Pregnancy is a good time in your life. Your body is the home for a new life form. That means that your child gets their nourishment from you. Doctors recommend only gaining weight during pregnancy to accommodate your baby’s needs. That is fine when your belly is sticking out like a torpedo, but afterwards you don’t want others thinking that you are still “with child.”

One thing that is important to remember is that your body has had to adjust to having another life inside of you. It took time to gain the weight and it will take time for your body to go back to the way it was and feel comfortable. Time is your friend, not your enemy.

With that said, here are some tips for you.

* Breastfeed your baby – Breastfeeding helps to bring you closer in the baby-mom bonding stage. Also, it helps you to lose that belly bulge that much faster. The process uses up more calories than bottle feeding and provides enhanced immunity for baby. Each time your baby latches on, you increase your calorie burn. So, breastfeed as long as you can.

* Start off with walking – After you have had your post-pregnancy check-up, give walking a try if you feel like it. Walking is a great overall exercise to strengthen the entire body and increase cardiovascular health. As you feel comfortable, increase your pace and distance.

* Watch what you eat – This is good for baby as well if they are breastfeeding. Increase your food intake with healthy fruits, vegetables and whole grains to increase your stamina (you’ll need it). Having energy can reduce your stress level because you aren’t tired and frenzied.

* Drink lots of water – This comes up a lot. Hydration is important for so many reasons. Your body uses water to bathe the cells and also to increase skin integrity. So, drink as much as you can stand. Drinking before meals also increases fullness so you eat less.

* Set realistic goals – Work with your doctor to come up with a schedule that will benefit your body and your life. Doing too much too fast only serves to discourage you. One day at a time is the way to a lasting weight-loss program after baby is born.

* Use baby – Use baby as a tool, not an excuse. Need to lift weights? Use baby as your weight. This gives you time to spend with baby and get a workout. Use a jog stroller to walk with baby. They get fresh air and you get a workout.

That baby bulge didn’t get there in two days and it won’t be gone in that time either. Use these tips to help you get rid of the bulge over time and safely.

Comfort foods are so called because they feed some longing within us. Did you know that endorphins are released when you eat good food, just like when you exercise? In the case of food, it is usually high in fat or calories or both. Food is often a way to cope with stress.

Emotional eating involves using food to soothe hurts and other conflicts. Unfortunately it often leads to a new set of problems in your life. If you want to lose weight but emotional eating and comfort foods are a problem, here are some smart ways to help.

* Phone a friend – This is not a game show but it still works. Have a friend who you trust on standby to talk to you when you need an ear. In a stressful situation, picking up the phone is easier than trying to lose an extra five pounds after munching down on unhealthy snacks.

* Take a deep breath – You’d be surprised how much better things look when your brain gets a little extra oxygen. Your thinking becomes clearer so you can work through to a rational solution to your dilemma.

* Exercise – Get moving to stop emotional eating. Exercise lowers your stress levels, increases oxygen levels and also increases your health. Endorphins are released to give you a natural high and a mood boost.

* Remove the offending food from your home – You can’t eat what you can’t find. Don’t set yourself up for failure. Only keep healthy snacks around so while you munch a little and get your head together, you won’t ruin your waistline.

* Carry snacks with you – We aren’t often hungry when we eat emotionally, but if we are, we are more likely to eat something high in fat. Keeping snacks with you ensures that you reduce your hunger.

* Brush your teeth – You may have already brushed them once, but brushing them again can take away your craving for that candy bar or that macaroni and cheese. It is a small thing that really works.

* Drink water – When your belly is full of water you won’t think about food. Staying hydrated is also good for your overall health.

* Think before you eat – Before you pick up that first gooey bite of fattening food, think about why you are upset in the first place. Maybe you are overreacting. If you are, find a way to calm yourself. Be in the moment so you don’t mindlessly eat.

Are you struggling with eating comfort foods? It could be a sign you are an emotional stress eater. Use the above tips to help reduce your reliance on them.

