When I began working out at 16 years old I had 11 inch arms. I built them to nearly 18 inches within two years. I maintain them at 17 1/2 inches at 46 years old. Here is how I did it: The biceps are unique from all your other muscles in that they are the only body part that is built primarily using the same movement regardless of the exercise. The movement I am referring to is the curling movement. Basically, all of your bicep exercises will involve some type of curl except for a few exercises which work the biceps indirectly or as a secondary trained muscle. For example, upright rows will work your biceps a little but not significantly. Also, bentover rows, lat pulldowns, and cable rows will indirectly work them as well. But for the most part, to build your biceps it is necessary to do various forms of curling exercises. The best exercises for building big, bulging biceps are regular barbell curls, dumbell curls, seated dumbell curls, alternate dumbell curls, seated curls, concentration curls, cable curls, machine curls, preacher curls (otherwise known as scott curls), and lateral cable curls. I recommend that you change your biceps workout from time to time. Not only does doing the same workout week after week get boring but your muscles need variety. You need to constantly change your routine in order to “surprise” or “Shock” your muscles. One workout, you might do barbell curls and preacher curls. Another workout might include seated dumbell curls and concentration curls. If you do the same routine week after week your biceps will adjust to the same thing and not experience any need to grow or to get stronger. I never do the same routine twice in a row. That is, I will change something even if it s just a matter of using more weight, changing one exercise, or using a high intensity training technique such as super sets, forced reps, etc. When training your biceps it is best to perform partial reps as apposed to full range motion. When you do full range motion you cheat yourself of progress. For example, when you are doing curls and you curl the bar all the way up you are resting your biceps at the top of the movement. Likewise, if you lower the bar all the way down to where your arms are straight you are also resting your biceps as well as putting undo strain on your elbow joints. The stress needs to stay on your biceps not your joints. Also, it is best to perform your sets to failure or near failure unless you are a beginner. This method is controversial among trainers and fitness people but most bodybuilders will agree with this logic. You see, your muscles will adapt to the same level of stress and thus reach a plateau, slowing or stopping your progress altogether. When your constantly train to failure, your muscles are forced to respond by getting stronger. Finally, stronger muscles produce bigger, more shapely muscles. Here are a couple sample routines that will guarantee big, bulging biceps in much less time than a more “whimpy” traditional biceps workout would produce. Biceps Routine: Barbell Curls 2 sets to failure (Partial reps) Concentration Curls 2 sets to failure (Partial reps) Biceps Routine (2): Seated Dumbell Curls 2 sets to failure (Partial reps) Preacher Curls 2 sets to failure (Partial reps) When you have done one of these routines for a few weeks you may add a third set but you do not need to do “endless” sets in order to ensure progress. Two or three sets is plenty, especially since you are training to failure. Finally, in order to make the fastest, most complete progress to build those big, bulging biceps it is vital that you eat properly in order to fuel your biceps to reach that peak and size. For a very small price, you may download a very informative e-book titled, What In The World Are You Eating? . It has received a five-star rating and is based on over 30 years of experience, having been trained by professional bodybuilders. You will not be disappointed.

Weight Training For Calves, Neck, And Forearms - Bodybuilding s Most Neglected Body Parts Many bodybuilders train religiously, 4 to 6 days a week. They plan every meal, and measure every gram of protein, carbohydrate, and fat. They set their alarm clock and never miss a minute of sleep. They take their supplement like clockwork. They stay on top of every new bodybuilding innovation. Yet despite this meticulous planning, research, and hard work, they often overlook the third-tier body parts. Calves Anytime you wear shorts, your calves are on display. They are the failure point in squats, without argument the most important movement in bodybuilding. Yet many trainers completely ignore calf training, or relegate it to 2-3 sets of seated raises at the end of leg day. This is unacceptable. Calves are a showpiece muscle group, viewable clearly in every bodybuilding pose. They aren t fun to train - but they are definitely required. Train your claves twice a week with 6 to 9 sets. Neck Many bodybuilders do no neck training at all. This is a mistake. They put their bodies at increased risk for strains and other injuries due to strength imbalances. You cannot train your shoulder, chest, and traps hard, then neglect the muscle group which holds them all together! Use 4-6 sets of neck crunches or neck bridges, twice a week. Forearms In most social, work, gym, or any other situations, your forearms are on display. They are the primary grip on 90% of movements you use in the gym. Yet for some reason, many bodybuilders neglect their forearm work - opting to do a few sets of wrist curls now and then, or not training them at all, figuring their forearms get plenty of work from other movements. While it is true they do get some work with most movements, and there are some genetic freaks who never need forearms training, most of us would benefit tremendously from hitting them hard at least twice a week for 6 sets. Nobody forgets to train chest, back or quads. Rarely do you miss an arm or shoulder day. But calf, neck, and forearm training often go neglected, resulting in poor stage placings, unbalance physiques, and injuries. Be sure to hit your third tier body parts every week! Dane Fletcher is the world s most prolific bodybuilding and fitness expert and is currently the executive editor for BodybuildingToday.com. If you are looking for more bodybuilding tips or information on weight training, or supplementation, please visit www.BodybuildingToday.com , the bodybuilding and fitness authority site with hundreds of articles available FREE to help you meet your goals.

