Maca Root Blog

With the rise in older couples trying to become pregnant, there has also been a marked increase in fertility issues. Women’s bodies are at their prime during their early twenties on up to the thirties, but after that, pregnancy can seem an elusive challenge. However, with hormone therapies, women have more choices than ever. But for those women who want a more natural approach, recent research has shown that there are also vitamins good for fertility.

Fertility problems have grown by 25% in the past ten years and scientists are baffled. However, (1000mg), vitamins B6 (50 mg) and B12 (50 mcg) as well as manganese (5 mg). Taking these suholistic experts believe that some of these problems are due to a lack of nutritious diets as well as other environmental factors. As a result, the body can not support itself through the process of becoming pregnant; resulting in irregular ovulation times, fewer viable eggs, and even problems with the male’s sperm. To combat this, couples may want to consider supplementing with vitamins good for fertility, and increase their overall chances of a pregnancy.

Women who are looking for vitamins good for fertility will not need to go to their doctor for prescriptions, but rather, they can head to their local grocery store or health food market for the right supplements. Vitamins that they will want to include are: folic acid (400mcg), flaxseed oil (1000mg), zinc (30mg), selenium (100mcg), vitamin E (200mg), vitamin C pplements on a daily basis is effective for creating ideal conditions in the body to aid in conception as well as prevents birth defects.

But men are not excluded from fertility responsibility. Though women are given most of the credit for helping with fertility, a man who takes vitamins good for fertility can also ensure that his sperm are ready for the all important moment of conception. Men should consider taking the same vitamins and minerals as their female counterparts, minus the folic acid, as well as add two amino acids to their routine: L-carnitine (100mg) and L-arginine (300mg). This combination of vitamins and supplements assists the overall sperm count to be more appropriate for conception.

The general course of supplementation of vitamins food for fertility should be started before couples actually begin their attempts to become pregnant. This will allow their bodies to make any necessary repairs as well as possibly correct any fertility issues that may have been caused by a lack of vitamin storage in their bodies. Most physicians and obstetricians recommend that couples undergo this kind of treatment process before turning to more conventional methods of fertility treatment for at least three months before beginning to attempt to conceive.

Undoubtedly, there is skepticism over the use of vitamins good for fertility as many physicians believe that troubles with conception are medical in cause. However, many of the reasons for these medical causes are being shown to be the result of a lack of proper body function because of poor nutrition. For example, women who are restrictively dieting can reduce their vitamin stores, which can then lead to problems with menstruation, hormonal control, and thus conception. It stands to prove that increasing one’s focus on nutrition will help to reverse these issues.

There are also many supplement combinations of vitamins good for fertility on the drug market today; many of which are available in drugstores or through online markets. Women and men should be careful to choose only reputable supplements as well as check with their doctors if they have outstanding medical conditions that might require medication advice. These supplement programs may need to be continued for a while until the actual pregnancy begins, but restoring the body to health is one of the best gifts that a mother can give to their unborn child.

Copyright (c) 2006 Helene Kvist

Helene Kvist makes it easy to understand what to do to make your body highly fertile and more likely to conceive and become pregnant. Learn the essential keys to a successful pregnancy, including the vitamins good for getting pregnant. To receive the Powerful Pregnancy Report visit: fertility supplements for a successful pregnancy. To receive the Powerful Pregnancy Report visit:

Around 18 million US citizens suffer from stress, depression and anxiety every year and for many of them, understanding why they endure the torment is difficult to establish. This is because of the many ?magic bullet myths? associated with these problems. Here are five such myths along with the root cause as to why stress, anxiety and depression arise.

1. Chemical imbalances within the brain. This is a theory with no proven clinical evidence to support it. The theory alleges that low levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain cause people to suffer from anxiety, stress or depression. Drug therapy is used to treat the imbalance. But there is no test to establish levels of these chemicals before patients are prescribed drugs and therefore, no way of knowing which chemicals are depleted and which ones aren?t. So there?s no way of measuring success either. Another issue: Over seventy percent of people who stop taking antidepressants enter into second and further episodes of stress, anxiety or depression. For another one third, they are totally ineffective. But if chemical imbalances haven?t been proven to cause these problems, why are they being treated?

2. Nutritionally deficient diet, either not eating enough fresh food or eating way too much junk food. There are many people throughout the world who don?t eat a good diet. Most of our forefathers would?ve struggled to eat the recommended 5 portions of fruit and vegetables every day. Does this mean all of these people suffered from stress, depression or anxiety? Highly unlikely. And I know people whose diet is largely junk and they don?t suffer from stress, depression or anxiety. Also, does it mean that everybody who eats a nutritionally sound diet won?t suffer from these problems? Again, and I include myself in this, there are people who eat a balanced, nutritionally sound diet but suffer from stress, depression or anxiety. Why?

