Men More Forgetful Than Women

Men are more likely than women to have problems with memory and other thinking skills, symptoms considered to be an early stage of dementia, research suggests.

The new study, to be presented at an annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Chicago this week, expands the field of research on aging and memory into a touchy arena — cognitive differences among men and women.

Forgetfulness linked with aging, or just a frenzied day, is normal. Say, you misplace your car keys or wallet, or you can't remember where you parked the car. Red flags should pop up when you start forgetting things you normally remember, and on a routine basis, such as weekly appointments, doctors say. These are signs of so-called mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which can lead to dementia.

People with mild cognitive impairment are three to four times more likely than others to develop Alzheimer's disease, according to the Mayo Clinic. Considered the most common form of dementia, Alzheimer's is a neurological disorder that affects your ability to think, speak, reason, remember and move.

The recent findings come from a study of nearly 2,000 residents of Olmsted County, Minn., who ranged in age from 70 to 89. Dr. Rosebud Roberts of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and her colleagues followed the participants beginning in the fall of 2004, collecting new data every 12 to 15 months.

Overall, 74 percent of the participants had normal mental function; about 16 percent had MCI; and 10 percent had full-on dementia.

Men were one-and-a-half times more likely to have mild cognitive impairment than women. The prevalence in men increased from 12 percent in men ages 70 to 74 up to 40 percent in the oldest age group, ages 85 to 89. "This was an unexpected finding," Roberts said during a press briefing, referring to the difference between men and women.

The finding remained the same regardless of a man's education or marital status.

"These findings are in contrast to studies which have found more women than men, or an equal proportion, have dementia, and suggest there's a delayed progression to dementia in men," Roberts said. "Alternately, women may develop dementia at a faster rate than men."

Continued study of the participants could help to solve this mind puzzle.

"To be able to find out whether the findings are definitive, we need to follow our subjects over time," Roberts said, "to see if men indeed develop new MCI at a faster rate than women."

The study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Robert H. and Clarice Smith and Abigail Van Buren Alzheimer’s Disease Research Program.

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Cuti Patah Hati!

"Lebih baik sakit gigi daripada sakit hati" sebuah lirik lagu yang bercerita bahwa sakit hati sangat tidak mengenakkan. Bahkan di Jepang, mereka yang mengalami sakit hati atau patah hati, diberikan kesempatan cuti atau sebutannya 'cuti patah hati'.

Cuti ini diberikan oleh sebuah perusahaan marketing di Jepang, "Hime & Company" yang berkantor pusat di Tokyo. Pihak manajemen memberikan satu hari cuti digaji agar karyawan mereka yang sedang patah hati bisa meluapkan kesedihan mereka dan kembali fresh diesok harinya.

"Jika cuti hamil kan tidak dibutuhkan semua karyawan. Namun semua orang mengalami patah hati, dan mereka butuh waktu untuk sendiri, sama saja ketika Anda sakit," kata Miki Hiradate, CEO Hime & Company, yang perusahaannya bergerak dibidang kosmetik dan produk perempuan.

"Kebijakan perusahaan Hime & Company cukup unik. Bagi karyawan yang berusia 24 tahun diberikan cuti patah hati sehari per tahun, namun mereka yang berusia 25 - 29 tahun dapat mengambil 2 hari per tahun, dan bagi mereka yang lebih tua, diberikan 3 hari per tahun."

Miki menjelaskan alasannya. "Perempuan di usia 20-an dapat mencari pengganti cinta mereka lebih cepat, tapi hal tersebut akan lebih sulit bagi mereka yang sudah berusia 30-an. Pastinya putusnya hubungan mereka lebih menyakitkan, " demikian Miki menjelaskan kepada Reuters.

Selain cuti patah hati, perusahaan Hime & Company juga memberikan 2 hari per tahun cuti sales shopping leave ketika musim discount agar mereka bisa berbelanja. "Dulu, sebelum ada cuti ini, para karyawan perempuan biasanya mengambil waktu setengah hari ketika musim discount untuk berbelanja, tapi mereka harus menyembunyikan tas belanjaan di loker di stasiun kereta.

