Beautify Me !

Whether cantaloupe, watermelon, cantaloupe or Galia melon - the selection of different types melon in the supermarket is great. The melon is easily recognized by their bright yellow color and is especially on hot summer days perfectly refreshing for a snack: Due to their high water content, this melon variety low in calories (kcal), but has nevertheless a fruity aroma and a sweetish taste. Although their fruit sugar content can be up to ten percent, melons are healthy because they have many vitamins and minerals.

Melons are rich in vitamin A

The high water content of about 85 to 90 percent provides the juicy taste of honeydew melon. He makes them especially during the summer in a welcome refreshment and a delicious thirst quencher. And because of their high water content, melons are low in calories, 100 grams contain only 50 calories. Note, however, the high fruit sugar content of sweet melon: This means that the melon has a lot more calories than, say, the watermelon. Watermelons bring it just about 24 kcal per 100 grams Despite the yellow watermelon is healthy, because one of the ingredients of honey melon include numerous vitamins: in addition to vitamin B1, B2 and C, it includes mainly pro-vitamin A. The provitamin is in the body Vitamin A plays and converted to cell growth and play an important role for the visual process. 150 grams of honey melon cover the daily requirement of vitamin A is already completely, the same portion of the melon corresponds to half the daily requirement of vitamin C. In addition, the honeydew melon and a variety of minerals, in addition to potassium, especially more calcium, iron, sodium, magnesium and phosphorus.

Origin and relationship

The melon is in addition to the cantaloupe melons and musk-melon is one of the three major subgroups of the cantaloupe. The cantaloupe belongs to the gourd family and is thus purely botanically not a fruit. The melon is used as a closer with the cucumber with the watermelon, which, however, belongs to the family of Cucurbitaceae. Melons are native to the tropical and subtropical West Africa, in Egypt were already 4,000 years ago the first melons grown and consumed. Later, the melon spread to Asia and finally reached by Spanish sailors to America. Due to the large distribution area in Germany we can enjoy throughout the year on healthy melon: During the summer months, our melons are mainly from Spain, in winter they are mainly imported from Brazil and Costa Rica.


Melon: Ready or not ready?

Honeydew melons can weigh up to four kilograms and will be easily recognizable by their yellow color. The striking color of the melon and the name, Yellow Canary given '. However, the exterior does not permit a conclusion on the ripeness of the melon. This can often be difficult to detect: A smooth, not too hard skin that yields slightly to pressure, indicates a ripe melon. In addition, it can be seen a ripe honeydew melon and at its slightly sweet smell. Once purchased, the melon can be stored at room temperature, after cutting but packaged in plastic wrap removed in the refrigerator.

Delicious recipes with honey melon

Who is looking for a refreshing snack is a recipe with honey melon will find it quickly: whether honey melon with Parma ham as a tasty appetizer, with fruits other than low-calorie fruit salad for dessert, or served as a sorbet - the melon can be in various forms as enjoy a refreshing snack. Before eating, you cut the melon in half and remove the seeds with a spoon. It is then cut into wedges, depending on the intended use, the shell can be removed subsequently. Who wants to use this melon in a different way, can pull out of his flesh, a face mask. For that moisturizes the cantaloupe Vitamin E to our skin. Simply the flesh of the melon puree and let it soak for about 20 minutes.

The pill is still the safest contraceptive and is therefore most often used to prevent pregnancy. Especially for girls and young women is the pill that contraceptive of choice.

There are many different types of pill. Almost all contain two female hormones estrogen and progestin. There are only a pill - the mini-pill - which contains only progestin. Because of this property will be discussed later in this way more accurate.

Nowadays, the pill low hormone concentrations and other combinations. This is one reason that the side effects and side effects occur less often. Nevertheless, the pill, no matter which product, a drug and should not be taken without medical consultation and without hesitation.

Acne is a skin disease that can occur in various stages of life, but is usually perceived as a side effect during puberty. This form of acne called acne vulgaris, and as is most common in parts of the body with skin sebaceous glands such as the face, neck, chest or back. The severity of acne can vary widely, from barely perceived blackheads, known as comedones, to purulent, inflamed pustules and papules (acne papulopustulosa), which can also terminate in abscesses and fistulas. Such a severe form known as acne conglobata.