3. Toxins. The premise here is that as our air is polluted, containing harmful, poisonous or toxic chemicals, the air we breathe is causing more and more people to enter into stressful or depressive episodes. If that is the case, then everybody who lives in a modern city ? New York, LA, Tokyo, Athens, Paris, London, Mexico City, Rome, Berlin, Chicago, Moscow, etc. ? must all be enduring the misery of mental torment because each of them breathe the same polluted air. Is this so? Of course not. And by the same rule, does it mean that if you live outside polluted cities, in coastal towns or villages in the beautiful countryside etc. ? then you?re immune from mental trauma? Certainly it does not.

4. Trauma. This means that if you encounter a traumatic event, say death of a loved one, or moving home or relationship breakdown for example, such an event can cause stress, depression or anxiety. But such events happen to every human being and not all of them become depressed. This means that events cannot cause these problems, but the way we respond to them can.

5. Genetics. If your parents suffered these problems, you will too. This does hold a little truth. Because while there is no genetic link to these problems, you can learn the modes of behavior that cause these problems from parents throughout childhood. So, if your parents reacted to events in their lives in ways that caused them to be stressed, depressed or anxious, you will learn them too. The good news is that just as you learned them you can unlearn them.

The problem with all of the above is that they shift focus from outside yourself to try and find a ?magic bullet? (drugs, diet, events, genetics, toxins) when the answer to them lies within yourself. None of the above can cause depression and therefore, you cannot find a cure by addressing them. Curing stress, depression and anxiety can only be done by treating the root cause and that root cause lies in the way you make sense out of everything in your life.

Once the root cause has been successfully addressed using a combination of knowledge, understanding and personal skills, stress, depression and anxiety will never cause you anguish ever again.

Copyright 2006 Christopher Green

Former anxiety sufferer Chris Green is the author of ?Conquering Stress?, the internationally acclaimed program which will help you to permanently conquer stress, depression and anxiety without taking powerful drugs. For a free mini course, please click here => http://www.conqueringstress.com

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You?ll hear many times that single events can trigger a major episode of stress, depression and anxiety. The key word is ?trigger?, because that is all a single event is. It doesn?t actually CAUSE stress, depression or anxiety but it does trigger a sequence of behaviors that lead to mental trauma.

But how does this happen?

Descent into a stressful, depressive or anxious episode happens because of negative and catastrophic reactions to events you are confronted with. One event by itself simply isn?t enough. There are many chain-reactions that take place before a person becomes highly stressed or depressed or anxious, but I?m going to discuss one of the biggest ones: using one event to ascribe catastrophic meanings to all areas of your life ? I call it ?generalizing?.

Let?s take a look at two events that most, if not all humans, will experience during their lifetime:

1. Loss of a job. 2. Death of a loved one.

Loss of a job is a major event that can trigger depression. Please understand, the job loss itself cannot cause depression. It triggers a number of reactions, especially generalization and here?s how it works:

You lose your job and you start to think in general terms:

?Oh no, this is disastrous! How will I cope now? What will people think of me when I tell them? My job meant the whole world to me, now my world is falling apart. I?m nothing without my job! How will I pay the bills? I won?t be able to get another job and life will become a real struggle. Everything is going wrong and I?ll never be happy again!?

Now, this reaction is typical of how a depressive episode can be triggered by one event. Powerful words ? disastrous, nothing, struggle, everything, never ? will stir fearful emotions within you. Self-esteem is being hit, doubt about your abilities is raised, and a catastrophic prediction of the future is made. The job has also been used to ascribe meaning to your whole life and now it?s gone, a feeling that your life has no meaning is also present.

A similar reaction will happen when you lose a loved one:

?I?m devastated! He/She was my whole world, and now my world has fallen apart. Nothing will ever be the same again, I?ll never be happy and I feel empty inside. Life holds nothing for me anymore and I don?t know how I?ll cope without him/her. ?

Can you see the generalizations? Again, we have powerful, negative and emotionally charged phrases to ascribe meaning: whole world, fallen apart, nothing, never, anymore. And a catastrophic prediction for the future is present again.

In both examples, one event has been carried into all areas of your life. With a job loss, enormous importance has been placed on the job itself and now the job has gone, these general meanings cause you serious distress. It?s the same with losing a loved one. Meanings about your whole life have been placed on one person and their passing means your whole life is affected.

In generalizing like this, descent into mental trauma is inevitable.

To stop it, the key skill of keeping perspective is crucial. This means that you keep an event from one area of your life separate from other areas. For example, if the event is job loss, you react without generalizing:

?OK, I?ve lost my job, but my job is just a way to earn income. It doesn?t mean I won?t find a better job nor does it mean that things will change for the worst. My social and home life will still remain the same and I?ll carry on with my life just as I?ve always done. One chapter in my working life has ended and a new one is about to begin.?