Tapi sekarang dengan cuti ini, mereka tidak perlu merasa bersalah untuk membawa tas belanja mereka ke kantor, dan kita menikmati saat-saat berbelanja dan uang yang dihabiskan untuknya," ujar Miki menambahkan. Wah...wah... salut deh untuk perusahaan satu ini.

Ps; email ini di forward oleh seorang teman dari salah satu mailing list. Thanks.
Disini, boro boro loe bisa cuti patah hati, cuti “yg biasa” saja kalo loe dapat bos tengik ajubile bin jalib susahnya!

Teach Your Child to Escape or Prevent an Abduction

"Kid Escape" is a method that you can teach to children to help them learn how to escape from someone who is trying to abduct them. Practice these steps with your child at home. It could very well save his or her life!

Steps

For children aged 12 years and under:

1. Teach your child how to react if anyone grabs a hold of him or he and tries to get your child into a vehicle:
* The first thing is to get down as low to the ground as possible. Start wiggling and twisting and climbing down the would-be abductor's body until you can reach the person's ankles. Keep moving and squirm, turn about and climb right down the body.
* As soon as you reach the ground, wrap your arms around one of the attacker's ankles, and wrap your legs around the attacker's other ankle. Try to lock your body around the attacker's legs and ankles the best that you can.
* Realize that the attacker will be trying like mad to get the you off him or her. If the attacker manages to actually break free from you, don't try to get up and run. Stay on the ground, and just try to scoot yourself backwards away from the attacker. Do this as if you are walking like a crab. If the attacker tries to grab you again, just grab a hold of his or her legs again.
* If your are on the ground on your back, you can always just kick at the attacker wildly.

For older kids aged around 12 years and older:

Teach your child that the would-be abductor can be tackled as follows:
* The best thing for you to do is grab onto your attacker as if you're giving him or her a big bear hug. He or she will immediately start trying to push you away.
* Try to bite your attacker's shoulder as you hang on.
* The closer you are to the attacker's body, the harder it is for him or her to hit you or grab a hold of you.
* As soon as the attacker breaks the connection between the two of you, just run as fast as you can.

Tips

* It's important for you to scream as loud as you possibly can during the entire attempted abduction. You want as many people as possible to notice what's happening.
* Teach your child to yell things like, "I DON'T KNOW THIS PERSON!" and "I'M BEING KIDNAPPED!" This will get people's attention very fast, rather than them thinking your child could possibly just be someone's bratty kid screaming for candy.

Get Your Two Year Old to Stop Crying and Go to Sleep Alone

There are a million books on this subject, and there is no easy way to get your child to sleep though the night unless they are ready. One thing you must never do is to get frustrated in front of your child. If they are upset, they will never go to sleep. Keep in mind our child did not sleep completely through the night until he was over a year old. Also, if your baby is breast-feeding, or still taking a bottle at night, this probably will not work

Steps

1. Put your kid on a schedule. ie. dinner, play, bath, books, bed-time. Try to do things consistently and at the same time every night when possible.
2. Announce it is time to go to bed and to give kisses (unless they are too young to know what you are talking about, in which case, good luck.) Take them to their bedroom.
3. Turn out the lights but DO leave some kind of night light on, then rock, or sing, or do whatever you do before putting him/her in bed.
4. Put them in Bed.
5. Soothe them a little by rubbing tummy or back or whatever. Soothe, but don't stimulate. Make it as boring as you can.
6. Did they fall asleep? Didn't think so.
7. Try to sneak out of the room.
8. If they cry for you, go right back to them, don't let them cry.
9. Repeat steps 5 through 8 until they fall asleep.

Tips

1. This is not something that happens overnight. Sometimes you will get to the door, close it, and they will call for you. It is important to always go back and soothe them some more and don't let them cry.
2. Some people will tell you to let them cry it out and this may or may not have quicker resulults, but If you don't want to submit your child to this heartbreak, you are left with the hard way. As were we.
3. When you go back to soothe, try to do it while they are in the bed without taking them out of the crib. Only take them out if they are extremely upset.
4. Try not to get angry at your child. It is perfectly normal for them to not sleep through the night. Every child is different.

