Defining Menopause by: Rob Buenaventura

There is a reason that menopause is often referred to as ‘the change.’ It is after all a huge change for a woman’s bodies that carries with it a powerful physical and psychological toll. Not only does it herald the end of menstrual cycles (a cause for some amount of cheering) it is also the harbinger of the end of youth or the onset of age, which results in some rather mixed emotions.

When the ovaries quite producing estrogen, the reproductive system begins to essentially close up shop. This process is what is considered menopause. As your body adjusts to the changes taking places, it creates certain ‘coping mechanisms’ in order to process these changes in hormone levels. The coping mechanisms that your body creates are known as the symptoms of menopause.

These symptoms include:

1) Hot flashes, sometimes accompanied by palpitations.

2) Extreme irritability, mood swings, depression, and inability to concentrate

3) Vaginal dryness and increasing urinary frequency accompanied by decreasing and erratic menstrual cycles.

So what is Menopause?

Technically, menopause is the term used to describe the ending of the monthly menstrual cycle. The process can last anywhere from six months to five years while one year is the common length of time. It is important to remember that the duration will vary between women. Another important thing to note is that menopause is not an illness or a disease but a natural progression in the cycle of life. Menopause can be surgically produced when the ovaries are removed during a hysterectomy.

When Does Menopause Occur?

The average age at which menopause occurs is 50.5 years, however some women enter into the process much earlier. Cancer sufferers and those who have received chemotherapy often experience an early onset of menopausal symptoms. Other things that can bring on early menopause include autoimmune disorders, thyroid disease, and diabetes mellitus. Early menopause is typically defined as menopause that occurs before the age of 40. The actual onset of premature menopause can be formally diagnosed through the measurements of certain hormones within the body.

One of the most common risks or problems associated with menopause is the increased loss of bone known as osteoporosis. Special care and attention should be paid, especially to women who are particularly vulnerable or at risk for developing this condition.

During the early stages of menopause, the hormones estrogen and progesterone lessen and menstrual cycles become increasingly irregular. Fertility and the ability to have children also tend to decrease during this process as well.

Some Common Treatments for Menopause are:

1) Hormone replacement therapy also known as HRT

2) Alternative therapies

3) Natural remedies

4) Lifestyle changes (fitness and dietary changes)

5) Nutritional supplements It is important to note that according to a Women’s Health Initiative study, women who participate in HRT are at a much higher risk for certain diseases. It is vitally important that you discuss the risks and advantages involved in this type of therapy with your physician in order to make an informed decision.

- About The Author

Rob Buenaventura invites you to check out http://www.menopausetime.com. Here we provide a website on menopause symptoms and related common questions on menopause health. Think you might be entering menopause?

Check out http://www.menopausetime.com/symptoms/first-symptom-of-menopause.html for early symptoms on menopause.

How to Achive and Maintain a Healthy, Sexy Body by: Jane Morris

In a world where slim, slender, and sexy are the standards of the society, obesity has no place. From television programs, commercials, and product advertisements to magazine features, billboards, and internet pop-ups, you won’t be able to find men unpacked with biceps, triceps, and abdominal muscles nor women with vital statistics other than 36-24-36.

How strange society can be! It dictates what is wrong and what is right, what is proper and what is not that if you feel you don’t belong to the “in” crowd, how sad and low can you be? People judge other people with no reasonable bases making the discriminated ones feel left out and unwanted.

As sensitive people who belong to such unfriendly societies, we get affected by cold treatments and pathetic stares. But we can’t let anybody make us feel inferior to them anytime. We were all created equal. Thus, we deserve to be feeling what they are feeling, to be doing what they are doing, and to be living how they are living in this strange world.

But reality check: how can we feel, do, and live the way other people do if there really is something that hinders us?

I used to be fat myself when I was young. Somehow, I felt inferior and caused me to envy a lot of people. I started wondering, why can’t my crush notice me? Or why can’t I join popularity contests? Is it really because of my physical attributes, particularly my body weight and figure? It’s sad to see that my slim friends and classmates got to have whatever they like while I couldn’t. Indeed, it was because I was fat, and they are not. Even though the effects of my disorder was purely psychological and didn’t bring any other biological problems, still it was unhappy and unhealthy.