Fish Oil… it s advertised everywhere! So, who do you believe? How do you know which one is really the best? Here are 6 tips to help you choose a quality Omega 3 fish oil! 1. Choose an oil that comes from fish that live in cold waters where there are significantly fewer environmental impurities. 2. Find an Omega 3 fish oil that goes through a refinement process. This will concentrate the oil and remove environmental toxins. This process is done without the use of harmful petrochemical products. 3. Select an oil that is highly purified so that it will be gentle on the digestive system. Lower quality oils are not purified well and can sometimes cause gastric upset so be sure and do your research and make sure the oil you choose has gone through a purification process. 4. Choose one that tastes good! So, how will you know if it will taste good? Look at the purification process again and make sure it is highly purified. Lower quality oils, which have not been purified well, will have a “fishy taste” whereas high quality oils should be virtually tasteless! 5. Make sure it is rated by IFOS (International Fish Oil Standards). They are an unbiased, third party organization who rates omega 3 fish oil for purity. A 5 star rating would be considered the best. 6.Always find an oil with a minimum of 60% EPA/DHA. EPA and DHA, which are present in fish oils, have the potential for improving the health of the cardiovascular system. DHA is a major component of the brain and retina, and has a possible role in nerve transmission. Did you know that the use of fish oil also seems to boost concentration and brain development in all ages? Looking for a high quality, Omega 3 fish oil at a great price? Visit http://WellTree.info

Here s The Quickest Way To Build Muscle And Lose Fat So, you want quads the size of tree trunks or biceps that bust out of the sleeves of your shirt? Well, let me ask, are you taking a step forward, each and every day, going after what you want to achieve? Or are you a member of the “I want it now but don t want to work for it” club, simply sitting back waiting for things to come to you? It s no secret that life rewards action. If you sit back and wait for things to come to you, I hope you have a lot of time to wait. The true power to reach your bodybuilding goals is your ability to consistently take action each and every day. In fact, can you imagine how much closer to your muscle building goals you d be if you simply resolved to do ONE thing each and every day that would bring you closer to that goal. Good things would start adding up quickly, and like the snowball that keeps getting bigger while rolling down the snowy hill, you too would find your muscles getting bigger. Successful people are not necessarily those that make the right decisions all of the time. But they do make decisions and better yet, act upon them. If what they do doesn t work the first time, they simply try something else until they get their desired result. What amazes me is the number of people I see and talk to that are not happy with their current physique or muscularity, yet they keep doing the same things over and over again, expecting different results! Thomas Jefferson once wrote “I m a firm believer in luck, and I ve found the harder I work, the luckier I get.” Well, the same is true in bodybuilding. How hard do you work for the things you seek? Do you take some form of action each day and go after them? Do you get in the car and drive to the gym in the snow when you could just grab some cocoa and sit in and watch a movie? Do you slam a protein shake when you re done your muscle-blasting workout or do you just wait a few hours for dinner? Do you do an intense cardio session when it would be far easier to sit on the couch? The great thing about taking action each and every day towards a specific bodybuilding goal is, sooner or later, the momentum you build is overwhelming and you find yourself closer to your goal than ever expected. It was once said that “Good things come to those who wait, but it s the leftovers from those who hustle.” I would like to challenge you for two weeks. Each and every day for two straight weeks, do something, anything, that brings you closer to whatever fitness goal you may have. Take some form of action every single day. Whether you are beginning an exercise program or consider yourself advanced, sit down, go over what you are looking to achieve, and then plot out specific steps you need to take to accomplish these goals. Then get acting on them. You ll find that the more you act on things, the more good things happen. The great thing about taking action towards a specific goal each and every day is that the Law of Momentum will start to take hold. Meaning, a body in motion tends to remain in motion unless acted upon by some outside force. The flip side, of course, is a body at rest tends to remain at rest unless acted upon by some outside force. Accept the challenge, do one or more things every day for the next two weeks that will move you closer to a specific goal you have and see how the Law of Momentum starts to take effect in your life. Whether you realize it or not…you have chosen to be where you are. Success is easy - if you work hard, consistently follow your plan, stay committed and determined, and don t give up until you have what you want. Shawn Lebrun is an online personal trainer and natural bodybuilder that will show you, step by step, how to build muscle and lose fat in less time. Visit Shawn LeBrun Fitness to learn how.

If you re an advanced bodybuilder, chances are you re pretty sick of chicken. You probably consume one to two pounds of chicken per day, and have done so for the last 2 or 4 or 6 years, correct? Chicken is a healthy staple in bodybuilding diets, and advanced bodybuilders tolerate it on a daily basis in the quest for muscle mass. Granted, you have your eggs for breakfast. You have your whey and casein shakes post-workout and in the evening. You enjoy your red meat in moderation, as health allows. And you eat your fish, when keeping calories high isn t a concern. However, most days, you pile on the chicken, and you gulp it down. Well, here are some alternatives to plain ol chicken, which might keep you from growing feathers. Milk Four cups of skim milk contain over 30 grams of protein and no fat - perfect for a fast mid-day snack. Start slow with the milk if you re not used to consuming large amounts, and try out the lactose-friendly milk products if you experience gastrointestinal discomfort Jerky If you re okay with a little bit of sodium, jerky can be a fast, tasty treat, which delivers the protein you need with a taste you ll love. Available in beef, ostrich, turkey, and other variants, jerky is carb-free and can be stored anywhere and eaten quickly. Drink lots of water to counter the high sodium content, and don t eat jerky in the two weeks before a show. Protein pudding This can be bought commercially (somewhat costly but very delicious). Or you can make your own, mixing the instant Jell-O sugar-free packets with whey protein and water. The perfect dessert! Soy Vegan products using soy taste a great deal like chicken or beef, are great for digestion, and can be prepared in a snap to deliver 30 grams of protein quickly. High protein “gimmick” foods The Atkins high-protein diet has resulted in the formulation of some really interesting high protein food products. Cereal, bagels, breads, and more are now available which can give you 20 or 30 grams of protein quickly without going near anything with feathers! Dane Fletcher is the world s most prolific bodybuilding and fitness expert and is currently the executive editor for BodybuildingToday.com. If you are looking for more bodybuilding tips or information on weight training, or supplementation, please visit http://www.BodybuildingToday.com , the bodybuilding and fitness authority site with hundreds of articles available FREE to help you meet your goals.