Get Your Children Away from TV (2)

Does it seem that the kids have forgotten what the garden looks like or the park across the street? Is their conversation dotted with TV show lingo and do they base their next week's schedule around what's on TV? And the big question - are your kids glued to the TV all the time? If so, time to take control and give them a new lease on life that does not revolve around the box.

Here are some more tips

1. Make it a rule that there is no TV watching before homework is done. Unwinding after school should be relaxing, not getting hyperactive in front of the TV.
2. It can be a good idea to get kids out of TV during summer first. Summer TV is usually re-runs and fairly drab. And it is much easier to get out of doors during summer! Once the routine is in place for summer, gradually replace indoor TV as the months get darker with indoor activities, like games and reading. Continue going to museums, skating rinks, and indoor sports places as you did during summer.
3. A good rule-of-thumb for TV watching is : No TV for children under the age of 2. The TV can never be a substitute for learning about the world around them; One to two hours and no more per day for children aged over two. Also suitable for adults.
4. Place your TV in the closet. Removing the TV from the center of your living space communicates that it is no longer the center of your lives.
5. Sell your TV. Want to go over the top? Want kids that love to read? Want kids that pay attention in school? Want to foster creative and self-entertainment? Want to spend more time communicating, playing, etc.? Want to be the person giving the values instead of all the strangers with their strange ideas from television land? Want to set your kids up for a much healthier lifestyle? You can always watch a movie on your computer screen, a movie you selected.
6. Disconnect the cable. Most cable providers have several television stations geared toward children, and many have television stations that show cartoons all day. Without "children's TV stations," your children may actually look forward to getting up on Saturday Morning to watch cartoons.
7. Buy or rent the television programs that you want to watch and watch them after the kids go to sleep. Many network programs are also available on demand on the internet within a week of airing on television. By doing this, you can watch television on your own schedule without exposing your children to your shows.
8. Discuss your TV reduction with your kid's friend's parents. If they know what you want for your kids you can help stop TV watching away from home.
9. Not letting children watch television may save you money. Children are very susceptible to influence from television commercials. Without commercials, you children may not be as brand conscious, and they won't request things in television commercials they don't see.
10. Reduced exposure to commercials will have many benefits for your children: reduced desire and impulses to eat junk food or sweets, reduced desire/impulses to buy the latest toys and other fads. A good way to do this is to get them alot of Disney movies, they usually are good quality, and contains important life lessons, and there is no commertials on it, or only let them watch Disney channal, it has very little advetisments and the advertisments usually are about there own movies, not junkfood and toys.
11. Do not replace the TV with the computer or video games. If you allow this, you may well be setting the kids up for an alternative addiction. Try to allow everything in moderation and with clear limits.
12. It is a good idea to monitor what your children are watching. If you don't, you won't know what they are seeing and this can manifest itself in very negative ways if they are witnessing violence, sexually explicit content, or even just too many advertisements. Remember, TV viewing must be quality, no matter what. More importantly, monitoring what they watch keeps you involved in your child's life.

Get Your Children Away from TV (1)

Does it seem that the kids have forgotten what the garden looks like or the park across the street? Is their conversation dotted with TV show lingo and do they base their next week's schedule around what's on TV? And the big question - are your kids glued to the TV all the time? If so, time to take control and give them a new lease on life that does not revolve around the box.