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What You Need To Know About Rhinoplasty: Nose Jobs


By: Jonathan Pontell, MD

Rhinoplasty, commonly referred to as a nose job, is any surgery done to change the shape of the nose. Rhinoplasty may be done for purely cosmetic reasons, for purely functional reasons such as to improve nasal breathing, or a combination of the two.

Because the nose has a very prominent central location on the face, the changes made with rhinoplasty can make a dramatic difference in a person’s appearance and lead to great increases in self-esteem and self-confidence.

Cosmetic rhinoplasty can change an almost infinite number of variations in nasal shapes. The goal of the surgery is to give an improved nasal contour that is in harmony with the rest of the face, while maintaining or improving nasal breathing. Most often, rhinoplasty is done to make a large nose smaller or a wide nose narrower, but occasionally the opposite is true.



The Consultation
Anyone considering rhinoplasty should see a board-certified facial plastic surgeon, otolaryngologist/head and neck surgeon (ENT), or general plastic surgeon for a consultation. The patient should seek out a surgeon who has extensive training and experience with both the cosmetic and functional aspects of this operation. It is advisable to ask to see a portfolio of before-and-after photographs of other rhinoplasties the surgeon has performed.

The consultation is an opportunity for me to listen to patients’ goals, to examine them, and to come up with a surgical plan. I examine the external and internal nose to determine what changes are possible. It is very helpful for patients to be able to clearly express what they do not like about their noses so I can determine if their goals are realistic. I also attempt to explore exactly what a patient’s motivation is for wanting nasal surgery. It is important to make sure that the patient has carefully thought about the decision to have surgery and that the desire is not based on a whim, to please someone else, or because of a recent life-changing event, such as a divorce.

During the consultation, I use computer imaging to show patients the changes that are possible. Computer imaging is a powerful tool that is useful in establishing clear communication between the patient and myself as to what the surgical goal should be. It is important to note, however, that the computer-simulated photographs are only an estimation of the desired outcome. Although the actual result of surgery usually closely approximates the computer-simulated images, no surgeon can guarantee to what extent a complete match will occur.



Assessing the Face
When examining the patient, I look at the entire face to determine what changes are needed to create the most aesthetically pleasing result. I take into account the patient’s ethnic background, bony and cartilaginous anatomy, skin thickness, general health status, and age. Female patients should be at least 15 to 16 years old and males should be 16 to 17 years old—ages at which the vast majority of nasal growth has been completed. Nasal surgery done prior to the completion of nasal growth may result in developmental abnormalities of the nose.

At the consultation I may also suggest that the patient undergo another procedure in combination with the rhinoplasty to maximize facial harmony and balance. The most common procedure done in combination with rhinoplasty is chin augmentation, but cheek augmentation and chin reduction may also be done in combination with rhinoplasty.





Surgery location
The rest of my consultation includes a discussion of the different locations at which I perform surgery. These locations include hospital operating rooms, surgicenters, and my office operating rooms. Patients should be sure that anesthesia given in an office operating room is provided by a licensed anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist. Also, all of the same monitoring equipment present in a hospital operating room, such as EKG machines and blood-oxygen level monitors, should be in the office for your surgery.

Patients are usually given local anesthesia with sedation to place them in a comfortable drowsy state, but they remain awake. The other option is general anesthesia where the patient goes to sleep fully. The first option is safer and has less postoperative nausea and a quicker recovery.



Rhinoplasty Techniques
There is a multitude of variations in rhinoplasty techniques. The technique used depends on what type of problem exists and also on the individual surgeon’s preference. Most of the incisions are placed inside the nose, but some surgeons employ a technique called open or external rhinoplasty, in which a small incision is placed in the columella, which is the bridge of skin separating the two nostrils. This incision, when connected with the intranasal incisions, allows better exposure of the nasal anatomy than the more traditional techniques. The benefits of improved exposure are better symmetry and more sophisticated ways of altering the nasal anatomy, which I believe lead to better results. Also, occasionally, incisions are placed at the base of the nostrils for nostril narrowing.

Bone restructuring
Once the surgical exposure of the cartilage and bones of the nose is accomplished, many different maneuvers are used to modify them.

