticides, the advent of birth control pills, changes in diet, and different styles and materials in women’s clothing.  Researchers have identified lots of risk factors (such as age, diet, cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, and family history), but the specific causes of breast cancer remain elusive. 

Cancers are divided into different groups, called stages, based on whether the cancer is invasive or non-invasive, the size of the tumor, how many lymph nodes are involved, and whether there is spread to other parts of the body.  The stages identify tumor types that have a similar outlook and are treated in a similar way. There are five main stages of breast cancer. If breast cancer is detected in its early stages, the 5 year survival rate is greater than 95%.

Breast cancer is more easily treated and often curable if it is found early. Monthly breast self-examinations should begin at age 20.  Recommended screening methods include breast self-examination and mammography.  A mammogram is the most effective way to find breast cancer early, up to 2 years before the lump is even large enough to feel.  Sometimes a doctor will discover a lump in a woman’s breast during a routine examination or a patient might come to the doctor with questions about a lump she found.  If clinical examination and mammography both reveal benign findings, biopsy may be unnecessary.  

Treatment for breast cancer usually depends on the type of cancer and whether the cancer has spread outside of the breast to the rest of the body.  Treatment options include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and endocrine/anti-hormone therapy.  Treatment usually starts with anticancer drugs, or chemotherapy.  The prognosis (chance of recovery) and treatment options depend on the stage of the cancer, the size of the tumor and whether it is in the breast only or has spread to lymph nodes or other places in the body.  It’s very important to diagnose inflammatory breast cancer quickly so that treatment can begin.  After surgery, radiation treatment is used to try to kill any remaining cancer cells.

Possible surgical treatments are either a mastectomy (complete removal of the breast) or breast conserving therapy.  Even if a mastectomy is needed (about 30-40% of patients need this), building a new breast, called reconstruction, offers a natural looking breast replacement.  Breast-conserving surgery (which removes only some of your breast) often works just as well as a mastectomy (which removes all of your breast). 

Mammograms can detect tumors in the earliest stages, however, a standard mammogram can miss 15-20% of cancerous tumors.  Heightened awareness of breast cancer risk in the past decades has led to an increase in the number of women undergoing mammography for screening, leading to detection of cancers in earlier stages and a resultant improvement in survival rates.

Research suggests that routine exercise may help prevent breast cancer.  No one knows the exact causes of breast cancer, but research has shown that women with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop the disease.  Researchers at Stanford University and the National Institutes of Health, for example, found that high concentrations of the IGF-1 hormone stimulate cancer cell growth.  

Up to 10 percent of breast cancer patients eventually suffer a recurrence in the other breast.  Simple mammograms often miss small tumors, the researchers from the American College of Radiology Imaging Network found, while MRIs rarely miss them. 

The cause of breast cancer is unknown.  Early detection of breast cancer is therefore vital as it increases the chances of successful treatment.  The chance of a woman in her 40s developing breast cancer is about one in 70, whereas the risk of a woman in her 80s developing breast cancer is one in 25.  When breast cancer is confined to the breast the five year survival rate is over 95%.  For women aged 40-49, the evidence that screening mammography reduces mortality from breast cancer is weaker, and the absolute benefit of mammography is smaller, than it is for older women.

The good news is that breast cancer is a disease that can be treated and cured.  More than 90 out of 100 women whose breast cancer is found early will be cured.  Cancer found at a later stage, however, may be less likely to be cured.  While there is still no cure for the disease, the experts and leading organizations such as the American Cancer Society, Susan G.  Doctors and scientists are working on finding cures for all types of breast cancer.  Finding and treating breast cancer early is the best way to increase your chances of survival and cure.

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According to both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Medicine report, the answer is no.  According to recent research, only about 25% of Americans are getting the minimum recommended daily servings of fruits or vegetables. (Only 20% are getting getting both.)

It only takes one cup of raw or cooked vegetables or two leafy greens to count as a serving.  So do one cup of rar friut or a quarter-cup of dried fruit That doesn’t seem like much, but apparently, the majority of Americans think it is.  Or at least their eating habits have avoided even this minimum.