Steps

1. Tell the kids that the TV free-for-all is at an end. Explain to them that the level of TV viewing has reached a point of no return and that other activities in life are being neglected. Then tell them that the TV time is going to be regulated from now on. There will be whining, there will be arguing and there will be the typical clever rationalizations that kids are famous for. Stick to your decision - TV time is being axed!
2. Develop a TV reduction plan. In consultation with your kids, sit down together and plot TV viewing time. Get a copy of the weekly TV schedule from your regular paper or magazine. Ask the kids which shows they like the most. Then tell them that those are going to be the only programs they can watch. Also consider allowing a time limit of 1 - 2 hours per day (or less, especially on school nights) of viewing and no more. If there are more programs than hours alloted, the kids will be forced to choose.
3. Turn it off. Only permit the TV to be on when the program is being watched. Do not allow it to run as background noise. It will distract the kids and draw them back to it even if the program is not one that interested them initially. One option is to use an adapter to control the TV's power supply, only allowing them to watch at certain times of the day.
4. Go cold turkey for the whole family. All for one and one for all. One drastic measure is to get rid of the TVs. Yes, it is drastic but if you have a family that is highly addicted to TV, it may be the only way to kickstart this plan. Give the TVs to a family member or friend to keep for a week to a month whilst the whole family goes cold turkey and relearns what they used to do before the TV was invented. One word of warning - do not turn to the internet, video games and other sources of electronic entertainment in place. Instead, bring out those old board games, playing cards and jigsaws to do together as a family.
5. Take TVs out of bedrooms. Just because a TV is affordable and keeps the kids out of your hair does not mean that having TVs in bedrooms is acceptable. Bedrooms are for peace, rest and quiet play. TVs do not instill rest and peace, especially not kids' programs, which are deliberately aimed at keeping kids interested through energizing them. Keep the TV (or TVs) in public areas only: somewhere that is easy for you to monitor. If you have a larger family, you may need to consider an additional TV to avoid too many sharing clashes but in the main, sharing and compromise are two important skills to be teaching your kids.
6. Do not keep a TV/DVD/VCR in your vehicle. It's amazing how many parents rely on a DVD or VCR in their vehicle to keep the kids "quiet". Road trips or car errands are a great time for kids to draw, read books, play with Barbies or Transformers, talk with parents, listen to music, or just watch the surroundings out the window, etc. Kids don't need to be entertained all the time.
7. Provide alternatives. Kids are learning about their world everyday. Make sure that most of their learning comes from self-experience and not from being told about things via the medium of TV. To assist their self-exploration and to perk their curiosity, provide a range of alternative activities. Keep an activity cupboard packed with activities such as: Science kit projects (erupting volcanoes, magnets, 3D models, electronics kits, weather forecasting kits, natural discovery books and kits etc.); Craft, art and drawing materials.; Board games, playing cards, marbles, miniatures, Lego bricks, building kits, etc.; A good library of kids' books aimed at their ages, across a wide variety of subjects.
8. Encourage outdoor and sporting activities. Keep a good supply of balls, bats, rackets, shuttlecocks, jump ropes, Frisbees, bikes, and other outdoor objects handy. Go to the parks, the pool, or the football field and be active together. Encourage older kids to go by themselves and play sports with friends. Enroll kids of all ages in sports classes, either team or individual, depending on your kids' expressions of interest.
9. Go on outings together. Visit museums, parks, science centers, aquariums, zoos, amusement parks, mini-golf, the cinema, the beach -- anywhere that gets them away from the TV. Travel on the train to the end of the line just to see where it goes and come back again. Help out with volunteer projects. Do a variety of things that encourage the kids to explore their world and see, touch, taste, smell, and hear it for themselves, senses that no TV program can ever truly stimulate or replicate.
10. Reward adherence to the TV reduction plan. Once the TV reduction plan has become routine and the kids are watching less TV (only their allotted programs), reinforce their changed focus with rewards. The rewards might be activity based, such as going to an amusement park or the theater or they might be material, such as new clothes, books or CDs.
11. Set a good example. It should go without saying that your behavior matters. What you do will demonstrate to the kids what is okay to do. Watch less TV yourself, remove any TV from your bedroom, participate in the kids' activities, and be active in sports, fitness, and exercise. You will not only be setting your kids a great example but you'll be doing yourself a favor, too. Just see how much more time emerges in your day when you restrict the TV viewing!