Nasal bones and cartilage may be shaved down if too prominent, repositioned if out of alignment or too wide, or added to if deficient. Nasal tip cartilages are often reduced in size and sutures are placed to narrow and refine them.

Often, in the case of twisted, deviated, or wide noses, cuts will be made in the nasal bones to allow them to be repositioned. Deficiencies in the nasal structure are replaced with grafts of cartilage from the nasal septum, ear or rib, or bone from the skull, rib, or hip. Nasal deficiencies may also be replaced with synthetic materials such as Gore-TexTM or SilasticTM. The advantage of using synthetic materials for nasal augmentation is that no further surgical procedures are needed to harvest these materials. The implant is simply removed from a sterile package, carved to the proper shape and implanted. The disadvantage of synthetic implants is that they can become infected or lead to thinning of the skin and eventual exposure of the implant necessitating implant removal. Implants from the patient’s own cartilage or bone almost never cause any of these problems.

After all of the modifications to the nasal structure are completed the incisions are closed and a cast is usually applied. Occasionally, depending on exactly what type of procedure was done, VaselineTM gauze or a sponge dressing may be placed inside the nose for one to two days.



What to Expect After Surgery
After surgery, patients usually have minimal pain, which is easily controlled with pain medication. The degree of swelling and bruising depends on how extensive the surgery was. If mobilizing and repositioning the nasal bones was not part of the surgery then swelling and bruising around the eyes is usually minimal. If the nasal bones were repositioned, swelling and bruising around the eyes may be significant, but is usually gone in seven-to-ten days. Most patients feel comfortable going out in public by this time. Some surgeons give steroid medications for a few days after the surgery in an attempt to minimize swelling as much as possible. By six weeks, the majority of swelling of the nose is gone, but it often takes many months for the final amounts of swelling to disappear.

Sleeping
It is helpful for the patient to sleep with his or her head elevated on a few pillows for the first week to allow gravity to aid in reducing the swelling as quickly as possible. The cast is usually removed after one week and any external sutures that were used are also removed around this time. When the cast is removed, the patient will get some idea of how the nose will look, but during the next few weeks to months, significant changes will occur with healing and the disappearance swelling.

Post-surgery activities
Patients are told not to engage in any strenuous activities for the first two weeks after surgery that could lead to nose bleeds, and to avoid direct sun exposure for the first few months, which would lead to swelling of the nose. Also, it is advisable for the first six weeks to avoid activities that could lead to the nose being hit or bumped. Patients who wear glasses may be advised to tape their glasses to their foreheads for a few weeks if their nasal bones were repositioned in order to avoid the weight of the glasses displacing the nasal bones.



Surgical Risks
All surgery is associated with risks. For patients who do not have significant medical problems, the risks are minimal. Any surgery can result in an infection, a bleeding problem, or an adverse reaction to the anesthesia medications. Again, these are extremely rare occurrences. Poor healing, the development of scar tissue under the skin, nasal contour irregularities and postoperative nasal breathing problems are also possible occurrences. All of these complications are treatable.



Surgical Costs
The surgical fee for rhinoplasty varies from doctor to doctor and may depend on how extensive the surgery will be, but a range of $3,000 to $5,000 is typical. Insurance may cover the entire cost of the surgery including anesthesia and operating room fees if the surgery is done for functional and not cosmetic reasons. Rhinoplasty, for a combination of functional and cosmetic reasons, may be partially covered, but surgery for purely cosmetic reasons is not covered by insurance.



Conclusion
The latest techniques used in rhinoplasty allow surgeons to give patients natural, aesthetically pleasing results with good nasal function. Patients with the proper self-motivation and realistic expectations for the surgery are usually very pleased.

When You Should Listen To Your Body

Best Selling Author of "Combat Conditioning"


In a recent conversation with a client, I was asked what I thought were the most important qualities that help a person succeed in an exercise program.

Without hesitating I said, "There are two things that every trainee needs to know how to do - and both are mental. The first is called "listening to your body." The second is called "telling your body what you want it to do."

Now, think about this for a moment. It would be easy for me to say, "Do 100 Hindu squats, 50 Hindu pushups and a back bridge each day - that's the secret." And truth is, if you do those exercises, you'll succeed in a big way.