Natural hoodia growing in the deserts of southern Africa has been used by native peoples for food (though not a preferred food item), for medicinal purposes and to suppress their hunger and thirst during long hunts. South African hoodia gordonii is now available to people all over the world for use as an appetite suppressant. It is important to remember to look for CITES documents and chemical analysis reports when shopping for natural hoodia products. Some companies are suspected of selling products which do not contain South African hoodia gordonii. Hoodia gordonii is believed to be a natural appetite suppressant, but there are many varieties of hoodia plants. The governments of the countries in southern Africa are concerned that harvesting hoodia gordonii in the wild will threaten the plant and possible cause its extinction. They are also concerned that other species will be harvested by accident and for this reason; all species of hoodia are protected. Growing, trading and exporting natural hoodia requires special licensing. Health supplement companies which are providing genuine South African hoodia gordonii will generally display their CITES license on their website. Some companies also display chemical analysis reports. Independent laboratories evaluate samples of natural hoodia provided to them by the health supplement companies. Their reports will indicate the presence of South African hoodia gordonii and in some cases note the presence of the p57 molecule, as well. The p57 molecule was isolated from natural hoodia gordonii by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in South Africa. They licensed the rights to research and develop the molecule to a British pharmaceutical company called Phytopharm. Phytopharm recently announced that they had completed the first phase of a five phase clinical research program relating to South African hoodia gordonii. Phytopharm has not published the results of any of their studies, but will probably do so after the release of their hoodia products. Brown University Medical School published the results of one study involving p57 from natural hoodia gordonii. Rats were injected with p57 and the results indicate that glycosides in South African hoodia gordonii affect nerve cells in the hypothalamus. Glycosides are compounds that are often found in plants which yield a sugar and one or more non-sugar substances when dissolved in water. The natural hoodia glycosides affect the nerve cells that are responsible for monitoring blood glucose levels. When blood glucose levels are low, the brain signals hunger and we feel hungry. When blood glucose levels stabilize or increase the brain stops signally hunger and we stop feeling hungry. Scientists believe that p57 found in South African hoodia gordonii causes the nerve cells to sense an increase in blood sugar level, when no food has been consumed. And the brain sends out the “not hungry” signal to the rest of the body. This is not how other appetite suppressants work. Most of them contain stimulants, which may make a person feel more energetic and less hungry. Stimulants work for some people and not for others. In some people stimulants only create a feeling of nervousness and do nothing to affect feelings of hunger. According to dieters who have used South African hoodia gordonii sold by health supplement companies, there are no feelings of nervousness and there are no feelings of hunger. Some people prefer one product over another. Higher dosages seem to work better for most people than lower dosages. A few people have reported that a specific product did not work to suppress their appetites and they had to try a different natural hoodia product. So, it may take a little trial and error to find the right product for you or you may want to wait until the Phytopharm product is available. Either way, natural hoodia could be the solution to your weight problem. For more information about natural hoodia , visit the Hoodia Info Blog . Patsy Hamilton is an editor of the Hoodia Info Blog. Visit us at http://hoodiainfo.blogspot.com

What many people do not know is that the human skin requires a certain amount of fat to be healthy, to look good and to protect you from microbes and bacteria. Most people, and women especially, tend to eliminate as much of the fat possible from their diets, not knowing that there are bad fats, and there are healthy fats, fats that are recommended for the proper functioning of the body. People will eliminate fats altogether from their daily diet, but they will still have skin problems and will not know why (skin itching, dryness, blushes and red spots are among the most frequent skin problems people have). Omega 3 fatty acids play an important role in keeping our skin healthy and good looking. In order to keep your skin in good condition, you must be able to tell apart the good fats from the bad fats. The ones that should be avoided are the saturated fats, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils or other types of highly processed fats used to flavor convenient fast foods. The good fats are vital to protect and feed skin cell membrane and to keep a proper level of local tissue hormones, prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are the human body s chemical messengers and they play a significant role in any of the body s processes, including inflammation. The body does not store there prostaglandins, but they need to be constantly obtained from external sources, like the essential fatty acids. If the level of prostaglandins if very low, a lot of skin problems will appear, such as dryness, itching and skin thinning. Nails cracking and hair beginning to fall are also signs of a low level of prostaglandins. Scientists believe that the improper balance between the omega 6 and the omega 3 fatty acids leads to a series of problems. For example, arachidonic acid, an omega 6 acid, is transformed by the body into leukotriene, a pro-inflammatory chemical, that causes skin issues. In the same time, medics have discovered leukotriene inhibitors, eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) and gamma-linolenic acid, which negates the effects of these inflammatory chemicals. EPA is one of the omega 3 essential acids and that is why specialists recommend an increase of omega 3 through diet or through supplements. Omega 3 supplements have been proved to have many benefits on the human body and just one or two tablespoons of flaxseed oil each day is enough to give the proper amount of essential fatty acids that your body requires to fight inflammatory chemicals and keep your skin in perfect condition. John Collins is a content editor who focuses on a wide array of niche health topics. His latest website - Natural Dha Fish Oil focuses on omega 3 as a whole, and in particular, a natural product our editors personally use with excellent health results known as - Dha Esters Be sure to check out our Omega 3 Dha Esters of choice , it is the natural supplement we use and recommend to friends and family, and have done for over 3 years.