Create a Great Homework Environment

Success begins with the homework environment. Parents want their children to get good grades in school. Unfortunately, not every parent knows how best to help their children meet academic challenges, including completion of homework assignments. So, how do parents maximize their child’s chances for success in school? Start by creating a home environment that is conducive to homework and learning.

Steps

1. Set goals. Help your child set attainable goals for each class and help her identify what will need to be done to reach each goal. For example, to get an A in American History she will need to turn in all her homework, participate in class, etc.
2. Know your child. There are visual (seeing), auditory (hearing), and haptic (doing) learners. If you help your child work within his style, he will work more effectively.
3. Create a homework zone. Set up an area in your home for studying, complete with a dictionary, paper and pens. Make sure the area is free from potential distractions and that study tools are at your child’s fingertips to keep him/her focused on homework.
4. Develop class files. Develop a color-coded file for each of your child’s classes. Make separate tabs for homework assignments, exams and projects, so your child can refer back to class materials when studying for comprehensive tests.
5. Set Weekly Milestones. For big projects or exams, get a large calendar for your child’s desk area and help him set short timelines to ensure projects and studying aren’t left until the night before. Celebrate with your child when each milestone is met.
6. Also have a calculator handy. It's easier for your child.
7. You might also want to get a laptop. They're great if your child forgets his/her books. Most school books have online versions. Laptops are also great for looking up definitions.
8. It also works to bribe your kid. Get a big poster of whatever your kid wants and hang it above their work area. If your kid gets good grades take the poster down and get them the actual item.

Getting Kids to Eat

Getting kids to eat can be like trying to nail jelly to a wall.
Here are some techniques that really work.

1. Cook with your kids. Get your kid involved in preparing their food. They will feel far more involved when it comes to sitting down if they made the salad, put together the bread and cheese, and helped set the table.
2. Be calm and uncomplicated. You should never punish a kid by withdrawal of food. Also, question the psychology behind rewarding good behaviour with bribes of favourite foods. If you separate the issues of behaviour and eating, then you keep the child's relationship with food easy to understand. Likewise, keep your own hang-ups in mind, and don't pass them onto your kids. It is unwise to ban foods as "bad stuff" or "temptations". Even decadent, fat-rich food can have it's place in your child's diet, in moderation of course.
3. Follow the 10 times rule. Recent research from America suggests it might take a kid up to 10 tries of a new foodstuff before they learn to like it. So if you want them to try carrot, then you need to stick at it. But how do you get them to even try a new food? Let's face it, carrots do look a bit weird. You could always try the 'no thank you' bite? The rule is, your kid is allowed to say' no thank you' to any food they like, as long as they have one bite of it first. This is a great way of getting your kid to try things. Gradually your kid will find that some things aren't so bad - even carrots.
4. If they have a favourite food, tell them they can have it after they finish everything else.
5. Other ideas. If you make the food look appealing, young children can sometimes be enticed into eating it- you could try making the food into the shape of a face. And one final idea for those last mouthfuls is a game of aeroplanes.
   

Improve Your Fighting Reflexes

Reflexes are the way your body behaves when it needs to act without thinking. They can be either natural reflexes (such as quickly recoiling your hand when you touch somthing way too hot) or taught reflexes (such as not dropping that very expensive or precious cup just because it is too hot). Training your reflexes may be successfully accomplished through endless repeating of the movements. During this process, the conscient actions to certain stimulus will be converted in subsconscient triggered actions (the reflexes).

Steps

1. List the attacks you want to improve your reaction against.
2. Find a training partner.
3. Ask your partner to execute the attack slowly. While your partner executes the attack, attempt to dodge or block it. Be wise to understand that certain attacks can't be blocked, for instance, blocking a punch will just get yourself hit both by the punch and by the hand or arm you chose to block with. You can also train an immediate counter-attack after successfully dodging the original attack.
4. Repeat the very same attack with the very same defense. If you think you're doing it right, then begin increasing the attack speed and the defense speed. Do this for about 10~15 minutes. Your body will learn to react to this particular situation.
5. Switch into another attack or into another defense (or both). Continue training for about 10~15 minutes. Your body will now learn to react to a different situation. Nevertheless, until here, you're always expecting the attack.
6. Continue switching until you've successfully trained about 3 or 4 attacks and corresponding defenses.
7. Ask your partner to do one of the previously trained attacks at random. Once again, begin slowly and keep increasing the attack speed if you're being successful in your training. Your body will now start to train on how to quickly identify the attack and respond accordingly.
8. Repeat it all. Repeating is the only way your reflexes will be trained.
9. Find more partners, or at least keep finding ways of using different attacks. You want to improve fighting reflexes, not improve your reflexes when someone you know punches you in a very particular way.