Do you see the difference in how keeping perspective and not using powerful, emotionally charged words and phrases will prevent fearful emotions arising?

Please remember that no change is permanent as nothing lasts forever. Things will come into your life and things will move out of your life. It is the cycle of life. Keep things relevant to the area of your life they affect and you will maintain good mental health no matter what circumstances you are faced with.

Until next time.

Copyright 2006 Christopher Green

Former anxiety sufferer Chris Green is the author of ?Conquering Stress?, the internationally acclaimed program which will help you to permanently conquer stress, depression and anxiety without taking powerful drugs. For a free mini course, please click here => http://www.conqueringstress.com

What is a Bladder Infection?

Bladder infection or Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is a bacterial infection that affects every part of the urinary system. Normal urine contains salts, waste, and liquids but does not contain bacteria. UTI is caused by bacteria that enters into the bladder and then multiplies. These bacteria are usually found in the intestines and often times on the skin surrounding the rectal and vaginal areas. Around 85 percent of UTI cases are caused by the so-called E. coli or Escherichia coli. When this bacterium passes into the urethra it may easily enter the bladder and cause an infection.

Cystitis, also known as inflammation of the bladder, is an infection that covers a wide range of infections and includes irritations on the lower part of the urinary system. Intestinal bacteria are the most common cause of this infection. The bladder wall may get irritated even scarred. A pinpoint bleeding that is caused by recurrent irritation, also called glomerulations, appears on the bladder wall. It is also possible that a person with a worse case of cystitis urinates of up to 60 times per day. People with this kind of infection often experience painful sexual intercourse.

The most common symptoms of this kind of infection are a burning sensation when urinating, strong or persistent urge for urination, passing frequent small amounts of urine, hematuria or blood in the urine, passing cloudy or strong foul smelling urine, a feeling of pressure in the lower abdomen, bladder spasm and low-grade fever. In elderly people, the symptoms can also be weakness, falls, confusion, or fever confusions and also changes in mental state. In cases of young children, UTI is exhibited by enuresis or bed-wetting.

In women, 20 to 40 percent experienced the symptoms of weakness, irritability, reduced appetite, vomiting and diarrhea. This infection occurs mostly in women who have very short urethra. Likewise, women often get worse symptoms during menstruation. In men, a chronic prostate problem increases the risk of bladder infection. Men have the same symptoms as women. There are some cases where symptoms of cystitis vanish without any reason or treatment. Even though these symptoms disappear, they can return after days, weeks, even months or years later.

As of today, scientists have not found any cure for cystitis and are unable to predict which treatment is best for curing the bladder infection. The only good advice is that people should drink sufficient water so that the bladder is completely flushed. The bladder should be thoroughly emptied during urination. Likewise wearing warm clothing on lower parts of the body also stops cystitis. It may also be helpful to drink cranberry juice daily to prevent this infection. Immediate urination after sexual intercourse flushes out bacteria from the urethra. And also it is advised to urinate once every three hours. Most women who pass on urinating for a long period are prone to suffer more infections in their urinary system.

About the author:

Kathryn Whittaker has an interest in Health topics. To access more articles on bladder infections or for additional information and resources visit this bladder related website.

My mom makes the most amazing Christmas cake in the world; it?s been a tradition in our family for as long as I can remember.

First, she mixes up a light, fluffy, vanilla cake mix, pours it into the pans and then pops it in the oven. After it?s been baked, she stacks the cake in three layers with whipped cream spread generously between each layer. She then pours on red and green Jell-O, which gets soaked up inside the cake. Next, whipped cream is smothered all the way around for frosting. And finally, she garnishes it with red and green sprinkles. A few red and green-striped candy canes are stuck in the top as the finishing touch, and off it goes to the refrigerator so it can be served chilled later.

Now let me tell you, as a bodybuilder, I have a lot of discipline. But when that moist, delicious, red and green, Jell-O- filled, whipped-cream covered cake is sitting on the table in front of me on December 25th, it takes every ounce of my willpower to keep from calling it a ?VERY high carb day? and devouring numerous very large slices.

Despite the temptation, I don?t ?pig out? nor do I deprive myself. Instead, I?m content with eating my single piece, savoring every mouthwatering bite, all the while repeating my mantra, ?Nothing tastes as good as being lean feels.?

The next day, on December 26th, I?m on the bike or Stairmaster at the crack of dawn, followed by six perfect meals of lean protein and complex carbohydrate - just like every other day of the year.