What Causes Muscle Growth? In order for muscles to grow, three things are required: 1. Stimulus - exercise is needed to make the muscles work, use energy and cause microscopic damage to the fibers. 2. Nutrition - after intense exercise the muscles need to replenish their stores of fuel. 3. Rest - it is during the rest or recovery phase that the muscles repair the microscopic damage and grow. Muscle size increases due to hypertrophic adaptation and an increase in the cross section area of individual muscle fibers. Intensive exercise impacts more on the strength influencing fast twitch type II fibers, therefore the increase in muscle size is accompanied by greater strength. This will deplete the muscle s energy stores and cause microscopic damage to the muscle tissue. During recovery, these stores of glycogen and phosphocreatine will replenish from carbohydrates and creatine ingested as food or supplements. Amino acids supplied in the diet will trigger the protein synthesis that repairs the damaged muscle and lead to the creation of bigger muscle fibers. To achieve continuous improvement you will need to keep reaching for higher levels of training intensity otherwise the improvement process will grind to a halt. Fortunately, this is relatively easy to plan for provided certain basic principles and rules are clearly followed. Subsequent articles in this series will examine these principles in detail. In the meantime you can find out more about building muscle by visiting the site listed below. Richard Mitchell is the creator of the bodybuildingadvisor.com website that provides guidance and information to athletes at all levels of bodybuilding experience. Go to Bodybuilding Advice to learn more about the issues covered in this article.

Millions of people all around the world attempt to do daily exercises to get them those toned abs that they have been dreaming of for a long time although they are doing the exercises their technique is hindering their fitness toning and abs workout results. Lacking the well defined abs, you can bet your bottom dollar that no matter how good you look, or how well defined any other group of muscles are, that you will not look like a million dollars. More like a hundred dollars trying to masquerade as a million dollars. Just imagine about it, have you really looked twice at a man with a beer belly, or a woman with a flabby belly pouch? And how many times have you turned your head to look at a man with totally cut abs, or a woman with a well defined six pack? It s just too irresistible to resist! It s also one of the reasons why many of us want to get a set of abs that are well, to die for! There are a few things that need to be in place first before you can achieve your six pack abs fast. ~You will need to fit in exercises which will take care of this little problem as well. ~You will need to have a healthy living lifestyle - which means that you can only have a moderate amount of alcohols, have a healthy eating habit. ~You will need to make sure that you have little to no stress, as well as good amounts of sleep every night. The concept is simple, but putting it into action is not. It will take dedication, willpower, patience and time to get a six pack but in the end, the effort is well worth it. The most effective way of flattening your stomach is a combination of strength training (especially on mid-section), cardiovascular exercise (some workouts), and stable blood sugar. Most people think that developing six pack abs requires thousand of stomach crunches or sit ups. Nothing could be further from the truth. The truth is you can do crunches all day long and still never achieve the low body fat level sharpness required to exercise the well defined abs that everyone desire. You will get all the information that you need to make your search for a better body become a reality. In conjunction there are whole source of information related to fat loss and abdominal training with tips and advice from models, athletes and fitness competitors. So get started on your firm abs today, and you will be surprised at how quickly the time flies by, and how surprised all your friends will be when you come out in this spring like a new person. No more flab abs, say hello to firm abs! Click Here to discover several unique techniques for losing inflexible tummy fat and getting a tight sexy stomach for women and to learn the real secrets for losing belly fat and carving out a ripped six pack abs for men.

Want to know how to get quick abs? Forget the sit-ups, crunches and other ab specific exercises. It s a waste of your time and effort. The point is, your six pack will not be visible under that layer of body fat which are covering them. And point to note is, a six pack only becomes defined when your body fat is low. And doing crunches or other ab exercises will not burn body fat as it doesn t offer enough resistance. The major key to getting a six pack is to eat well - and getting the necessary nutrition for a healthy body. Although exercise is important, your diet is king when it comes to lowering the body fat, and getting a six pack. And the next thing is - focus on intensity workouts that works on the entire body to lower that body fat. To get lean, your workouts must be challenging with short rest periods, and focused on the largest muscle groups of the body. Here are 3 high intensity workouts to get quick abs - 1. Renegade Dumbbell Rows 2. Front Squats with Barbell 3. Mountain Climbers on Floor When it comes to these workouts - look at 3 sets of 8 reps for the first two exercises, and for Mountain climbers look at 30-60 second intervals. These are just some of the best workouts that will work on the entire body and the abs. Summary - For the best abs, your priority is to eat healthy first, followed by high intensity multi-movement type exercises to crank up the body s metabolism. These are the surefire ways on how to get quick abs. For More Fat Scorching Tips On How to Get Quick Abs , visit http://burnfatloseweight.info/ For The Best Way to Lose Body Fat and Build Muscle At The Same Time!

