Karen’s Free Health and Fitness Tips

Spermicides are contraceptive tablets or suppositories that are placed in the vagina prior to intercourse. These substances are activated by vaginal secretions and kill sperm to prevent pregnancy.

Used alone, spermicides are not an effective birth control method - the reason why they are usually combined with other barrier methods of contraception such as diaphragms, condoms, cervical caps and sponges.

“There is always the danger that the tablet will not dissolve completely and that contraception protection will thus be incomplete. This method is less preferred than others where the barrier to sperm attempting to enter the cervix is more certain. Purchasers should also make sure they are buying contraceptive tablets, not feminine hygiene suppositories, which are often displayed nearby,” said Dr. Raphael Jewelewicz in “The Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons Complete Home Medical Guide.”

The vaginal sponge is a disposable pillow-shaped device which looks like a tampon. It is packed with spermicide and absorbs seminal fluid when inserted in the vagina.

The earliest reference to sponges as a means of birth control was made in the Ebers Papyrus in 1500 B.C. This primitive sponge was made of lint and contained acacia and honey. So popular was this contraceptive that it was used for years. Modern sponges are made of a different material but work the same way. Aside from blocking and/or absorbing semen, they also kill sperm.

Have you ever been in a situation where you had to provide first aid and didn’t have the supplies you needed? In this article I will identify the basic items to keep in your first aid kit whether you are at home or on the road. You never know when you will need to administer first aid to yourself, your friends or your loved ones.

Basic first aid kit necessities:

 A basic first aid kit will be the same for everybody. However if you have kids or not will determine the need for extra band-aids for the little cuts and scrapes that the children incur. A band-aid makes them always feel better. Routine checks of your first aid kits items should be checked monthly for damage, expiration dates and supply levels.

·          First aid card

·         3″adhesive band aids

·         Large adhesive band aids

·         Knuckle band aids

·          Antiseptic wipes

·          2 pairs of latex gloves (or if you are allergic to latex they do make latex free gloves)

·         Triple antibiotic ointment (Neosporin)

·         Tweezers

·          Instant cold pack

·         At least 2 gauze pads

·         Roll of medical tape

Natural Cures for Depression - Do They Exist or Not?

Most people suffering from bouts of depression, anxiety and general mood disorders that greatly affect their quality of life don’t even know that they have non-prescription options to treat their depression effectively.

Instead, most people will either “bite the bullet” through the rough times, or they will seek the advice of a professional such as a phychiatrist or psychologist, and perhaps go through counseling, or be put on a prescription antidepressant such as Zoloft or Prozac. Did you know that antidepressants are currently the third leading classification of prescription drugs by overall revenue and profitability?

This tells us one thing for sure. Depression is very widespread, very common, and perhaps even overprescribed, some critics might say.

The news about some very popular prescribed medicines for clinical depression is alarming, to say the least. Side effects ranging from nervousness to nausea and sexual dysfunction or low libido are just a few.

This fact has lead many people suffering from this sometimes crippling mental health condition to consider alternative cures for depression - they are going natural. This is not to say the natural way to remedy the symptoms of depression is for everyone.

According to an article published in 2007, approximately 20 million Americans have diabetes (”Diabetes mellitus.” Altha Roberts Edgren. and Ken R. Wells. The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Ed. Jacqueline L. Longe. 3rd ed. Detroit: Gale, Online update, 2007. 5 vols). In another article published in 2009, “Long-term consequences of diabetes” by Chris D. Meletis (see Townsend Letter. May 2009 i310 pg. 54(7)) which I had highlighted in my earlier articles, it was estimated that 23.6 million people in the United States are diabetic.

From 20 million to 23.6 million, that is an 18% increase in people suffering from diabetes over a short 2-years period. And remember, this figure is only from the U.S. alone. What about the numbers worldwide? Aren’t we supposed to start becoming more concern about diabetes?

Why such a huge number? Are not people taking care? One possible assumption that I can draw from this is that people are not educated sufficiently on the dangers of diabetes. Even if they have access to information on diabetes, such information usually is full of jargon that it either prevents people from reading it or understanding it.