As time passed by, I realized that I don’t want to be left out. Instead, I want to be noticed and recognized. I want to feel happy, healthy, and satisfied. Thus, I made an effort to lose weight and get rid of excess fats in my body. Thankfully, with an ounce of willingness, a cup of patience, and a spoon of determination, I was able to achieve what once was only a dream. Such comments like “You look slimmer,” or “Have you lost weight? Tell me your secret,” was really music to my ears.

I have traveled the path of overweight and unhappiness in a single journey; it wasn’t really a smooth ride – a trip not worth remembering. But, on the other hand, without that experience, I wouldn’t have been in my position now – happy and contented, the real richness in the world.

I have used self-hypnosis to make sure my mind reinforced what my body needed to do. It was really amazing setting up my mind to 'control' what I wanted to achieve. I understood the importance of setting realisable and achieveable goals, and then by a simple process of repetition, programmed muy mind to anticipate success - and it worked.

Thus, if I can do it, so can you. I don’t want any other people to feel what I felt before – unwanted, alone, and taken for granted. Or worse, might even suffer from complications and other illnesses. Being fat, overweight, or obese is unhealthy, both in the mind and in the body. We know it. We’ve been there, right? Now, come with me to a journey where we can change not only our body size, weight, and figure, but our lives as well. There’s nothing more wonderful than being able to do what you want to do or to go where you’d like you go. That is real happiness and contentment. And like me, you too can achieve it.

In a world where slim, slender, and sexy are the standards of the society, obesity has to go. So, let’s go terminate it!

- About The Author
Jane Morris is a member of Horizon Direct Services, and has written a number of articles on self improvement. The book can be downloaded at http://tinyurl.com/7jopr www.horizondirectservices.com Jane’s main site, with links to a number of other self-improvement products and services www.mindpowersite.com self-hypnosis CD’s for a number of complimentary self-improvement topics www.weightlosspatch.com Weight loss patch by Visifirm

Sex is a Good Thing! by: Gwenneth Morgan

Orgasmic sex between consenting adults provides more benefits to humans than simple shared intimacy. It's also important in maintaining one's physical and mental health.

Numerous studies have shown the beneficial effects of regular orgasms. Sex has been shown to be a great cardiovascular workout and it has been proven to relieve stress, thereby preventing stress related disorders. Regular, satisfying sex may even help you live longer!

On the other hand, sexual frustration, in my opinion, is one of the greatest problems humans face today.

Now, I'm not talking about a guy who's frustrated because his wife has been out of town for a week. I'm talking about 40 year old guys who have never had sex. I'm talking about women who have been so scarred sexually, that they are hoping to get through the rest of their lives without ever having to have sex again. Where does this come from?

Well, let's start by taking a look at history and religion. In many cultures, sex has been labelled "dirty." And it's evident in the way we interact with each other every day that this perception has endured. One of the most obvious instances is the work "fuck." Apparently left over from even more repressive times, the letters are intials describing a stockade offense, "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge." Today, it has become one of the most negative and widely used words in American English.

Look at high school boys who already have distorted views of sex before they've even participated in the act. We hear things like, "eat me", "bite me", "suck this," "nice girls don't but naughty girls do," and even as they get older, "she's fun, but she's not the kind of girl you want to marry!" How many good hearted and adventurous teenage girls have submitted to the wishes of their beau, only to be shamed, publicly ridiculed or abandoned?

Then boys become men. They get married to "nice girls" and spend the rest of their lives wishing their wives were more adventurous in bed. How many husbands hassle and harrangue their wives to give them what they need (often without thinking of their wife's needs) until she is fed up and no longer interested at all? Our whole concept of sex has become so twisted that many actually scorn its healthful and bonding effects because it has become so tangled up with pain.

And don't forget the contribution of acute sexual frustration to crime. Every sexual offense has its roots in sexual pain and frustration or misconceptions about sex. If sex offenders were capable of having loving, responsible, adult relationships, there would be no need for them to commit such crimes as rape and molestation.

What can we do?