Tips

1. Join a martial arts school. You'll be doing the same as described here, with the difference that you'll have "professional" help on the best ways of dodging the attacks, of counter-attacking and a big variety of attacks is ensured.
2. Try not to hurt yourself nor your partner. Still you may occasionally get hurt by accident...
3. Enjoy what you do. Don't train while raging or thinking about revenge of some sort as that will make your body think of the training experience as a bad experience and reject its stimulus as much as possible. While enjoying your training, your body will be more willing to learn.
4. Make sure the people you train with aren't actually going to hurt you.

Gain Muscle Fast in 8 Easy Steps

This is to help those that find it difficult to gain muscle, particularly for those with small body frames. However, the techniques will also benefit those individuals that would like to bulk-up quicker, safer and efficiently. The main question by those tired of trying to shape up their bodies, but with no results, or even those starting their journey into fitness is how to gain muscles fast. The reasons are varied, some want to look good for their vacations, or to enter and win competitions. Some want to walk down the road with their heads held up high and command respect. However, what every single hard gainer should not forget in their desire to get the body of their dreams and how to gain muscle fast is to do it safely and effectively.

Things You Need

A good source of food that you will requite in order to give you energy in to work-out regularly and aid in your muscle recovery are complex carbohydrates.

Good sources are:
* Potatoes
* Pasta
* Rice
* Cereals
* Couscous
* Yams

Steps

1. Limit your reps to 10. Do not go beyond 10 reps because you are emphasizing your slow-twitch muscle fibers which have the smallest opportunity for muscle growth. In your work-out you need to employ the maximal amount of muscle fibers in every set.
2. Gain muscle by switching to heavy lifting mode. Every single set and every single exercise. Work out with heavy weights and never go beyond 10 reps.
3. Increment your strength by 5% every two weeks. Track your progress and do not repeat the same routine using the same weights all the time. Your muscles are engineered to tolerate stress so put them under stress and let them grow.
4. Aim for a minimum of 5% strength increase every two weeks. You might aim for bigger increases with larger muscle groups like legs and back versus smaller muscles like triceps and biceps. Keep focused and have the goal in mind that in six months from now, you will be over twice as strong as you are now! It is a good idea writing down your strength goals for the six months ahead and then work from your starting point. If you are currently dead lifting 140 lbs, aim to be dead lifting 280 lbs over the next few months!
5. Work-out only one exercise per muscle group. Consider this typical day in the gym. Today is your legs day. Your first exercise is the leg curl. You perform your first set with 155 lbs, second set with 175 lbs, third set with 195 lbs and fourth set with 215 lbs.
6. Strictly stick to 3 to 5 sets per muscle group. Understand that if you are doing more than 3-5 sets per muscle group, alarm bells should be going off in your head. If you work-out the first 1-2 sets at 85% maximum effort, the 3rd set at 95% maximum effort and the 4th (and sometimes the 5th) set at 100% maximum effort, Know that it is only this last set that produces the greatest muscle growth. Anything beyond the last set mentality that you have to keep going until you explode, simply burns out the muscle and delays your recovery time to work on that muscle again.Add 5-10 extra pounds more than your previous set.
7. Gradually shorten your work-out times. Know that if you really want to increase your muscle density and move your fitness to new heights, you need to work-out outside your comfort zone.This can be achieved if you increase your work rate but taking less time do it. The results will be that your work capacity will increase. Work refers to the number of sets, reps and poundage within your work-out.
8. Try to complete a work-out,it in less time. Decrease your rests. Move between exercises faster. If you do this, don't be shocked if you feel out of shape!