Is there really such a thing as a toothpaste allergy?

If you have a toothpaste allergy it can be very hard to diagnose because so many people have never considered the fact that they might be allergic to their toothpaste. Toothpaste allergies are not thought to be common but this could be due to the fact that they are often misdiagnosed or not reported. Toothpaste is made up of various ingredients both natural and chemical that can cause a allergic reaction and in rare cases anaphylactic shock, leading to death.

Toothpaste makers use a lot of additives for color, cleaning, flavor and to aid in digestion. Even though many of these ingredients are in very small amounts anyone with a hypersensitive allergy can tell you it doesn’t take much to cause allergic reactions.

Ingredients That May Cause a Toothpaste Allergy

cinnamon

fluoride

aluminum

sodium benzoate

propylene glycol

Papain

Its not just chemicals like fluoride that are responsible for toothpaste allergies, natural ingredients like papain can cause a problem. Papain is derived from papaya and is put into toothpaste as a digestive aid for the small amounts of toothpaste that get ingested.

Aerobics clothing and shoes are a “must be” when people perform aerobics exercise, or more specifically, correct aerobics clothing and shoes are a “must be”. You may think aerobics classes just need spirit focus and physical dedication, but you can’t do it well without right wear in comfort. You need following certain dress code like Iron Man choose his ones.

Comfort

For those beginners first to attend the workout scene, it is hard to exercise if you don’t fell comfortable. The constant up and down movements may put a toll on your body if your clothing and shoes are not right. The best way to choose your aerobics wear would involve you touching the cloth to get a sense of how it may feel to you.

Not to say that online shopping are not good, but experience with the material will make you know if your money is worth for the wear. Poor designs can cause problems for you if your routines are demanding, get it slow if you find yourself in a predicament of the material being uncomfortable. If you prefer more flexible, it may be helpful to invest in soft clothing for aerobics.

Cost

Sauna’s aren’t just for relaxation anymore. With the introduction of the infrared technology into the mainstream there is an entire new holistic healing application for their use. Infrared saunas detoxification properties are second to none and are able to reverse and rejuvenate many health issues we struggle with both internally and externally.

Let’s look at three detoxification benefits you get from infrared sauna therapy.

1.) Skin rejuvenation: Our skin takes a beating during daily life, from the chlorine in our shower water to the chemicals we come in contact every day our skin is continually going through changes. The skin is the largest organ in the body, therefore it should be taken care of. Infrared sauna use restores elimination through the skin and helps bring back your natural glow.

2.) Decongestion: And I don’t mean just your sinuses. Time in an infrared sauna pushes blood flow towards the skin to reduce internal heat. This decongests internal organs and increases circulation benefiting all internal tissues.

3.) Benefits of Exercise: Without having to leave your seat on the bench inside an infrared sauna your body receives many of the benefits of cardiovascular exercise. Consistent use of a sauna can improve your arteries elasticity and aid in the reduction of high blood pressure.

The most common type of hair loss encountered in men is called male-pattern baldness (also known as androgenic alopecia.) This condition leads to hair width progressively decreasing until the hair is completely gone and baldness develops.

According to recent research, the primary cause of baldness (androgenic alopecia) is the androgenic hormone called DHT (dihydrotestosterone.) Normally, this hormone performs a number of important roles in male development, but when the level of DHT in scalp is increased, it binds to the hair follicles preventing them from extracting the necessary nutrients from the blood flow. This makes the follicles shrink and the width of the hair shaft decrease. The width of the hair shaft determines the hair width so as the follicles shrink, the hair becomes thinner as the result. Eventually, the shaft becomes so narrow that no hair can grow at all.

Fortunately, the solution to the problem of hair loss is rather simple — decreasing the level of dihydrotestosterone in the body usually prevents hair loss (or reverses it if it has already developed.) There are such prescription drugs as Finasteride (Propecia), which reduce the level of DHT and stop hair loss. However, these drugs can sometimes have very nasty side effects (e.g. there are known cases of gynecomastia (growth of breasts in males) and erectile dysfunction among the users of finasteride.) In addition, their effectivity is not universally accepted.