Yet, there is something "foundational" that anyone who wants continual success needs to understand. First, your body is talking to you all the time. It's telling you how it feels. It's telling you if it's tired, injured, too hot, too cold, unbalanced, stressed out, too tight, full of aches and pains ... or ... "on top of the world."

Your body is constantly talking to you. Question is, do you ever listen? If not, you're ignoring the messages in which your body is leading you toward what it wants to do - as well as all the signals that tell you to be careful.

I remember the day I was gung ho mixing dips and pullups and Hindu squats together during a workout in the gymnastics school where I often train. The first couple rounds went well and I was looking great. Then all of a sudden, I wasn't feeling the best. I needed a longer rest, but I refused to take it. I was ignoring my body's signals.

I jumped up to do another set of dips and something didn't feel right but I refused to pay attention. Next thing you know I felt a sharp twinge of pain in my shoulder.






Now THAT got my attention. I shut up and listened.

I moved to another area of the gym, away from the parallel bars and tested the shoulder with some basic pushups. They didn't feel right, so I did the smart thing for a change, changed clothes and called it a day.

Woke up the next day and was a bit sore, got a massage for the shoulder, slapped on some Zheng Gu Shui (Chinese linament) and within a couple days was back to normal. If I hadn't listened to my body, I would have injured myself far worse and the recovery wouldn't have been so quick.

So listening to your body is essential.

At the same time, what do I mean by "tell your body what you want it to do?"

This is when you "program your mind and your muscles" to accomplish a specific goal. Whether it's doing 100 straight pushups, 25 pullups, running hill sprints, swimming a mile, doing 500 straight Hindu squats or walking on your hands ... you mentally picture what you want to do in the future and you tell your muscles that you WILL do it.

Your body responds to your commands. Your muscles get stronger because you tell them to do so. You shed excess pounds because you look your flesh "in the eye" and tell it that "YOU" are the captain of this ship - and that you're the one issuing orders - not the other way around.

You can get your body to do almost anything, it seems ... but not unless you tell it what you want it to do.

The key to these two principles is balance. Both of these keys represent the yin and the yang of fitness. As such, there will always be a bit of overlap in the two.

Sometimes in telling yourself to do what you want - you may go too far and cause yourself a slight problem. No big deal so long as you readjust and move to the listening phase. On the other hand, if all you do is "listen" but you never give commands,you may be listening to nothing but "I'm tired" crapola.

Strike a balance between these two principles and you'll live a lifetime of superior health and fitness.

It's amazing but true. Most people get up tired and go to bed tired. Going to bed tired is somewhat understandable - but waking up tired is inexcusable.

How can you be tired when you wake up? You haven't even done anything yet, right?

Okay, perhaps you didn't get enough hours of rest. Or perhaps you got the hours of sleep, but there wasn't enough rest in the sleep. Or maybe you're under immense stress and this is affecting your energy level.

All of the above is understandable - yet, it can still be overcome, and with ease.

Let me tell you how you can take 5 simple steps to greater health and energy ... NOW! Here they are:

1. Before lopping off to bed at night, mentally program yourself for energy. How do you do this? Simply say "I'm going to wake up totally energized tomorrow." Why is this important? It's important because most people say "I'm tired" when they go to bed and this leads to them waking up in the same mental state they went to bed with.

2. When you wake up in the morning, immediately focus on a big image of something you want to do, be or accomplish.

3. As you focus on this mental picture, tell yourself, "I am going to do everything I set out to do today." When you say this to yourself, say it with ENTHUSIASM.

4. After doing this, sit up in bed, pull your feet close to your buttocks and begin to massage the kidney point at the bottom of each foot. Start with your left foot. Massage deeply at least 50 times, then massage the right foot the same number of times. Doing this will amaze you. It will cause your energy level to rise ... and fast. Not only that, it is one of the cornerstones to raising your sexual energy to a peak. This is covered in detail in my new course on Chuang Shang de Gong Fu. Check it out at Chinese Culture Secrets


5. When you're finished massaging the kidney points of each foot, raise your energy further still by taking a cool to cold shower. The hot shower is fine to finish up with .. but start with the coldest water you can take. It will increase the vital energy in your body in an instant.

Last of all, remember to consult your physician before engaging in any health regimen. The above will work for most people - but it is not for everyone.