First, let's get it straight that sex is not "dirty." It is a perfectly normal biological function and ignoring the urge won't make it go away. This is simply the way we are designed. If we truly have respect for some kind of all powerful Creator, then it's time we honor the fact that He/She/It made us the way we are. The Human body is a beautiful thing and it's wrong for us to attach such negative connotations to any aspect of our natural selves in favor of some Human conception of how we "should" be.

We must learn to embrace our sexuality. Just because you might have had a bad experience in the past does not mean you're incapable of having a good sexual experience. If your current sex life is not all that you'd like it to be, talk to your partner about what you'd like and work together to break through inhibitions. If your partner is too demanding or not open to such discussion, I suggest you think about finding another partner.

Teach our children. Studies show that children who grow up in households where the parents are more open about their bodies, as opposed to always hiding naked bodies behind closed doors, are actually better adjusted as adults. Children who get unconscious signals that the naked body is shameful or disgusting end up with many more personal hang ups and inhibitions resulting in lower self esteem which only makes it harder to enjoy a healthy sex life.

And don't be afraid to talk to children about sex. It certainly encompasses far more than "where do babies come from." Considering the impact sex, or lack of sex, has on one's life, it seems pretty silly to make everyone figure it all out for themselves by trial and error. Don't shrink away from opportunities to talk to your children about what you've learned when it comes to choosing a partner and maintaining a relationship. Even if you don't feel very successful, they can benefit from your openness and experience.

Guys, apply yourselves and learn how to get laid. Don't say stupid stuff that only serves to increase resistance to sex. You want sex. Don't cut off your nose to spite your face by sending messages that what you really want is disgusting or loathesome. And, don't let yourself get to a point where you are so desperate for sex it's all you can think about. It shows. We've all seen an unneutered dog that tries to hump the leg of everyone that comes along; it's not attractive and it won't help you reach your goal. Don't be afraid to take matters into your own hands periodically to release excess tension so you can present the real you to prospective partners.

And remember, sex is a two way street. Men wouldn't want sex all the time if they rarely ever had a real orgasm and it's the same for women. I know women who have never had an honest to goodness, shuddering, mind blowing, toe curling orgasm! Why, because their partners were far more concerned about their own pleasure instead of focusing on nuturing a long lasting sexual relationship. If all you care about is yourself, then go and pay someone to take care of your needs. Legal and regulated prostitution could go a long way to alleviating the overwhelming amount of sexual tension and resulting crime in our society.

Imagine a world where there is no sexual tension. Hold on, I'm not talking about a world where people run around naked having sex everywhere with anyone who happens to come along. I'm talking about a world where people are happy and comfortable with their bodies and sex. Where people are not so desperate for physical affection that they are actually more attractive. A world where people feel safe and willing to open themselves up to all the beneficial effects of sex. It's a tall order, I know. We've never had such a society, but it's worth it to try.

- About The Author
Gwenneth Morgan is a 40ish, Pagan wife, mother and businesswoman who is totally fed up with the Old Way. With the belief that humans have evolved to a point where we can, as a group, embrace the Light, she has found the courage to openly share her views and encourage others to do the same. Visit her web site to learn more. http://www.gwennethmorgan.com.

Some Simple Tantric Yoga Exercises to Improve the General Health and Sexual Abilities by: Knut Holt

Here are some exercises for men and women for the pelvic region and for the breathing apparatus - two body zones of great importance for the general health, but that are generally disregarded in standard training regimes.

A healthy pelvic area is of great importance for the general well-being. The same is true about a healthy respiratory tract and breathing apparatus.

Here are presented three poses and three breathing exercises that have the following effects when done together in a series:

-They stimulate the physiological functions of the genital and anal area.

-They correct muscle weakness and anatomical problems of the anal and genital region.

-They increase the sexual drive and abilities.

-They produce a stimulating response that spreads upwards along the spine and revitalizes the whole body.

-They stimulate the physiological functions of the respiratory tract and help against infections in the airways.

-The exercises are very good to start each day with, or to do before going to bed in the night.
POSE 1

Stand on your hands and knees upon the floor.

Kneel backward so that your buttocks go backward and down towards your feet and stretch your arms foreword.

Breathe out and then take a deep breathe in, filling your lungs totally with air. Hold your breath with the air inside.

Squeeze your anal muscles and pull your anal opening as deeply inward as you can. However do not strain when squeezing. This exercise shall not be exhausting. Relax your anal muscles completely again.