The Heart

The heart is a muscle. Its job is to pump blood throughout the body. Oxygenated blood is delivered to organs so the cells can use it to power their tasks. Blood also cycles past the lungs to pick up more oxygen and the process begins again. This powerful muscle does a lot of work.

Stress is one thing that can hurt this muscle. Living a stressful life can bring about changes in the body including heart disease. Getting rid of stress involves many different tactics including improving your outlook on life.

Increased stress is not the only thing, though. High stress levels can lead to other conditions like depression, anxiety and hostility. These negative emotions can build up in the body and manifest as diabetes, cancer, stroke, high blood pressure and heart attacks. Your emotional health is just as important as physical health for overall well-being.

Research

Research is being done on the effects of positive and negative emotions. We have seen some of the negative emotional effects on the heart from people who have been stressed out and haven’t had proper coping mechanisms.

It is not just the stress but also the way that we approach it that is detrimental to the heart. Depression can lead to poor choices such as emotional eating, drug use, alcohol abuse, lack of sleep and others. Each of these things can contribute to a lack of health in the body.

On the other hand, when the mental state is positive, different choices are made that affect the heart in a totally opposite way. A person with a healthy attitude towards stress and a coping mechanism that is also positive will have a heart that responds differently.

Here’s an example. If your coping mechanism is to talk to others and foster a support system, you are not keeping your feelings inside. There are others who are there for you with constructive ideas to solve your problems. You go away feeling better and can reach a constructive solution.

Additionally, you are more likely to look for other positive coping skills like exercise. Exercise increases your mood and your cardiovascular fitness meaning your heart and your head get a healthy dose of endorphins to keep you going. With a clear head, you don’t see the world as negatively as you could and you participate in your healing and problem solving.

Looking on the bright side has benefits for your heart.

What is pH?

The body tries to maintain a state of balance called homeostasis. Part of this includes maintaining a normal, neutral pH factor. PH determines whether something is acidic, alkaline (base) or buffered. The scale runs from one to thirteen, with seven representing the middle or buffered state.

Acidic pHs are on the lower range, less than seven. Alkaline pHs are on the higher end, above seven. For optimum functioning, the body seeks to return to a level that is in the middle. The fluid in the body that runs over and through every cell and organ is the biological matrix.

When it is neutral, it is not reacting with other chemicals leading to dysfunction. It has been theorized that a body that is too acidic can lead to problems such as cancers, gastrointestinal issues, decreased immunity and a lack of overall well-being.

Going basic

The body can’t maintain its neutral pH without help. Part of the equation is the foods that we eat. Sometimes, the foods that we choose don’t seem like a big deal but they can dramatically change the make-up of our inner life.

When foods are broken down in the body and digested, they leave behind a residue called “ash.” That “ash” determines what type of effect those foods have on the body, whether alkaline or acidic. To return your body from acidic to a more neutral pH balance, more alkaline ash needs to be added to your body through your food.

Experts suggest that a diet that ensures a proper balance in the body needs to contain both alkaline and acidic foods. About 20 percent of the diet can be acidic while about 70 to 80 percent is alkaline foods.

So what are these foods and where can you get them? They are foods that we already eat except that we don’t always eat them in the proper proportions for optimum health. Here is an example of acidic foods: meats, dairy, saturated fats, alcohol and sweets.

Sweets or processed sugary foods are best eaten in moderation anyway. Alcohol is also best in moderation. Saturated fats are a contributor to high cholesterol and not the good kind either.

What about the alkaline side? Usually these are the foods that are healthier for you in the first place. Think of green leafy vegetables, most fruits, healthy oils (olive, flaxseed), onions, honey, syrup and herbal tea. Eating more of them tips the balance inside towards alkaline and a cleaner, detoxified body.

Are you looking to change how you feel inside and out? Try an alkaline ash diet.