Tips

1. Limit your reps to 10 only
2. Increment Your Strength by 5% Every Two Weeks
3. Work-out only one exercise per muscle group
4. Strictly stick to 3 to 5 sets per muscle group
5. Gradually shorten your work-out times

Warnings

1. If you never worked out before consult with a doctor before beginning your workout routines. Do not begin one if you have any serious health problems.
2. Work out with a partner to prevent injuries, and for encouragement to push your limits every inch of the way.
3. If you experience discomfort like numbness, tingling sensations, dizziness, palpitations you must stop immediately. These are warnings signs that your body is giving you to let you know that it has gone past the safety threshold

Why I have to avoid Overtraining?

Most people who begin working out with weights head to the gym wanting to lift everything they see. The truth is, avoiding overtraining is one of the hardest things for a lifter to do. Overtraining will completely stop your muscle growth, as well as make you feel horrible.

Steps

1. Reduce your time in the gym. When building muscle, more is NOT better. Muscles need time to rest and recover before they will grow for you. 3 or 4 days a week is the most you ever need to be at the gym, with an hour tops each time.
2. Give your muscles plenty of rest. Your muscles need time to heal in between workouts - the average person needs a week in between workouts before the muscles have recovered enough for another workout.
3. Get plenty of rest yourself. A full night's sleep of 8-9 hours is needed for your muscles to maximize their recovering efforts.
4. Start eating more. The more you eat, the more nutrients your body has to give your muscles, and the faster your muscles can recover.
   

Tips

1. Stretch only after a workout or when you go to sleep or wake up. Stretching before a workout neurally turns your muscles off and can cause injury; so, only stretch afterwards.
2. Work out every muscle group once to twice per week.
3. Change up your routine. Changing your routine every few weeks will keep your muscles sharp and stimulated. The idea is progression. It keeps results happening. If you don't progress, your body becomes accustomed to what it's doing and no longer yields results.
4. Eating a balanced amount of macronutrients(carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) is essential. Know what you eat and how much. Also, the real thing is always better than supplements.
5. If you get overtrained take a break from working out!
6. Don't work out when you are sick. If your body is busy fighting off a cold, it can't devote itself to recovering your muscles!

Love enhance Life

Love not only brings meaning to your life, it also brings health benefits. This Valentine's Day, share love and health with the special people in your life.

Love Can Unclog Arteries
Research has found that love can reduce plaque buildup (called atherosclerosis) in your arteries. In studies conducted with rabbits fed large amounts of cholesterol, the rabbits that experienced tender loving care were actually found to have reduced risk of heart attack and atherosclerosis.

Get an Immune Boost with Love
Love is the most powerful emotional experience, and studies show that while you are feeling it, a great number of endorphins and immune cells are produced. Even watching movies about love or altruism has been shown to increase levels of immunoglobulin — IGA — your first line of protection against cold and flu.

Active Sex Life for a Long Life
Studies have shown that sexually active seniors are the happiest men and women of any age group. And it's no wonder: healthy sexual intimacy is nature's fountain of youth. Sex can raise the levels of substances that lengthen your life span, including endorphins, DHEA, and growth hormone; it can also lower those that shorten it, like the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline.

The ancient Chinese had a tradition that emphasized the productive transformation of energy during sexual activities, called fang-chung. As Chinese research indicates, correct sexual practices yield tremendous physical and emotional benefits that include increased circulation, balanced hormonal production, relaxation, greater vigor, and a good mood.

On the other side of the spectrum, incorrect practices offer no benefit and can actually be physically and emotionally harmful. When sexuality is fulfilling, it not only improves the quality of your years, but also the quantity of your years!

Keep in Touch with Your Loved Ones
Human touch, long recognized as a powerful technique, increases the production of endorphins, growth hormone, and DHEA, all of which lengthen your life span and lower the negative impact of stress.