Repeat the squeezing and relaxing 3-5 times, but not so long that you go out of oxygen in your body.

Empty your lungs. Rise up on your hands and knees again. Relax a while in this position and then you can repeat the exercise if you wish.

POSE 2

Lie on your back upon a carpet on the floor with your arms along your sides and relax.

Breathe out.

Then breathe inn deeply while relaxing all the muscles you do not need for the breathing.

Then breathe out. When breathing out, squeeze your anal muscles and pull your anal opening as deeply inward as you can. However do not strain when squeezing. This exercise shall not be exhausting.

After having breathed out, relax your anal muscles again.

Repeat the breathing in and breathing out while squeezing 3-8 times, but not some much that you get exhausted.

Then relax again.

POSE 3

Lie on your back upon a carpet on the floor.

Breathe out completely.

Swing your arms in an arch over your head and down to the floor over your head so that your whole body is stretched from top to toe. When swinging your arms, take a deep breath filling your lungs totally with air.

Hold your breath with the air inside.

Squeeze your anal muscles and pull your anal opening as deeply inward as you can. However do not strain when squeezing. This exercise shall not be exhausting. Relax your anal muscles completely again.

Repeat the squeezing and relaxing 3-5 times.

Swing your arms back at the same time as you empty your lungs. Relax some while and then you can repeat the exercise if you wish.

BREATHING EXERCISE 1

Sit upon a pillow on the floor with your legs crossed and the back straight.

Empty your lungs completely.

Breath in counting to 4. When breathing in, try to do it in three stages that proceed smoothly into each other:

Use first your diaphragm so that your stomach moves out. Then fill further by using your chest muscles. And then complete the filling by using the muscles around your shoulders.

Hold your breath counting to 16.

Then breath out counting to 8. When breathing out, try to do it in three stages that proceed smoothly into each other: Use first your diaphragm so that your stomach moves in. Then empty further by using your chest muscles. And then complete emptying by using the muscles around your shoulders.

BREATHING EXERCISE 2

Sit upon a pillow on the floor with your legs crossed and your back straight. Take 10 rapid deep breathes in and out after another, but not so rapid that you get strained or breath incompletely.

When breathing in, try to do it in three stages that proceed smoothly into each other: Use first your diaphragm so that your stomach moves out. Then fill further by using your chest muscles. And then complete the filling by using the muscles around your shoulders.

When breathing out, try to do it in three stages that proceed smoothly into each other: Use first your diaphragm so that your stomach moves in. Then empty further by using your chest muscles. And then complete emptying by using the muscles around your shoulders.

After the last in-breath , hold your breath with your lungs filled counting to 10.

Then breath out.

BREATHING EXERCISE 3

Sit upon a pillow on the floor with your legs crossed and your back straight.

Empty your lungs completely.

Close your left nostril with the fingers of one of your hands. Breath in through your right nostril counting to 4.

When breathing in, try to do it in three stages that proceed smoothly into each other: Use first your diaphragm so that your stomach moves out. Then fill further by using your chest muscles and then complete the filling by using the muscles around your shoulders.

Hold your breath counting to 16.

Then close your right nostril with your fingers.

Then breath out through your left nostril counting to 8.

When breathing out, try to do it in three stages that proceed smoothly into each other: Use first your diaphragm so that your stomach moves in. Then empty further by using your chest muscles. And then complete emptying by using the muscles around your shoulders. When you have breathed out, repeat the exercise, but this time begin by closing your right nostril first.

RELAXING AT THE END OF THE SERIES

When the series is done, then lie down upon a carpet on the floor and relax for 2-5 minutes. This relaxation will increase the effects of the exercises and make you recover if the exercises have made you tired.

Concentrate upon relaxing your legs first, then your lover body, then your upper body, then your arms and shoulders, and at last your head and face. When the whole body is relaxed, try not to think about anything, and relax your whole body even further. Then lie some time in this relaxed state without thinking about anything.