PH

PH refers to the acid or alkaline level in the body. Think of an Alka-Seltzer. Its job is to neutralize the acid in your stomach. They work wonders when you get an upset stomach. Too much acid is churning up and a base (or alkaline substance) is what you need to neutralize that acid.

Well, the internal environment of your body loves to maintain a neutral state. It’s called homeostasis. But, sometimes, the foods that we eat can swing the pH level to the acidic or the alkaline side. To counteract that and the effects within the body (high blood pressure and the threat of illnesses like cancer) that same food can be used.

Acidic Ash

Foods are made up of all sorts of smaller substances: vitamins, minerals, chemical compounds and so on. It is some of this residue, or “ash,” that is left behind when the body digests food. That residue determines the pH of your body’s fluid matrix. Too many of one kind of food is not usually healthy.

Experts have talked about the benefit of an alkaline ash diet to help eliminate some illnesses and to also increase immunity and energy levels. So, why would you need an acidic ash diet?

Have you ever had a stone inside your body, maybe a kidney or a gallstone? They are calcified deposits that become lodged in an organ. Stones can also contain other minerals like phosphorus or magnesium. When they move, they can cause intense pain and damage.

Acidic ash diets may be just what the doctor ordered for people who have experienced stones in the past or who are susceptible to stones. Increasing your acidic intake means knowing the right types of foods to eat to lower the alkaline levels in your body.

Here are a few of the foods that you can eat: meats, dairy, yeast, grains, chocolate, sugar and some fruits. Remember to add to your diet in moderation. Too many acidic foods can lead to a condition called acidosis, where there is a lower than normal alkaline presence in the blood – which is not healthy. At each meal, add a bit of extra protein in the form of meat to increase your acidic load. If you aren’t keen on meat, you can add dairy products or another of the food items from the list above.

Food plays an even more important part in how your body runs than even you may have realized before. An acidic ash diet may be prescribed for those who have certain health problems (stones).

You would have thought that when childhood was over so were the childhood diseases. However, there are some forms of adult conditions that have similar causes as childhood ones. We are talking about shingles.

The cause of shingles is the varicella zoster virus. You may recognize varicella as the cause of the chickenpox. Shingles is quite painful, even more so than chickenpox. It can often be missed if some symptoms are not present to alert you to what is actually going on in your body.

Even if you have had chickenpox as a child you can also develop shingles. The virus may lie dormant in your body and reappear later on. Some people who have never had chickenpox may also develop shingles.

One of the common signs is a rash. This rash usually occurs on your back and spreads out in a band around the front of your body. The rash produces blisters. The blisters will itch and burst, producing a pain, burning or even numbness in the area. Blisters usually occur around this area but can come in contact with the face and other areas of the body.

What else may happen? You may experience flu-like symptoms such as chills and even fever. Headaches and fatigue are also common with shingles. The hardest way to diagnose this condition is if there is no rash to give an indication.

Like any other condition involving sores, when the sores break open, the person becomes contagious. In this state it is best to avoid anyone who hasn’t had chickenpox, particularly children, pregnant women and those who have a compromised immune system. Contact with your sores will lead to a case of the chickenpox rather than shingles.

The biggest thing about shingles is the pain. You can use over-the-counter medications to ease it: ibuprofen, naproxen and acetaminophen. When the pain gets unbearable, it is time to visit a doctor. They can prescribe some antiviral drugs like those used for herpes infections to help as well.

On your own, keep the area of the rash dry and covered. The outbreak of shingles may last up to a month. Calamine lotion can help dry out the blisters and help them crust over and heal faster. It is imperative that you don’t scratch them. Anti-itch creams can keep you from resorting to sandpaper.

Shingles is caused by the same virus as chickenpox in children. Those who have never had chickenpox are at great risk for developing the condition when coming in contact with an infected person.

It doesn’t sound like much fun when you first think about it. We all want to be pampered and it just isn’t the same when you have to do it to yourself. But, self-massage has many benefits for you without the price tag that comes with having a regular masseuse.