A week later, on December 31st, I usually go out for a nice dinner (very naughty food, I must admit), and then we toast champagne to the New Year at midnight. I?m in bed at a reasonable hour shortly thereafter.

Unless it?s a scheduled day of rest on New Years day, I?m not groggy and hung over like many of my friends are. I?m in the gym squatting, bench pressing, curling, or ?stairmastering? just like I usually am.

And here?s the point: You can and should enjoy the holidays. You can enjoy being with family and going out with friends. You can go to holiday parties and have fun. You can enjoy a few ?naughty? meals. You can have a piece of cake and a glass or two of champagne. There?s no reason why you can?t enjoy yourself AND stay healthy, lean and fit through the holidays. All it takes is some planning, some goal-setting and little dose of old-fashioned discipline.

I’d like to share with you 10 ways that you can follow your diet and stay in great shape over the holidays without turning into a miserable Scrooge. If you follow this advice, then you’ll be one of the proud few with a New Year’s resolution to be the best you’ve ever been in the new year to come - instead of one of the guilt-ridden many who must resolve to reclaim what they lost over the year that’s just passed them by.

1. Expect to stay on your program over the holidays

?Fail to plan and you plan to fail? is a time worn and cliched statement, but it?s still some of the best success advice you will ever hear.

Not only do most people fail to plan, they consciously plan to fail over the holidays. Most people expect to ?blow? their diet and skip workouts over the holidays. They expect to eat more, to exercise less and to gain weight. As a result, they don?t even make the effort.

Instead of taking control, they resign themselves to maintenance at best, or back-sliding at worst. This negative expectancy leads to a self-fulfilling prophecy. By the first week of January, they?re in the worst shape they?ve been in for a year and they frantically make New Year?s resolutions to shed the excess fat they?ve gained.

You can avoid this trap by planning to succeed. Set up a positive expectation. Resolve now that you will not tolerate slipping backwards. Keep your standards up and don?t settle! Not only can you plan to ?stay in shape? over the holidays, you can plan to improve! All you have to do is make the decision and expect success.

2. Plan all your workouts in advance

You know your schedule is going to get hectic over the holidays. You?ll be cooking, shopping, wrapping gifts, sending cards, going to parties, traveling, visiting family, and so on. To stay on your training and nutrition regimen is definitely going to take some sound time management skills.

Plan your schedule in advance. Anticipate what?s coming up. Write it down. Put it on your calendar. By doing so, you won?t be caught unprepared.

Use a schedule book or monthly calendar and ?make appointments? for ALL your workouts for the entire holiday season. Then, post a copy where you will be forced to look at it every day. This is a powerful exercise that will keep you focused and force you to think about and prepare for each upcoming workout.

If you try to ?wing it? and squeeze in your workouts and meals whenever you have time left over, you?ll find that there never is any time left over! Somehow your daily activities always seem to ?expand? to fill the hours in every day. So schedule your workouts and meal times in your calendar just like you would any other appointment or event. Once you?ve done that, stick to your schedule religiously.

3. Set some compelling training and fitness goals over the holiday period

Don?t wait until January 1st to set your goals just because you think it will be harder to achieve them over the holidays. On the contrary, studies on personal achievement have shown that you?ll usually reach 80% of the goals you put onto paper. The problem is that few people set any goals at all, and fewer still set them during the holidays.

Why wait? Why not do it now? Set some big goals that you can start working on during the holidays:

Set a goal to lose the 25 lbs you?ve always wanted to lose NOW Set the goal to gain 10 lbs of solid muscle NOW Been contemplating a competition in bodybuilding, fitness or the new ladies figure division? Pick an early spring show and GO FOR IT - START TRAINING NOW!

Goal setting should not be a once a year affair, it should be a continuous process. You should always have your goals in writing and your list should be regularly updated and rewritten. If you only set goals once a year, you?re not going to accomplish much in your life.

4. Give yourself permission to have ?cheat days? - and schedule them in

A planned ?cheat day? helps you to stay on your program better in the long run. If you?re too strict all the time, you?re setting yourself up for cravings and bingeing.

One or two cheat meals per week will have very little effect on your physique. If you?ve been on a strict, low carb and/or low calorie regimen, a cheat meal might actually be good for you! It will boost your metabolic rate and give your body the signal that you?re not starving and that it?s ok to keep burning a lot of calories.

Over the holidays, schedule your dinners and parties so they fall on your cheat day. Then, on the other days of the week, be steadfast! Just the fact that you know you have a ?cheat day? coming up will relieve the pressure of staying on a strict diet for a long time.

Also, when you do have your cheat meal ? ENJOY IT! If you?re going to eat it and feel guilty, then don?t have it at all. If you?ve stayed with the program all week long, then when ?cheat day? rolls around, you deserve it!