So what does this look like?

- 1 small apple

- 1 large orange

- 1 small wedge of watermelon

- 8 large strawberries

- 1 large bell pepper

- 2 stalks of celery

- 12 baby carrots

- 1 large ear of corn

One thing that I noticed while going over this list was that french fries and donuts were not listed. (Bummer!)

If you’re not sure how many servings of fruits and vegetables you should be eating, you can to to www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov to calculate the number of servings that are right for you.

Listen to your mother.  You’ll be healthier and you’ll make her happy.

Stay Healthy

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I don’t don’t know about you, but my first reaction after reading this was … Duh.  I mean, come on, I don’t think that takes a lot of sparks humming around the grey matter to figure that one out.

The research was very precise in it’s results. Playing a game of Wii tennis, for example, (an interactive video game created by the Nintendo gaming system), expended around 179 calories an hour.  Wii Boxing burned only 174 calories an hour.  (Now that one did surprise me.  In real life, it seems like boxing would burn more calories; not to mention a few bruises.)  Playing a game of real tennis, on the other hand, used 318 calories an hour and punching a boxing bag burned 382 calories. (See, I was right.)

The study also measured the number of calories that children burned while playing traditional, sedentary video games.  They found that, while the interactive Wii games burned more energy than the traditional video games, they don’t compare to the real thing. (How many times can I say "duh" in the same post?) 

The "research" was obviously heavily subsidized by the "public relations consultant" for Nintendo.  The conclusion of the "study" asserts, and I quote … "While [Wii video gaming] is not going to replace the real thing, it’s certainly moving in the right direction."

Really?  Do you mean the fact that kids actually get up out of their chair to play (this is optional, by the way).  How about turning off the video game and going outside to throw a ball back and forth (or even up against a wall.  THAT would be moving in the right direction.

Call me old fashioned, but I think we should be encouraging our children to play some real games, not to sit mastering an electronic simulation offered in a video game.  I know the Wii games are fun to play and they certainly have their place.  Let’s just not begin to think that there are any real health benefits associated with "virtual exercise" through video sports games.

If you have a choice … and you should MAKE the choice … chose to engage in the real thing when it comes to exercise.  It’s actually a lot more fun and has a lot more benefits to your health.  The only exception, perhaps, is the Wii boxing.  Virtual bruises probably don’t hurt as much.

Stay Healthy.

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This approach seems much safer than hormonal replacement therapy for women afflicted by the effects of menopause, although the researchers admit that there doesn’t seem to be a significant relationship between exercise and the elimination of hot flashes.

There is, however, a substantial reduction in the levels of depression, anxiety and stress among women who are physically active.  Women who do not engage in regular physical activity are much more likely to suffer from these negative symptoms.

The study is significant for several reasons.  While exercise does not appear to impact some of temporary symptoms, such as hot flashes, it has a much more substantial effect on many of the long-term ailments that are associated with menopause.

The surprising aspect of the study was that the level of physical activity necessary to decrease the symptoms of menopause was minimal.  Just walking a short distance as a part of a daily routine, for example, was enough to have a positive impact.

It was interesting to note that, as a group, black women tend to suffer more from menopausal symptoms than whites and that moderate exercise seems to have a more significant impact for this demographic as well. 

One reason for hot flashes in women is a fluctuation of hormone levels which affect the brain’s center controlling body temperature.

Other research indicated that while exercise does not appear to reduce the number of hot flashes that menopausal women experience, those who are physically active tend to "care less about having them."  

This finding supports the psychological, as well as physical, benefits that exercise offers.  The reduced levels of estrogen that accompanies menopause does lead to an increase of stress, anxiety and depression.  The mental benefits of physical activity is significant in terms of reducing the intensity of these symptoms.

For more information on menopause visit the National Women’s Health Information Center.

Stay Healthy.