In fact, studies have found that patients who are regularly touched recover faster than those who are not touched. So give that special someone a hug or massage and feel both of your moods — and health — improve.

Long Life with Loving Family
Centenarians are loved and cherished by their family members; studies show that people that have happy family lives tend to have a longer life span with fewer illnesses. A meaningful relationship with your family does not come automatically, but it is well worth the effort to build and maintain one.

Investing in your relationships will give you a life rich in love, respect, and a sense of belonging. Fill your family with happiness based on trust, mutual help, love, peace, listening, sharing, humility, honesty, and fairness.

Increase Your Love Life
So if love equals health, how to manifest love? Share your time, energy, and self with them. Look for ways to give back to your loved ones and make them happy. For instance, you might cook a meal or do the dishes as a pleasant surprise. Or you might send them a card, listing all of their many special qualities.

It does not need to be elaborate or expensive, but it should show that you care and appreciate them. As you give freely of your love, you will receive meaningful love in return.

I hope you find the rich health rewards of loving connections with your loved ones! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.

Bee for Health

Read on to find out what bee can do for your health.

Self-Healing with Honey, the Natural Antibiotic

Honey contains the vitamins and minerals that are lacking in refined table sugar, making it a much healthier sweetener. As a folk remedy, honey has traditionally been taken for heartburn and stomach ulcers.

In fact, Western research indicates that honey may halt the growth of H. pylori, the bacteria responsible for most gastric ulcers, and the caffeic acid found in honey may also prevent colon cancer. The only warning for this delicious, bacteria-fighting sweetener is that it should never be given to a child under the age of one because raw honey may contain botulism spores.

Here are some home remedies for common ailments, in which honey takes center stage!

First aid for wounds. Honey can also be used topically. Honey-soaked gauze can be wrapped around burns and wounds to help healing and applied to insect bites to sooth and prevent infections.

Sooth a sore throat. Eat a teaspoon of honey to sooth and coat the throat.

Remedy your allergies. One teaspoon of unfiltered and unprocessed honey taken daily can do wonders for allergies.

Cure a cough. Core and peel one Asian pear, adding one tablespoon of honey to the center, and steam or bake for 10-15 minutes. Eat this two to three time a day to nourish your lungs and sooth a cough.

Counteract constipation. When you wake up in the morning, on an empty stomach, drink a 12 oz glass of lukewarm water with one tablespoon of honey.

Be Healthy with Bee Pollen and Propolis

Here are two bee products that might surprise you with their beneficial properties: bee pollen and propolis. Bee pollen, rich in vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and amino acids gives your energy and vitality a boost. It also protects the liver from toxins and benefits men with enlarged prostates.

Propolis is a resin that's secreted by the bees to repair their hive and it acts as a protective layer against invading microbes and other organisms. Propolis stimulates immune functions and is full of flavonoids with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It also contains terpenoids, which possess antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal agents.

Similar to certain prescription antibiotics, propolis can prevent bacterial cell division and break down the cell walls of invading organisms. Of course never stop prescription medication without checking with your doctor. Get this substance in propolis-enriched honey or capsules.

All Hail the Queen Bee!

Another bee product that you may have heard about is royal jelly. In Asian cultures, royal jelly is considered a powerful longevity tonic; it has been touted to stimulate immunity, vitality, and virility.

Royal jelly is rich in vitamins and collagen - a protein that we lose as we get older. Royal jelly has also been found to effectively fight tumors, particularly the sarcoma type. An antibacterial protein in the substance, called royalisin, is powerful protection from certain bacteria, including streptococcus and staphylococcus.

This incredibly therapeutic jelly is the food reserved for queen bees. Here's where it gets interesting: the queen bee lives five to seven years while the worker bees live only five to seven weeks. When the queen bee is fed the same food as the worker bees, she has the same life span of five to seven weeks. It's no wonder that royal jelly is celebrated as a longevity tonic throughout Asia! Royal jelly is available in supplement form from health food stores and herb shops.

I hope you use bee products to be healthy! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.