5. If you fall off the wagon, get right back on it

So you had about a dozen too many of those Christmas cookies did you? Don?t worry; because you have cheat days built into your plan, you shouldn?t let guilt immobilize you. Even if you fall completely off the wagon, don?t beat yourself up. All you have to do is get right back on your program without missing another beat.

Too many people mess up once and then think their entire diet is ruined. They feel as if everything they?ve done prior to that day was wasted and there?s no sense going on. Or even worse, they rationalize to themselves, ?Well, I already cheated, so it doesn?t matter now, I might as well keep pigging out.?

That?s nonsense. If you threw in the towel every time you didn?t score 100% on your diet, most people would never get through more than a few days on any structured program. Just because you mess up once doesn?t mean you should quit! You?re only human. Don?t let one small slip keep you derailed. Firmly plant your wheels back on the tracks and start rolling again.

6. Maintain your consistent eating schedule

If there?s one thing that all people who successfully get lean and stay lean have in common, it?s consistency. Without it, you never get any momentum going. It?s like taking two steps forward, only to take three steps back.

Many people allow the busy Holidays to throw them off their regular eating schedule. They completely veer off their usual five or six small meals per day, or they start eating foods they would normally never eat (because ?it?s there?).

You have to keep your metabolic engine revving all year round. Once you have it going, it?s fairly easy to keep it going. But once you lose it, it?s very difficult to get it going again because you must overcome inertia all over again. (An object at rest tends to stay at rest!)

On the major holidays, when there?s a big dinner scheduled, many people think that skipping their morning and afternoon meals to ?save room? for the big one later is a good idea. It?s not. This is a sure-fire way to invite a binge that could set your back for days.

Don?t lose your consistency or your momentum. Continue with your pattern of eating small, frequent meals all year round. All you have to do is count your holiday dinners as one of your regular meals and keep them small.

7. Control your portion sizes.

You can have your cake and eat it too ? you just can?t eat the whole thing! One of the most important rules to remember this holiday season is the law of energy balance, which states: To lose body fat, you must consume fewer calories than you burn up each day.

There are two corollaries to the law of energy balance:

1. Too much of anything gets stored as fat ? even healthy food. 2. Small amounts of anything ? even junk food ? will probably NOT get stored as fat.

There?s no reason to deprive yourself of things you enjoy. Just make sure you don?t overindulge. As long as you enjoy your favorite foods in moderation, and you keep working out, it probably won?t end up around your waistline.

8. Don?t buy into the low standards and expectations of others

Keep your standards high, but don?t expect other people?s standards to be as high as yours. Remember that most people have already planned in advance to fail at fitness over the holidays. You?ve decided to stay strong (haven?t you?) Don?t let their negative influence drag you down.

When you?ve reached your pre-ordained drink limit, say ?When? and switch to water or a non alcoholic, non caloric beverage. When they offer you seconds on dessert, politely say, ?No thank you, it was absolutely delicious, but I?m full, I can?t eat another bite.? And when the wee hours of the morning start to roll around, and your friends are egging you on to keep partying, politely tell them you need your sleep. Tomorrow is a work out day. If they?re really your friends, they?ll understand.

9. Make the best choices possible in every situation.

You know those tables you see at holiday parties that are covered with yards of chips, dips, pretzels, cookies, salami, candies, punch, liquor, and a seemingly endless assortment of other goodies? Well, did you also notice that there is usually a tray full of carrot sticks, cauliflower, celery and other healthy snacks too?

No matter where you are, you always have choices. Sometimes you have to choose between bad and worse. Other times you can choose between good and better. But always make the best choice possible based on whatever your options are. If nothing else, you can choose to eat a small portion of something bad rather than a huge portion, thereby obeying the law of calorie balance.

Chances are good that there?s probably something healthy on the menu at every holiday gathering. As you know, lean proteins and fibrous carbs are a great for getting lean, so fill up on the turkey breast, try to get a vegetable in there, and go easy on the desserts.

10. If you drink, enjoy alcohol in moderation

If you enjoy having a few drinks on special occasions, then go ahead and have a drink or two. But if you?re serious about your fitness goals, you must drink infrequently and in moderation. Alcohol almost totally inhibits your body?s ability to metabolize body fat. When there?s alcohol in your bloodstream, you?re not in fat burning mode.

I?ve never met anyone in my life that was truly serious about fitness or bodybuilding who was a heavy drinker. Alcohol and muscles just don?t mix.

The impact goes beyond added body fat; your energy levels and workouts can be ruined for days after a night of heavy drinking. A glass of wine actually has some health benefits. But there?s NEVER any never reason or excuse for binge drinking or getting drunk.

So go ahead and toast to the New Year, but know when to say when.