The American Heritage Dictionary defines a risk factor as, “a characteristic, condition, or behavior, such as high blood pressure or smoking, that increases the possibility of disease or injury.” Basically the more heart disease risk factors you have, the more likely you are to develop a health condition like coronary heart disease. While the list of risks is long, we will be discussing three of the top major risk factors which include: high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and tobacco smoke. High Cholesterol Higher cholesterol levels increase the risk of developing cardiovascular heart disease. One of the strongest drawbacks of having high cholesterol is that having other risk factors such as hypertension or smoking doesn t just add to the risk, it multiplies it. Your cholesterol level is affected mostly by heredity and diet while age and sex also have influence. Hypertension High blood pressure is harder on the heart which can cause it to condense and harden. Not only does it contribute to heart disease risk, but it also causes other diseases and problems like congestive heart failure and even stroke or kidney failure. Once against, hypertension also multiplies when combined with other risk factors. Tobacco Smoke While tobacco smoke is normally associated with lung cancer and other problems, it still poses a major threat to cardiac health. In fact, the assessment of the American Heart Association is that it increases the risk by 2 to 4 times over nonsmokers. After you calculate that, you might be wondering why anyone would want to risk so much for just a cigarette. These are just three factors of many that can really destroy your heart, decrease your quality of life, and ultimately increase your health insurance premiums. Are you interested in learning more about topics like how smoking causes heart disease or how to increase HDL cholesterol? Visit: http://www.decreasecholesterol.com

The Labyrinth - A Meditation For Those Who Can t Sit Still Until quite recently I assumed a labyrinth was a maze full of dead ends and paths meant to confuse you. In fact, the labyrinth has one way in, and one way out. It s a metaphor for our journey to self and back out again into the world and has been used as a meditation tool for centuries. I discovered the labyrinth quite unexpectedly. While in Lucca, Italy my husband and I decided to visit the labirinto that was featured so prominently in the tourist brochures. Not knowing anything about labyrinths at the time, we envisioned a huge maze carved into stone in the bottom of a cathedral where we could compete to see who could find their way out first without getting caught in a dead-end. I imagined it would be similar to the maze in The Shining (sans a knife-wielding Jack Nicholson!) We spent what seemed like hours searching for the elusive labyrinth. We knew we must be close because there was a sign for the labyrinth carved into the wall on a particular cathedral. Surely it had to be here!? Well, it turns out that the sign for the labyrinth (which we had taken as an indication that we were getting close) was actually THE labyrinth.The famous labyrinth in Lucca is about 2 feet square and carved into the marble on the wall outside of the church! A little anticlimactic for us two who had envisioned spending an afternoon running around in it! Although our experience of the labyrinth wasn t exactly what we had expected, the image was very beautiful and I was intrigued…what was it used for? I discovered that the labyrinth is actually a metaphor for our search for spiritual wholeness and has been used for centuries as a tool for meditation. Although the Lucca labyrinth was likely used by tracing the path of the labyrinth by hand, most labyrinths are designed so that you can walk their path. Walking the spirals drops you from your thinking mind into your intuitive nature and connects you to your inner wisdom. I walk the labyrinth when I am struggling with a question that I can t seem to solve on my own, when I want to let go of something, or when I just want to see a new perspective. I use it as a time of self-reflection and connection to something bigger than me. For those who struggle to sit still in meditation, the labyrinth is the perfect solution. http://www.sitstill.ca

Many people advocate meditation as a way to improve a person s emotional, mental, spiritual and even physical health. Meditation can be used as a way to ease anxiety, work through stress and depression and is often a way for the person to rest their body as well as their mind. Meditation is advocated among people who believe in a holistic approach to healing and mediation has been used to help people stop smoking, quit drinking, shake a drug habit, reduce blood pressure, reduce PMS symptoms and ease the symptoms of menopause. History Nobody is sure exactly how meditation began. It is well known that its history dates back hundreds of years, but nobody is sure of the exact origin of meditation. The earliest written record of meditation is found in five thousand year old Hindu scriptures. It occurs right around the first mentions of Buddha and it was not long before it began to be practiced all across Asia. Meditation has been worked into almost every spiritual belief and religious practice in the world, though it takes many forms and is done in a variety of different ways. While Americans have known about meditation for many decades, it was not until the 1960s and 1970s that the practice found popularity. Meditation s popularity was spurred on by the many cultural icons who were exploring the Eastern traditions and practices (The Beatles had a very famous stay in India where they studied under a Maharishi). As it became more popular it began to be accepted as a form of holistic medicine and now it is commonly used to aide a person s healing process or help lower his or her stress levels. Meditation Techniques There are two major forms of meditation: concentrative meditation and mindfulness meditation. Concentration meditation focuses on a person s breathing as well as on a single object-a sound or an image-to encourage the mind to find a greater clarity and awareness. By quietly focusing on the object and the breath, a person will find that his or her mind readily opens up to invite in peace and the body starts to relax. Mindfulness meditation encourages a person to pay attention to all of the feelings and sensations they are feeling, but to feel them remotely. During mindfulness meditation, the person will be conscious of their thought patterns and will observe them objectively without allowing them to be caught up in the thoughts themselves. Meditation is practiced all over the world and is done through two major methods. While the exact origin of meditation is unknown and the history of meditation is extremely varied, the practice is very popular and has been recognized by people all over the world as a beneficial practice. Now that you have learned the origin of meditation check out these free meditation downloads .