Stress Management

Self-massage is great to help you manage day-to-day stressful situations. Case in point is sitting in traffic. That can get anyone’s neck in a knot. When you get home, soothe away that tension with a little neck rub.

Massage helps to increase blood flow to all parts of the body, especially the one that you are massaging. More blood flow means more oxygen to the organs and the brain. That improves mental acuity.

Other Massage Benefits

According to ancient Chinese healing, pain in the body is a result of blocked “chi” or life energy. Massages break up that blockage so that energy can flow freely again throughout your body.

Along that same vein, massage therapy can boost your immunity. It releases toxins trapped in your tissues so they can be removed. Endorphins are also released, resulting in a state of wellbeing that resists headaches, depression and other forms of mental illness.

How to Perform Self-Massage

You may be wondering how you are going to get all of these wonderful benefits by yourself. It’s simple. Here are a few tips for self-massage.

Realistically, you are the only one who knows exactly where your tension lies when you get stressed. You are also the only one who knows how much pressure to use to start feeling the benefits of the massage.

The setting – Find a nice, quiet place to set the mood for your massage. In the middle of a room full of screaming kids just won’t cut it. Find a place to yourself. Put on relaxing music if you want.

The tools – You will need something to massage with. Most massage therapists will use some sort of oil. This can be baby oil, or even olive oil will do. There are massage oils both fragrant and heat activated that can be purchased. Massages are also done with kneading handheld massagers and electric ones.

Getting started – Begin where it hurts, for example the neck or the feet. Slowly massage the area in circular motions from the inside out. If the knot isn’t breaking up, use a little more pressure. Massaging tools like those mentioned above give your hands a rest for a while.

Massages are used to release tension and create a sense of overall health. Self-massaging techniques are cheaper than hiring a massage therapist and can give you many of the same benefits.

It takes a special person to put the needs of others before themselves. That is what caregivers do every day. They give their time, resources, their ear and their expertise to help out someone that they love. It can be a parent, spouse, child or friend. In some cases you are the sole caregiver for them.

Caregivers are not Energizer bunnies. They are human beings with needs of their own. At first you may feel guilty for spending time to yourself and away from those who need you. Instead, you continue to tend to your loved one’s care until you come unglued all of the sudden one day.

No one wants that to happen. So, it is time to learn about caregiver burnout and how to prevent it. Burnout comes when your load becomes so heavy it feels like a burden. There is no one to help you and you can’t manage the demands anymore.

First of all, it is alright. Don’t beat yourself up because you’ve had a bad day or just want to get away from the person you are caring for. It’s normal.

As a caregiver, you don’t have to be an island. When you need time alone (and you will), call upon reinforcements to help you out. Ask other family members and close friends to help out with some of the day-to-day chores like running to the store for groceries or chauffeuring a loved one to medical appointments.

Talk to social services. They can suggest companies that can help you with whatever you need. Adult day care centers or recreation centers are places where seniors can go to be with others their own age and have fun. Instead of you sitting with them all the time, they can socialize.

Look into assisted living or nursing home facilities. This is a big step and many don’t want to take it. But, it is hard to care for your own family and a family member who needs a lot of care. Talk with them about a facility before committing them to it.

Have a day off once or twice a week. In that time, do something that you want. Go see a movie, read a book or even simply lie back and listen to the sounds around you. The point is that the time is yours to do with what you will and refresh your mind and body.

All caregivers need a break now and again to keep their sanity. Prevent burnout by asking others to help you and then committing to time along for recuperation.

Oral herpes occurs around the mouth, inside the mouth, on the lips, gums and even the tongue. These painful sores show up and can stay for a couple of weeks to a month. The virus is spread by contact with erupted infected sores. It is easy to catch.