Conclusion

You might be one of the millions of people who want and need to lose weight, and you?ve decided that you?re going to do it. However, you may also be thinking that the holiday season is the worst time, and that you will start after New Year?s. The truth is, that is nothing more than an excuse to procrastinate. There?s no reason to let your exercise and nutrition program spoil your holidays, but there?s also no reason to let your holidays spoil your exercise and nutrition program either! Put these 10 holiday tips into practice and you can start losing fat today, not next year!

Tom Venuto is a certified personal trainer, fat loss expert and author of the #1 best selling diet e-book, “Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle. You can get info on Tom’s e-book at: http://www.burnthefat.com. To get Tom’s free monthly e-zine, visit http://www.fitren.com.

There has been a flurry of searches on the internet of ?maca for psoriasis? so I would like to address whether there has been any information regarding this treatment.

Maca is a root, like a turnip found in the highlands of Peru. It is known most for its folk use in increasing libido and anabolic effects. It has a long history of use as food and medicine in Peru. It is highly nutritious as it contains trace elements as well as some essential fatty acids. Recent studies have been performed to identify any bioactive compounds, specifically alkamides.

Although there have been some studies performed for its use in sperm function that showed improvement interestingly without hormonal effect, there have not been any studies on its use for psoriasis as far as I can tell.

I have a great interest in nutrition and looking at nature for new or old medicines but since there is a great deal of money to be made these days from supplements a lot of companies will try to sell supplements for all kinds of uses, especially if it has a long tradition of use as it does in the case if maca. As a food it is fine to try if you can find it.

The problem is that the bioactive properties of maca have not been fully delineated and as a result, there is not accurate standardization of supplements. Until food scientents can tell us what the specific alkamides are, supplements are not standardized and one company?s supplements can be drastically different than another?s.

As I stated briefly on my website, if you want to use the benefits of nutrition, at the very least, there have been studies on the use of omega 3 fish oils for psoriasis. Even with fish oil, all of the bioactive properties have not been fully delineated and it is likely with more study we will see that for general health it is more than DHA and EPA (more information on my website) that will show some bioactivity. I recommend Vital Choice Seafood Salmon Oil capsules for issues of purity and the fact that the oil is the most representative of the actual oil of the fish. In other words, until it has been studied exhaustively, any supplement which you take should approximate as closely as possible what it would be like to get it from the source by actually eating it as food.

So maca for psoriasis? You could eat it as a highly nutritious root if you can find it but for psoriasis, I cannot endorse it.

Please Let Me Know What You Think Of The Above Article

Jonathan Carp, M.D. is a board certified dermatologist practicing in Southern California. Although a firm believer and practictioner of western medicine, he has a special interest in nutrition, anti-aging medicine, fitness, and traditional health maintenance practices. He is committed to providing sensible, sound, scientfically-based health information. He publishes a psoriasis website at http://www.PsoriasisInsider.com

When trying to get pregnant, many times we can fail to conceive because our diets are lacking in the nutrients necessary for a successful conception and pregnancy to take place. Even when we are very careful about our diet and ?eat well?, our diet can still be insufficient.

When trying to get pregnant your main objective should be is to try and create the healthiest eggs and sperm possible, and in the woman, the most fertile environment possible so conception can occur.

Often, with many couples, an ordinary diet lacks the necessary nutrients a healthy pregnancy requires. The body knows this, and until the nutrient levels are there, doesn?t conceive.

So in order for the body to receive the nutrients it needs to conceive nutritional supplements are often required to supplement even the best most carefully planned diets.

There are a wealth of supplements available. A short stroll through you local supermarket or health food store reveals an array of choices; Fertility Supplement, Prenatal Vitamins, Fertility Blend, Natural Fertility Supplement, and so on.

The key is not so much what brand you buy, although quality is important, but more important is that the supplement you buy contains all the nutrients needed for high fertility. To achieve this you may have to buy more than one supplement to make sure you cover every nutrient.

Whether you buy a single supplement product or you need to buy quite a few different ones, it or they should contain the following:

- Vitamins A,E,D
- Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12
- Biotin, Cholene, Inositol, PABA
- Folic Acid
- Vitamin C and Bioflavinoids
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Potassium, Iron, Manganese
- Zinc
- Chromium, Selenium, Iodine
- Evening Primrose Oil
- MaxEPA

After taking supplements containing all of these, apart from giving your body everything it needs to conceive, you should feel greater well-being and notice higher levels of energy. How these supplements benefit you in terms of you conceiving are as follows:

Vitamin A ? For men, vitamin A is necessary for sperm production and production of testosterone. In women it keeps the cilia in the fallopian tubes healthy, and deficiencies in either men or women could lead to infertility and miscarriage. Vitamin A is a known antioxidant so it plays an important role in detoxifying your body.

Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, PABA, Folic Acid, Inositol, Choline ? These vitamins usually occur together and are necessary for balancing estrogen and progesterone, as well as the production of sex hormones. For male fertility the B group is especially important. Vitamin B5 is needed for the testes to be healthy, high sperm count and motility require Vitamin B12, and Inositol is needed for a healthy prostate gland. A deficiency in Vitamin B can result in a miscarriage or risk of the baby being stillborn.

Vitamin C and Bioflavinoids ? Because Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant it works to eliminate toxins in your system, like lead for example. Vitamin C encourages ovulation in women who haven?t been producing eggs and who may be anovular. In men it prevents the sperm from clumping. However a deficiency of Vitamin C during the period of conception and early pregnancy can result in a miscarriage.

Calcium ? You need calcium for producing fertile mucus in the vagina. You know it?s fertile when it is stretchy. Calcium deficiency can result in toxemia while pregnant.

Magnesium ? Estrogen and Progesterone require Magnesium if they are to be produced. If a woman has a Magnesium deficiency the muscle contractions of the Fallopian Tubes can be affected, interfering with the movement of eggs and sperm within the uterus. You know you have a Magnesium deficiency if you crave sugary foods, chocolate in particular.

Potassium ? Potassium is necessary for sperm motility and the general wellbeing of glands. Iron ? Iron is essential for hemoglobin production and the correct formation of fetal blood. Without enough iron infertility can result.

Manganese ? Manganese is involved with building and breaking down genetic material, like nucleic acids. It also plays a part in the secretions from glands that affect a womans? maternal instinct, her desire to love and nurture her child. Deficiencies in Manganese reduce sperm count and can result in infertility.

Zinc ? Zinc is required for a healthy sperm count and for the sperm to be well formed. Zinc deficiency can result in chromosomal abnormalities in the sperm and low levels of testosterone. For women, low zinc can lead to a miscarriage. Whether male or female zinc is very important to your reproductive health.

Chromium ? Chromium helps with glucose metabolism, which stabilizes blood sugar levels.

Selenium ? Healthy levels of Selenium help males with sperm production and motility. It is a known antioxidant and can help remove toxins from the body. Low levels of Selenium reduce sperm production and sperm motility.

Iodine ? The thyroid gland the balance of hormones in the body and for it to function properly it needs Iodine. When a woman has a thyroid gland that is not sufficiently active she may not ovulate during her cycle.

Evening Primrose Oil and MaxEPA ? These two contain Omega 3 essential fatty acids which are important for providing what body needs for building cell membranes and body structures. They are also necessary for correct hormone balance and prostaglandin production. In females they help with bloodflow in the uterus. Deficiencies of essential fatty acids can lead to chromosomal defects and miscarriage.

Search your local health food store or supermarket for a supplement product or a combination of products that contain all of the vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids mentioned above. Taking the recommended daily doses of these will provide your body with all the nutrients it needs for it to become a highly fertile environment where conception can occur.

Copyright 2006 Helene Kvist

Helene Kvist makes it easy to understand what to do to make your body highly fertile and more likely to conceive and become pregnant. Learn the essential keys to using fertility supplements for
a successful pregnancy. To receive the Powerful Pregnancy Report visit: vitamins good for getting pregnant. To receive the Powerful Pregnancy Report visit:

No ceremony with this article, let?s go straight into five quick ways that will help you find relief from stress, depression and anxiety.

1. Take regular breaks from the firing line. Working hard without regular breaks is a great way to build up stress and tension. Make sure you have at least one 15-minute break in the morning and one in the afternoon as well as at least 20 minutes for lunch. If possible, eat lunch away from your workstation. Equally, if you have a lot to deal with in your life right now, taking a day, or a weekend elsewhere ? longer if you can - to get some breathing space will really help. Even just a day away from the firing line will enable you to get some distance from the problems and help you to gather your thoughts.

2. Regular exercise can help relieve stress, depression and anxiety. Exercise releases endorphins into your system and will give you a natural boost. It will also provide you with a break from brooding and dwelling upon problems and troubles ? but only if you perform the right kind of exercises. Avoid: Exercises that allow you to brood (weight lifting, jogging, treadmills) and perform exercises that require your full concentration. Competitive sports such as squash, tennis, badminton and circuit training are all excellent examples. It is important that you do not brood when you exercise because although you will be benefiting physically, you are still stressing yourself mentally and the stress, depression and anxiety will worsen.