On the market, there are a lot of natural cholesterol supplements. These natural cholesterol supplements have shown to be very beneficial because they tend to not only reduce the LDL cholesterol level (also known as the bad cholesterol) but also increase the HDL cholesterol level (also known as the good cholesterol – that your body needs).These supplements can be a much better option for you since their most attractive feature is that they are much safer than prescription drugs. If you are asking yourself what are the most effective cholesterol lowering supplements, this article comes with a few relevant answers – there are a great number of supplements that help not only improve heart health and strength, but also regulate cholesterol levels. The supplements featured below have been rigorously tested. However, not all of them have been as tested as these have been. The following nutrients have shown some significant benefits, some of them even more than statin drugs such ash Lipitor or Zocor. Policosanol Policosanol has been the subject of many clinical trials, probably more than more of the pharmaceutical drugs around. It’s actually a pure extract of sugar cane wax. And when it comes to lowering cholesterol levels, it is one of the most effective and natural way on the market. Not only does it raise the HDL (or good) cholesterol, but it also lowers the LDL (bad) cholesterol. This nutrient has also been proven to have no side effects and it outperforms some of the popular prescription drugs. Guggulipid extract The guggulipid extract has been the subject of many clinical studies. Recently, this ancient herb from India, which has been used for thousand of years to treat a variety of conditions, has shown to be very effective as a natural cholesterol lowering supplement. It has also been shown that the guggulipid extract is way more effective than most of the prescription drugs around. Grean tea extract The many health benefits of green tea extract have been pointed through time in many cases. It has been shown that not only does it help lower the LDL cholesterol level and triglyceride (fat), but it also raises the HDL or good cholesterol levels. Beta Sitosterol Naturally, beta sitosterol is found in soybeans, corn oil and wheat germ. Beta sitosterol can help stop the absorption of cholesterol in the body because this plant compound has a similar structure to cholesterol. Recent studies have also shown that it has immune boosting and anti-cancer effects as well. Jean Helmet is a content editor who focuses on a wide array of niche health topics. Her latest website - Natural Cholesterol Supplement focuses on cholesterol as a whole, and in partcular, a natural product our editors personally use with excellent health results known as - Cholest-Natural Be sure to check out our cholesterol product of choice , it is the natural supplement we use and recommend to friends and family, and have done for over 3 years.

The biggest killer on the planet today is stress. It s not cancer, heart attacks, AIDS, it s stress. Stress suppresses the body s natural immune system and thus, diminishes it s ability to fight diseases and stay healthy. Thus, it is the underlying cause for many of the health issues we suffer from today. Cure stress and you are well on your way to living a happy, healthy and long life. What is the best cure for stress? Meditation. Today s high pressure and highly competitive environment is the culprit for creating this atmosphere of stress, which is afflicting us all. From grade school onwards, right through college and career, the mantra is to get to the top. Everyone seems to be fighting to be king of the hill, and in this immature battle with each other, they are falling victim to stress. It is time to turn our attention now to this silent killer and neutralize it with the elixir of meditation. Meditation is the right way to defeat stress for two reasons. First is that it transforms us into deep, peaceful beings who are much more capable of handling stressful situations. Second, the state of mind induced by meditation is optimal for self-healing to occur and thus, reverse the damage that stress has caused our bodies. Let us go into each of these two reasons in a little more detail now. Meditation is the art of living in the moment. It teaches us how to disengage from endless worrying and anxiety causing thoughts and instead, cherish and live each moment fully and completely. The more we practice this art of living in the moment, the more we find ourselves in peace with our lives. We drop our constant habits of chewing over the past and our constant worry of how the future will be. This shift in how we approach our lives drastically reduces the amount of self inflicted stress we have to deal with. In addition to the decrease in thought induced stress, meditation also teaches us how to remain calm in the face of storms. As we practice our meditation we are actually learning to not run away from the moment. We are learning to absorb the difficulty that the moment presents us with in a controlled environment. This then translates into dealing calmly with the difficulties that life throws at us in our day to day living. Essentially, stress is mostly the result of life not being exactly the way we want it to be, and with meditation we start of accept life exactly as it is, and so drop the part of us that wants it to be different. When we drop this part which wants things to be like this or like that, we drop the stress associated with constant seeking as well. As we also indicated, meditation helps us heal the damage that stress has already caused us. This is because meditation produces a state of mind which can be called relaxed awareness. Relaxed awareness is the state most conducive for self healing to take place. Mountains of medical research has recently emerged about the health benefits of a positive and relaxed mind, and meditation regularly creates this wonderful state to thus promote self-healing. So the prescription is simple - meditate if you want to be healed and stay healthy. The silent killer is stress, but to kill stress, sit silently. Anmol Mehta is a Yoga Teacher & Zen Expert. See Free Online Yoga Exercise Videos and explore Free Illustrated Hatha Yoga Poses Galleries on his extensive Meditation and Yoga site, Free Online Guided Meditation Techniques . This article is available for reprint on your website and/or newsletter, provided it is not changed and you include the author s signature.