When you first contract oral herpes, the telltale sign in most people is a cold sore. However, for some there are no sores or other symptoms. In others, they feel like they are coming down with the flu. The lymph glands in the neck and throat area will also swell up. It may take a few days to a few weeks for the signs to show up after contact with the virus.

Oral herpes is uncomfortable when an outbreak occurs. It is wise to abstain from kissing or other contact with infected areas, or you can pass it on to others. It is especially dangerous for newborn babies. The virus may enter their body and travel to the brain, causing a lot of damage.

A doctor can examine you and tell you exactly what you have. Testing the sores and blood work can be done to tell which form of the virus has caused your infection. Because there is no cure, the only thing that you can do is wait out the sores until they heal.

If the pain is too severe, a doctor can prescribe a topic anesthetic with lidocaine. Over-the-counter pain relievers can also be used, such as Advil and ibuprofen. Dehydration is a big concern with oral herpes. Some people stop drinking and eating because it is too painful. Take in as many fluids as you can to avoid being hospitalized and given IV fluids.

Other than these measures, there is not much you can do to manage the condition. If you think that someone has a cold sore, keep contact to a minimum to avoid contracting oral herpes. In the case that you are the one with the condition, wash hands thoroughly after tending to the sores so that you don’t infect others.

Stress can lead to more frequent outbreaks. After the initial phase, the virus can remain dormant for a long time. Emotional or physical stress can get the virus stirred back up and lead to more cold sores in the oral area.

Have you had a cold sore? Most people have. This is caused by the herpes simplex virus 1 and is referred to as oral herpes. Avoid spreading the virus during outbreaks and use pain relievers to deal with the other symptoms.

Natural remedies are one of the best ways to cure a condition without all of the potential side effects. Modern medicine is fantastic but sometimes the cure is worse than the disease. Home-made remedies use everyday items that can get the job done just as well if not better, and they won’t cost you a lot of money.

Now back to yeast infections. These are mostly found in the vaginal region. The infection in question is caused by “candida albicans.”

Bacteria and fungus like to have moist, dark places to hide and grow. When the pH of the vaginal area is off balance, this can favor an environment for bacteria to grow and reproduce. That translates into more problems. Until the balance of vaginal flora is returned to normal, the infection will probably get worse.

Recognizing a yeast infection

How do you know if you even have one? A yeast infection occurs in the vaginal area but it is not a sexually transmitted disease. Characteristics include:

* Itching in the vaginal region
* Sour odor
* Discharge (looks like cottage cheese)
* Painful intercourse
* Painful urination

Preventing yeast infections

As we said before, bacteria need moisture to grow and multiply. In our daily life, sometimes we do things that can contribute to and make us more at risk for yeast infections. Here are a few tips to lower your risk.

* Wear cotton undergarments – Nylon doesn’t breathe as well and can trap moisture. Cotton allows the genital area to breathe.

* Avoid sitting around with wet clothing – This especially goes for wearing bathing suits around all day after swimming. Eventually you will dry but probably not without irritating the vaginal area.

* Stop douching – The vagina contains natural bacteria that are not harmful because they maintain a neutral pH. Douching reduces the helpful bacteria and can dry out the area, leading to yeast infections.

Natural remedies

* Eat yogurt – This is helpful if your doctor places you on antibiotics. The antibiotics can kill off the good bacteria, leaving the others to thrive. All yogurts contain live cultures to restore balance to the natural flora in the digestive tract.

* Take acidophilus – This is a probiotic that works the same way as yogurt. It can be taken in pill form or even as an addition in yogurt. For quicker relief, use natural unflavored yogurt as a cream on the affected area to reduce itching.

* Tea tree oil – This is a substance found in nature that has antibiotic and antiseptic properties. It can be used to reduce infection and speed healing when placed on cuts and scrapes. As a suppository, it can help to restore the balance and kill the infection of the vaginal area.

Yeast infections are not pleasant. The itching and burning can be unbearable. Use the above tips and suggestions to keep infections at bay or to cure one that has already started.