3. Stop beating yourself up. Self-deprecation is a huge part of stress, depression and anxiety. Each time you beat up on yourself, you will erode confidence and self-esteem. Never tell yourself you?re useless, worthless, stupid, hopeless, boring, ugly, and a loser. Never convince yourself that other people hate you, that others find you difficult to be around and that you?re better off being alone. You would never deem it acceptable to say such things to other people and you must deem it equally unacceptable to say them to yourself. These words and phrases are powerful and they will hurt you. Accept you?re not perfect and that you make mistakes ? just like everybody else does ? and cut yourself some slack. From this day, make a pact with me to never indulge self-deprecation ever again. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE.

4. Isolation is another problem experienced by stress, depression and anxiety sufferers. OK, there will be times when you just want your own company. During such times, you can brood over and over again on problems and events and beat yourself up for hours on end. Not good. Instead, use isolation more positively. Occupy your mind by tackling a jigsaw puzzle, a logic problem, a crossword, read a book or perform a hobby such as painting, playing a musical instrument or whatever it is you have an interest in. In this way, isolation will help you to grow instead of causing you further pain.

5. Television, radio and newspapers can all supply you with a daily hit of negativity and help lower your mood. In the main, they concentrate on the negative side of life: crime, corruption, war, scandal and natural disasters and can give you a distorted view of reality. Not to mention the amount of image manipulation they subject you to. Give yourself a break from this negative drip feed and avoid them completely for one week. You may find, like I have, that they have no place in your life after that. Trust me, you won?t miss them.

That?s five, quick tips for you to help fight stress, depression and anxiety. Please give them a try, they?ll all help to boost your mood levels very quickly indeed.

Copyright 2006 Christopher Green

Former anxiety sufferer Chris Green is the author of ?Conquering Stress?, the internationally acclaimed program which will help you to permanently conquer stress, depression and anxiety without taking powerful drugs. For a free mini course, please click here => http://www.conqueringstress.com

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?You are what you eat.?

How many times have you heard this statement? In a world where the food police virtually have an open book to hassle everybody about their eating habits, they hammer this message home to educate people about the benefits of healthy eating.

In cases where individuals have become grossly overweight, then this statement rings true. If your diet is based on junk food ? sugar, fat, fast food etc., then your body will reflect your eating habits and you will put on weight and your arteries will clog. You increase the risk of heart attack, stroke and cancer.

But when we look at people who suffer from stress, depression or anxiety, this statement has no foundation whatsoever. The reason is simple. Foods, no matter what they are, cannot make you stressed, depressed or anxious. And no matter what the food police say, foods cannot cure these problems. There are some foods that can help you feel better, but they won?t cure you. I?ll reveal my choice picks shortly.

Many people who suffer the torment of a depressive, stressful or anxious episode do so because of reasons entirely unrelated to their diet. Also, I have personally known people whose diet has been anything but healthy and yet they are pictures of happiness. A very good friend of mine is a great example of this. She eats junk food day-in, day-out and yet, as anyone who knows her will testify, she is one of the happiest and friendliest people you could wish to meet.

Depression, stress and anxiety can and will arise no matter how healthy your diet is. Foods don?t cause these problems and foods don?t cure these problems. However, they can help to boost mood and here?s 3 quick, simple tips I have personally used to help me boost my moods. Give them a try and see how you get on.

1. Cod liver oil. Liquid is best but it?s harsh to taste. Try capsules. Failing that, try oily fish like mackerel. I loathe oily fish but the capsules are fine. Oily fish is high in Omega 3, an essential fatty acid. If you?re taking aspirin or you?re on prescribed drugs, just check with your doctor before you take an Omega 3 supplement.

2. I don?t eat refined sugar, especially full sugar soda. I cannot sleep if I drink just one can of full sugar soda so I avoid it like the plague. I sleep better and I?m not as fidgety during the day. Although sugar doesn?t cause depression, stress or anxiety, there are links to hyperactivity and I?m definitely less hyper than I used to be. See how you feel without sugar.

3. Sometimes, when you?re feeling a bit down, comfort food can be the equivalent of a hug. There are many comfort foods but my favorite is just a simple bowl of buttery mashed potato or failing that, creamy chicken soup. I love to do this when I just want to shut out the world and have my own company. I light the candles, play some nice music or watch a good film curled up on the sofa with my comfort food treat. It never fails to raise my spirits and it?s a great way to unwind and gather my thoughts.

The reason why food can only help and not cure stress, depression or anxiety is because food doesn?t cause these problems. If you?re depressed for example, changing to a healthy diet won?t cure you because it isn?t as simple as that. To permanently conquer stress, depression and anxiety, the root cause has to be addressed. Diet can help, but only if it is part of a complete program that addresses all of the issues, especially the root cause.

Copyright 2006 Christopher Green

Former anxiety sufferer Chris Green is the author of ?Conquering Stress?, the internationally acclaimed program which will help you to permanently conquer stress, depression and anxiety without taking powerful drugs. For more information please click here => http://www.conqueringstress.com