Most people know that there are different brain wave states that the brain can be in at different times. The beta state is what we are normally in when we are completely awake and focused, while the alpha state is reached through daydreaming and meditation, theta is the dream state and delta is reached in very deep sleep. It is possible to alter your brain waves and enter the alpha state whenever you want, which is what people do when they meditate. Consciously synchronizing the brain wave patterns of both hemispheres of the brain can provide you with all sorts of benefits, such as: *A feeling of relaxation *Diminished stress *Increased feeling of well-being *Increased confidence *Feeling better about yourself *Diminished headaches and migraines *Heightened immune system *Lower blood pressure *Less insomnia and better sleeping patterns *Improved intuition and creative visualization skills Of course you will not see all these benefits after the first time you try meditation, but sticking with a routine of regular meditation (or consciously getting your body into the alpha brain wave state) will bring about these changes for you. The trouble with the way most people are taught to meditate is that it is just too hard for most of us to “think of nothing.” Our minds wander quickly and it is difficult to bring ourselves back to the calm place of peace and quiet we are told we re supposed to be in to meditate. Then we feel like we re wasting our time because we re not accomplishing anything, which keeps us even farther away from that quiet place we were hoping for! Instead of trying to clear your mind, it can help to focus on an object or the wall and slowly count backward from 100. Over time you can count back from 50, then 10, then five, and by the time you have counted you will find yourself shifting into alpha brain state, at which point you will feel your body relax, at least in the beginning. If you have time, try to get in this state two or three times a day. This dynamic meditation is also very energizing and controllable than the kind of passive meditation we are used to hearing about, in which you can t really control the experience or know what the benefits are going to. Just as with passive meditation, however, learning to meditate in a way that alters your brain waves can take some practice. Be gentle with yourself as you work with this technique, and soon you will see the benefits of meditation coming to fruition in your life. Conrad Raw is an expert in practical techniques for personal and spiritual development. He is the author of “Forbidden Secrets Of Personal And Energetic Development.” He travels the world to learn and teach and is the founder of Greater Human Potential , a website devoted to bringing you easy to learn techniques to increase your human evolution. Visit his website for a free newsletter filled with tons of great tips and advice.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a problem that many people have. If you thought about it, you could probably name a loved one or someone you know that has hypertension. You may even have it. In fact, more than 65 million Americans have high blood pressure, and about 20 million don t even know it. !20 over 80 is considered a normal blood pressure for adults, although depending on your age, sex, weight, and medical history, the numbers can be different. Most doctors will recommend some type of treatment if the numbers go over 130 over 80. The risks of hypertension that isn t under control are very serious. Untreated, hypertension can lead to stroke, heart attack, and cardiovascular disease. Around 50% of people who are on a drug treatment for high blood pressure still don t have numbers that are low enough. Knowing how important it is for their life, more and more people are turning to supplements to help control their hypertension. The problem is, a lot of people don t know what to take. Let s take a look at some of the most popular natural supplements for controlling hypertension. Coenzyme Q-10 is a substance that is found in oily fish, some organ meats such as liver, and in whole grains. Studies of this supplement show that it can greatly reduce high blood pressure. Omega-3 fatty acids considerably lower blood pressure, and the supplements available with this substance include EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaeonic acid), flaxseed oil and fish oil capsules. Garlic is shown to help with all different sorts of cardiovascular health, including lowering high blood pressure. Garlic is also beneficial for numerous other health issues. Hawthorn has also been shown to be helpful in cardiovascular health, including lowering blood pressure. It is important that any supplements taken are in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise. Whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can be extremely beneficial for heart health issues. This is something that anyone should absolutely check into. Exercise is also extremely important. You should speak to your doctor before making any changes in your diet, exercise, or before taking any kind of supplements. There are supplements that will interact with prescription drugs, and could do more damage than the hypertension would have done in the first place. Your doctor will be able to help you set up a plan to lower your blood pressure. It is highly recommended that everyone who is suspicious that they may have hypertension issues get checked by their doctor. Keep your heart happy and healthy! Learn more about High blood pressure and controlling it with the Dash Diet. Visit http://www.dashdiethypertension.com today!

The first and perhaps most difficult challenge for consumers is to make sense out of the health information explosion. Many popular magazines regularly print health articles, newspapers often devote entire sections to medicine, the publications of health newsletters abound, television programs feature numerous health stories, and a plethora of scientific health-related studies are published daily. There are an estimated 20,000 scientific, technical, and medical articles published each year worldwide and this does not include the larger number of non­technical articles. Interest in health information appears to have reached an all-time high. The availability of so much health information has drawbacks; the major drawback is that so much of the information is confusing, sometimes even contradictory . Even medical experts have trouble separating fact from fiction. It is not unusual to see some new finding headlined one day and completely refuted the next. It has been speculated that as much as 50% of the medical advice we follow to­day will be considered obsolete, or at least will undergo major modification, during the next 5 years. For some people the ubiquity of refutations and contradictions leads to an attitude sometimes referred to as health fatalism, which maintains that nothing can be believed. People with a fatalistic view disregard health information because they believe that new findings will inevitably disagree with facts previously accepted as true. Several examples illustrate this point. Sodium has long been associated with cardiovascular disease. In 1995, however, researchers found that men and women who consumed less sodium had more heart attacks. This finding made headlines in the popular press. Reactions were swift and strong. Hypertension patients who agonized over bland, low-salt diets for years threw up their hands in disbelief and despair. Reducing sodium intake was no longer a good idea, to the contrary it increased the risk of early death. It should be of little surprise therefore that countless numbers of people felt deceived and misled. The resultant fatalistic view toward health care and medical advice was understandable. What the headlines didn t say is that the people adversely affected by low sodium intake were hypertension patients taking drugs to lower blood pressure. In other words the results were based on a very specific population group that didn t represent the population at large or even mainstream hypertension patients. Also it was undetermined whether the study population engaged in other behaviors (cigarette smoking, sedentary lifestyles, etc.) that might be more responsible than sodium for heart disease. Hot dogs are another good example. Researchers found that children who eat more than a dozen hot dogs a month had nine times the normal risk of childhood leukemia. This was the featured headline in a nationwide television news show broadcast during prime time. Public reaction bordered on the hysterical. Scared parents overreacted partly be­cause of irresponsible practices in television journalism and partly because they didn t demand all the facts. They believed the story was completely true simply because it was reported in the news. In the big picture of leukemia research, this was just one very preliminary study that had some serious short­comings. For instance, the results were based on crude dietary histories. Also, researchers could not determine whether it was the hot dogs or something else that hot dog eaters do or eat that might increase the risk of leukemia. If there is a cause-and-effect relationship between hot dogs and leukemia, it will take larger, more sophisticated studies to prove it. The point of these examples is that an appropriate approach to health information is to adopt a skeptical and suspicious attitude, especially toward extreme and sensational health claims. The First Amendment to the US Constitution, which guarantees freedom of the press, also guarantees Americans the right to publish health-related hogwash. The more you read, generally the more conflicts and contradictions you will uncover. This should not make you feel uncomfortable but, to the contrary, make you realize that medicine is still as much art as science. For more information about vitamins , have a visit at authors site. You will also know about some more articles on health wellness and bodybuilding exercises .