- About The Author
Knut Holt is an internet consultant and marketer focusing on health items. TO FIND natural medicines against common diseases, for example: Over-weight, acne, eczema, hypothyroidism, fatigue, depression, hemorrhoids, joint pain, hypertension, high cholesterol, circulatory problems, digestive ailments, allergies, menstrual problems, respiratory diseases and more, PLEASE VISIT:---- http://www.abicana.com
----Free to reprint with the author's name and link.
k-holt2@online.no

How Healthy Sex Prevents Illness by: Ruby Boyd

There are many positive correlations between love, sex and health. Being so, it has produced many questions.....

Have you wondered if an active sex life can truly alleviate pain?

Do sexually active people have fewer colds and bouts of flu?

Is it true that married people live longer than single or divorced people?

Can an active sex life help prevent disease and illnesses by strengthening our immune system?
I have these answers and more, read on....

An active sex life is both stimulating and rejuvenating to the glandular system. When we make love the pituitary gland, the thyroid gland, the adrenal glands, the prostate and testes in men, and the ovaries in women are thoroughly exercised. The net result is that people in love look and feel better about themselves.

Activation of the sex center in the brain has health effects on other brain centers. Every cell in the body gets this message and is strengthened by it.

An active sex life strengthens our immune system. Scientists have compared the nerve endings of happy, loving and sexually-fulfilled people with unhappy and sexually-unfulfilled people.

Apparently, large numbers of immune-system cells were gathered near the nerve endings in the "happy" people. A similar microscopic exam of "unhappy" and depressed persons showed no such gathering of immune- system cells.

Scientists theorized that the nerve endings in the "happy" group were releasing neurotransmitters. These are chemicals, like adrenalin and acetylcholine, that facilitate the transmission of nerve messages.

Scientists concluded that these neurotransmitters could attract, feed, and strengthen the various immune-system cells. During sex, the heart beats twice as fast, pumping blood to the pelvis, breasts, nipples, and surface of the skin, helping get rid of toxins and bringing in nutrients.

We also breath twice as fast, bringing in more oxygen. Muscles are tensed and relaxed, alternatively. Of course, not much good is realized by those who rush through lovemaking in ten minutes or less. But for those who spend a leisurely hour or two, the benefits can be considerable.

You, and you alone can determine the success or failure of your sex and love life; your physical, mental and spiritual health; and almost every other aspect of your life.

- About The Author
Ruby Boyd's website offers information how alternative medicine, diet-nutrition prevents cancer and disease. Visit http://www.a1-natural-health-and-beauty.com/Womens-Sexual-Health.html for information on how to achieve health and beauty fitness goals naturally.

Antioxidants Increase Sexual Pleasure by: Chris Robertson

We often read or hear news reports about antioxidants and how they can improve our health, yet we rarely hear about the role they play in the pleasure we obtain from sex and intimacy.

To understand antioxidants and the ways they can enhance genital health, we first need to understand the role that free radicals play in damaging our cells. In essence, free radicals are the toxic byproducts of our metabolism. Free radical production can increase as a result of the foods we eat (as is the case with charbroiled meat) or the air we breathe (as is the case with second hand smoke).

Using several enzyme-based systems, our body does its best to combat free radicals. When our body's defenses fail, though, free radicals cause individual cells to become damaged or die. If left unchecked, free radicals cause tissue damage, premature aging, and loss of cellular function. In other words, our cells become oxidized, much in the same way that rust forms on iron when it is exposed to air and water.

Antioxidants help to combat free radical damage by shoring up the body's enzyme-based systems. Vitamins C and E are popular antioxidants, as are the polyphenols found in plants and in certain foods and beverages, such as cocoa, red wine, green tea, and ginseng.

Antioxidants can also improve sexual pleasure and intimacy. Women who are perimenopausal, menopausal, or post-menopausal - along with women who use oral contraceptives - can experience genital oxidative stress, which can result in vaginal dryness and a lack of sexual desire. In a sense, antioxidants are an aphrodisiac, in that they preserve the nitric oxide needed to dilate blood vessels in genital tissues, which in turn causes sexual arousal.

Eating or drinking foods and beverages with antioxidant properties is sure to improve your overall feeling of well-being, but antioxidants delivered in the form of a lubricant to sensitive genital skin can have a positive impact on sexual pleasure and intimacy. When organic antioxidants penetrate the skin, they energize nerve endings.