Six weeks ago I received an email from a customer, telling me how much he and his son have benefitted from my teachings - and how they'd "like to take me to lunch" when they came to Florida in late March.

At that point a red flag went up.

I put the red flag down a few seconds later, and I'll tell you why shortly, but before I do, you may wonder WHY the "red flag."

Well, the long and the short of it is that success or "fame" brings with it a lot of other things, and if you don't have your priorities in order, you can really get thrown you out of whack.

Sometime ago I realized that in order for me to function, I needed to withdraw from and not do many of the things that others would like me to do. Like take me to lunch; or speak to me by phone - or exchange emails ad infinitum. There's just no way I could keep up with the demand, so my solution was to stop doing all of it.

And so, it's no secret to many that I am a private person. Truth is I have to be to preserve my own health and well-being. I have to be in order to give my family the love and attention they deserve. In my life, after my health and my family, everything else comes in, at best, third.

This is why a "red flag" goes up when I hear the magic words, "take you to lunch."

Some situations, however, are DIFFERENT. And this one most certainly was.

The man writing me, Tobin Clark, was the father of an 18 year old boy, Corey, who was born with cerebral palsy.

About 15 months ago, after struggling in pain for years, Corey underwent bilateral hip replacement surgery (that's both at the same time - OUCH).

Being I knew something about this surgery, imagine my surprise when the father followed by saying, "And Corey has been following your Combat Conditioning program with great success."

What????????

THIS, I had to see.

So I contacted Tobin and told him that although he and Corey wanted to meet me - I was really more interested in metting THEM.

I said, "We may have time for lunch, but first I want to see what your son can do. Tell him to bring workout gear."

Tobin wrote back and said they would be glad to.

Last week I met them for a workout. When I walked through the double-doors to greet them, young Corey stood next to his father, looking at me, holding himself up with crutches.

I walked toward him, held my hand out and looked him in the eye. Corey took one hand off his crutches and shook my hand.

The three of us went into a workout area. I'm still wondering 'How can this guy do Combat Conditioning?'

When we stood next to the mat, Tobin told me that Corey was able to do handstand pushups and Hindu pushups and the bridge fairly well. Naturally though, he had trouble with the squats.

"Handstand pushups???" I thought. "Well, let me see how you do them."

Corey put down his crutches, slowly walked toward the wall and got down on the floor. His father stood between his legs, grabbed hold of his legs and in an instant, Corey was in the handstand position.

He started cranking out the reps while my wife took pictures. Both of us are looking at each other and saying, "Wow."

After Corey did about 12 reps without much effort, I told him "that's good enough."

I then worked with him on some exercises he could do in place of Hindu squats - giving him three variations of the wall chair as well as teaching him how to breathe deeply when he held each position.

Corey was amazed at the difference. I was even more amazed at his determination.

Then we went onto the mat and Corey showed me his gymnastic bridge. Unreal.

"When he started," said Tobin, "he couldn't get his head off the mat."

I gave Corey some pointers on improving the bridge, then we moved onto various styles of pushups and situps.

While he was doing the exercises I prescribed, Tobin said that Corey began my program last November. He said that Corey was lifting weights to get stronger, and as a result of getting his bench press up to 180 (Corey weighs 130), he hurt his lower back and his shoulder.

But once he started following Combat Conditioning, the pain went away and Corey got stronger. In fact, after six weeks Corey decided to test himself on the bench, to see how it felt. To his surprise, he benched 200; twenty pounds better than his previous best.

When he told the strength coaches, one said, "Whatever you're doing, keep doing it."

The other said, "There's just no way you went up 20 pounds on the bench just from doing pushups." No matter how much Corey insisted, the coach refused to believe it. Too bad for him.

Near the end of the session Tobin told me that occasionally someone at school gets the "wise" idea to pick on Corey.

"You're kidding me?" I said.

"No," said Corey. "Last month a kid pushed me from behind in the hallway and his friend, who was in front, tried to trip me."

"What happened?" I asked. "Did you get knocked to the floor?"

"No, I caught myself before that could happen," said Corey. "And I just starting whaling on the guys until my friend pulled me away."

"Wait a second? Your friend pulled you away? What exactly were you doing to whale on them?"