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New York has often been a forerunner for the nation.  The fact that fewer teens are smoking is a move in the right direction.  The drop of tobacco use among teenagers is attributed mainly to the curbs on smoking in public areas and the skyrocketing taxes on cigarettes which adds around $3.00 to the price of each pack.

Among ninth to twelfth graders surveyed, the number of smokers dropped from 17.6 percent in 2001 to 8.5 percent in 2007.  The national average among teens is currently around 23 percent.

The drop is also credited to an aggressive attack on businesses selling cigarettes to minors.  In a program called Youth Tobacco and Prevention, the department of consumer affairs hires teenagers to try to buy cigarettes illegally within the view of public inspectors.  The crackdown has obviously had an effect.

Whatever the reason behind the decline, it’s a move in the right direction.  Our society seems to be slowly moving away from it’s addiction to nicotine, but the battle is far from over.

Talking with your teens openly about the dangers of cigarettes is the best defensive.  Let’s hope that this trend away from tobacco use continues and spreads to other parts of our world.

Stay Healthy.  

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There are approximately 127 million adults in the United States who are overweight.  Sixty million of these are considered to be obese and nine million classified as "severely obese" by the American Obesity Association.  That’s a total of over one-third of the US population.

With these scales continuing to tip away from a healthy lifestyle, it seems ironic that Americans are as obsessed with diets as they are with food.  The intent is in the right place, but the solution is often misguided.

Our culture of instant gratification, with our microwave ovens, drive-thru windows, and multiple remote controls for everything from the television to our ceiling fans, has produced an expectation of immediate results for everything in our lives.  This impatience is especially harmful with applied to areas affecting our health.

Many of the fad diets are popular because of their "immediate" results.  What most people don’t realize is that the majority of weight being shed is the result of water and lean muscle, not body fat.

In addition, most people who lose weight on these diets not only end up regaining the weight lost through the diet, but actually end up gaining a few pounds on the back end. (yes, the pun is intentional … what can I say.)

This "yo-yo" dieting has been connected with shorter life spans.  In spite of the dangers, however, thousands will jump on the next quick-fix diet and start popping pills to shed the holiday pounds as soon as the new year rolls in.

Regrettably, there is no magic pill or miracle diet that works overnight.  There are, however, some amazingly simple, but powerful lifestyle choices that can help you to lose pounds permanently while improving your health.  And you don’t have to starve yourself to get great results.

One program that helps to achieve this is called "Fat Loss 4 Idiots."  I hate the name and their website is pretty goofy, but their program is effective while maintaining a healthy perspective.

So as the new year begins, be smart in the choices you make to stay healthy.  If you want to lose a few pounds and start getting back in shape, take the long route and make it a lifestyle change instead of a three-week fad.  You’ll be happier with the results and stay healthier in the process.

Stay Healthy

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In today’s culture, however, we’re inundated with messages that tell us that exposure to sunlight is dangerous.  Skin cancer resulting from being out in the sun is nearly epidemic.  Of course we live in a completely different world.  Pollution, global warming and a thinning Ozone layer around the earth’s atmosphere are elements that our ancient counterparts could not even imagine.

But has the shift from the sun being healthy to harmful swung completely to the other side?

It seems difficult to believe that at least SOME exposure to sunlight is not beneficial.  Experience and common sense seem to say that it is.  Especially in terms of the psychological effects that sunlight can have on lifting our mood.

I do, however, understand the dangers from over-exposure.  Too much of anything — even a good thing — is a bad thing.

I recently ran across an article on EarlytoRise.com talking about a book written by Dr. Herbert Shelton in 1934 called The Hygienic System, Volume III: Fasting and Sunbathing. (A free download of this book is provided by EarlytoRise.com).  In this book, Shelton argues for a more benevolent view of the sun’s benefits to our health.

I personally tend to believe our ancient ancestors more than our modern scientists (who tend to bounce around back and forth in terms of what they recommend as being "good" for us.)  But, like all things in life, I believe that moderation is the key.

Stay healthy.

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