Alzheimer s Toxin May Be Key To Slowing Disease Australian scientists say they have identified a toxin which plays a key role in the onset of Alzheimer s, raising hope that a drug targeting the toxin could be developed to slow the degenerative brain disease. The toxin, called quinolinic acid, kills nerve cells in the brain, leading to dysfunction and death, the scientists said. “Quinolinic acid may not be the cause of Alzheimer s disease, but it plays a key role in its progression,” Alzheimer s researcher Dr Karen Cullen from the University of Sydney said in a statement. “It s the smoking gun, if you like.” “While we won t be able to prevent people from getting Alzheimer s disease, we may eventually, with the use of drugs, be able to slow down the progression.” Alzheimer s is a brain-destroying disease that affects millions of people around the world. As the population gets steadily older, experts estimate numbers will balloon to as many as 16 million in the United States alone by 2015. More than 200,000 people have Alzheimer s disease in Australia and the number is expected to rise to 730,000 by 2050. Outward symptoms start with memory loss, which progresses to complete helplessness as brain cells are destroyed. In the brain, neurons die as messy plaques and tangles of protein form. The Alzheimer s research team from Sydney s St Vincent s Hospital, the University of Sydney and Japan s Hokkaido University found quinolinic acid neurotoxicity in the brains of dementia patients. Quinolinic acid is part of a biochemical pathway called the kynurenine pathway which is also found in other brain disorders, including Huntington s disease and schizophrenia. The scientists said there were several drugs in an advanced stage of development for other conditions which targeted this pathway and that these drugs, which still need to be tested, could be used to complement other treatments for Alzheimer s. “Building on what we ve found and others have found, it s likely that they would have significant effect,” said Professor Bruce Brew, director of neurology at St Vincent s Hospital. Mike Freije http://www.health-shop.info http://www.health-shop.biz

Prophylaxis of Rheumatic Fever (RF) - Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) Since the disease occurs primarily as a result of sore throat, through a specific group of organism i.e. group A streptococcus, therefore, prophylaxis of RF /RHD means prevention of sore throat. But the prevention of sore throat is not so simple as it may appear to be. There are a large number of cases of sore throat, and most of them are viral in nature, and out of the bacterial infection only a small number may be related to the specific organism i.e. group A streptococcus, responsible for RF /RHD. These specific organisms can only be identified if a throat swab is taken of each and every child for culture of the organisms. It may not be feasible in a disease like sore throat which is so commonly prevalent and subsides even without treatment in many of the cases, i.e., it is a self-limiting disease. Due to the above reasons, it is not possible to detect the occult/hidden cases of sore throat as a result of group A streptococcus in a mass survey/check-up of children, as for example in various schools and colonies etc., because throat culture takes 48-72 hours, and there is no kit for quick detection of cases. However, as a general prophylaxis sore throat should be immediately treated, irrespective of the causative organism, especially in children/adults for the prevention of RF /RHD. Doctors, especially pediatricians, can play a significant role in explaining to parents, especially mothers, for immediate treatment of sore throat in their children whenever it occurs. Teachers in schools also play an equally important role in this respect. A long-term drug prophylaxis should be given to all children/ adults, who once suffered an attack of RF /RHD, for the protection of the throat against streptococcal infection. The duration of prophylaxis differs from case to case, as the incidence of the disease decreases as age advances. This drug prophylaxis may be given till the child reaches the adult age, or for five years after the last attack of RF /RHD. Once the prophylaxis is withdrawn, great vigilance is required, and the child/ adult should take proper treatment for sore throat as and when it occurs. However, drug prophylaxis may be required almost forever/lifelong, especially in cases which exhibit permanent signs of valvular /rheumatic heart disease. These damaged valves need foolproof protection against infection, and due to this reason, drug prophylaxis is given continuously. Long-acting antibiotics, like penicillin, is given in such cases every month; some advocate it every three weeks. In the case of children, the concerned parents must see to it that the child is strictly administered a regular course of antibiotic, as explained/motivated by their physician. Also, all cases of RHO should take a short course of antibiotics (besides the long-acting antibiotics they are taking monthly) before undergoing any operative procedure, either minor or major, as for example dental extraction etc., as more virulent bacteria are likely to enter the blood from the area of operation leading to gross infection of the already damaged valves of the heart, called subacute bacterial endocarditic (SBE), which requires emergent measures to save the heart from damage. In that case strong antibiotics will be required to tide over the crisis. As a part of prophylaxis, it is also important that the warning signals of rheumatic fever, must be known to all, especially parents/teachers and those at the rural level. The children should be immediately treated on the very first attack .of RF, and drug prophylaxis should be started without any delay. Above all, since the disease occurs as a result of the infection of throat, proper hygienic conditions must be maintained for the prevention of sore throat / RF /RHO. This is the reason that people living in overcrowded/highly-populated, damp colonies/slums etc. become highly prone to this disease. Good food is also necessary for the prevention of this disease. Summing up, it may be said that in order to achieve everlasting prevention, socio-economic factors as a whole, including especially the living conditions as well as the nutrition of the people, have to be improved, particularly among the lower strata of society. The people are required to be educated through various media regarding the dangerous consequences of ~ore throat, and that any sore throat must be treated promptly whenever it occurs. Of course, an early detection/treatment of cases which have already picked up the disease will be essentially required. For this all, we need a national strategy / programme, and only then we can hope to prevent this disease which is still one of the major health hazards in many developing countries. It is earnestly hoped that a streptococcal vaccine will soon be available, which may indeed prove to be a breakthrough in the prevention of this disease. Author Sites: Home Remedies , Self Help Tips and Natural Skin Care