Genital skin care should be an ongoing priority. When looking for an antioxidant to promote genital health, it is important to find one that is water-free and non-oily. Instead, it should be polymer-based and have a non-sticky feeling. In addition, it should be a product that can be used on a daily basis.

- About The Author
Chris Robertson is a published author of Majon International. Majon International is one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing and internet advertising companies on the web. Visit their main business resource web site at: http://www.majon.com. To learn more about subjects like antioxidant please visit the web site at: http://www.skiniks.net. For more information and informative related articles and links about this subject matter and content, please visit Majon's Health and Beauty directory: http://www.majon.com/directory/Health_and_Beauty

Good Nutrition Needed for Good Sex by: Ruby Boyd

Most sex problems include loss of sex drive, lack of sex interest (which may differ from the preceding), impotence, premature climax, sterility, damage to the pelvic organs (which may inhibit pleasure and encourage infections), inherent weaknesses in the sex system, diet- or lifestyle-related fatigue, and various other problems.

Psychological sex problems fall into a special category.

But good diet and exercise are necessary even when counselling is the primary means of correction.

Some problems may be primarily rooted in chemical or glandular imbalance and may be completely corrected by diet and exercise.

When the food we eat lacks essential vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and other nutrients, we become undernourished and subject to disease.

Likewise, sexual problems, whether physical or mental, result from deficiencies--in knowledge, in attitude, in diet, in lifestyle. Once we correct the deficiency, the problem takes care of itself.

This is Nature's way.

Our bodies are made of food chemicals, and the energy we use is fueled by food chemicals.
When some of these chemicals are lacking, certain parts of our bodies may be incomplete, so they cannot perform the functions they were designed to perform.

Since we get the chemicals we need from foods, we have to have a variety of whole, pure, and natural foods to meet all the chemical needs of the body.

We have to eat right, or our bodies will not work correctly.

Our sex lives depend on the structural integrity of several glands, organs, and tissues of the body as well as on the availability of sufficient energy to perform at its best.

Each of these parts of the sex system requires constant replenishing of the nutrients it requires.
While the brain, nerves, and glands are fed by the same foods, different tissues require different foods to function at peak efficiency.

Thus, a variety of nutrients needed by different tissues requires a variety of foods to supply those nutrients.

But suppose we were not getting the right foods to produce the sex hormones our bodies needed? We would be in serious trouble as far as our sex lives were concerned.

If you want to save your love life and make it more enjoyable, you need to evaluate the food and drink that have become part of your lifestyle.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that adults eat a healthy breakfast, drink 100 percent fruit juice and load their diets with fruits and vegetables.

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture have found that the mineral boron is vital for hormone production and sexual function. boron can be found in dark green leafy vegetables, fruits(not citrus), nuts and legumes.

For a romantic twist, the caring couple can prepare their nutritious meals together; not only will you boost your energy, but for many, the act of food preparation itself can be a bonding experience.

You can kick it up a notch by using aphrodisiac spices like clove, vanilla, ginger and saffron in your dishes.

Even the healthiest of meals cannot provide all of the 45-plus nutrients that are needed in your diet to maintain good health.

These essential nutrients are divided into six categories--proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals and water.

Even marginal deficiencies of one or more nutrients can interfere with your good health.
Use as few drugs as possible. Ask your doctor if any of the prescription drugs you have to take will affect your sex life.

Cut out or cut down on the use of alcohol, cigarettes, and coffee. As much as possible, avoid sugary foods and drinks and fried, fatty foods. Cut back on milk and wheat products.

Substitute herbal teas for coffee and regular teas, juices for commercial soft drinks. If you must use sweetener, use a little honey.

As adults, we must realize that good health is earned. It is something we have to work for.
We can have a wonderful love life and wonderful sexual activity, but the two must be built on a foundation of right living. We need to learn our historical lessons and resolve to eat foods as whole, pure, and natural as we can find them.

Sometimes the flame of love just dies, because we aren't eating right. The sex drive won't run without the right fuel.

- About The Author
Ruby Boyd's website offers information on achieving Natural Health, Natural Beauty using natural, drug-free methods. Visit http://www.a1-natural-health-and-beauty.com for information on how to achieve health and beauty fitness goals naturally.