"I took my crutches and started whacking them in the shins. And when one leg reacts in pain I whack the other one. I just keep going until they're on the ground in agony."

I laughed uncontrollably. "Serves those s.o.b.'s right," I said.

After the workout I agreed to continue our conversation over lunch. I spent over an hour teaching Corey how all that has happened to him can be used to help others around the country who have had the same problem.

Last week I received an email from Corey. It reads as follows:

===================================

"Mr. Furey, Thanks for letting me meet with you and talking with you. What you have done for me I find hard to put in words. It has been a life change for me. I feel blessed by God to know that people like you are out there and are willing to help. Thanks for everything."

Corey Clark

===================================


I have written this story as inspiration for all of us, myself included.

I have also written it because it is the perfect situation to examine when you catch yourself making excuses about why you can't do it.

Can't do it????

I think Corey Clark would have something to say about that.

He truly is kicking butt and taking names.

Some breast cancers need estrogen to grow

Some breast cancer cells require the hormone estrogen to grow and divide. Estrogen is produced by the ovaries until menopause, after which a woman’s estrogen levels drop dramatically. However, small quantities of the hormone continue to be produced by fat cells in various parts of the body. Some breast cancer cells have special receptors on their surface that have a particular affinity for estrogen. That’s why women with breast cancer often benefit from therapies that either block the hormone’s effects on breast cancer cells or lower estrogen levels in the body overall.

HHS Announces Physician EHR Demo Project

Yesterday HHS announced that CMS will involve physicians in a five year demonstration project encouraging small and medium physician practices to adopt electronic health records.

Excerpt from Secretary Leavitt's announcement:

“This demonstration is designed to show that streamlining health care management with electronic health records will reduce medical errors and improve quality of care for 3.6 million Americans. By linking higher payment to use of EHRs to meet quality measures, we will encourage adoption of health information technology at the community level, where 60 percent of patients receive care,” Secretary Leavitt said. “We also anticipate that EHRs will produce significant savings for Medicare over time by improving quality of care. This is another step in our ongoing effort to become a smart purchaser of health care -- paying for better, rather than simply paying for more.”

Conducted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the demonstration would be open to participation by up to 1,200 physician practices beginning in the spring. Over a five-year period, the program will provide financial incentives to physician groups using certified EHRs to meet certain clinical quality measures. A bonus will be provided each year based on a physician group’s score on a standardized survey that assesses the specific EHR functions a group employs to support the delivery of care.

The CMS demonstration also will help advance Secretary Leavitt’s efforts to shift health care in the U.S. toward a system based on value. The Department is working to effect change through its Value-Driven Health Care initiative, which is based on Four Cornerstones: interoperable electronic health records, public reporting of provider quality information, public reporting of cost information, and incentives for value comparison.

AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, a condition first reported in the United States in 1981, that has since become a major worldwide epidemic.

AIDS is caused by HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). By killing or damaging cells of the body’s immune system, HIV progressively destroys the body’s ability to fight infections and certain cancers. The term AIDS applies to the most advanced stages of HIV infection.

How is HIV spread?

There are several common ways that HIV can be passed from person to person, including:

* Having unprotected sex with someone who is infected
* Using needles or syringes that have been used by people who are infected
* Receiving infected blood products or transplanted organs (Since 1985, the United States actively tests all donated blood for HIV; therefore, the risk of getting HIV in this way in the United States is now extremely low.)
* Transmission from mother to child – An infected mother may pass the virus to her developing fetus during pregnancy, during birth, or through breastfeeding.

If you have a sexually transmitted disease, you may be at higher risk for getting infected with HIV during sex with an HIV-infected partner.

There is no evidence that HIV is spread by contact with saliva or through casual contact, such as shaking hands or hugging, or the sharing of food utensils, towels and bedding, swimming pools, telephones, or toilet seats. HIV is not spread by biting insects such as mosquitoes or bedbugs.

What is the treatment for HIV/AIDS?

Although when AIDS first appeared there were few treatments, researchers have now developed drugs that can help fight both HIV and the related infections and cancers that come with it. Treatment advances have improved the survival rates and decreased progression of HIV disease in developed countries like the United States, where antiretroviral drugs are available.

Additional treatment information is available from the National Institute of Allergy and Infection Diseases at NIH. The NIH is currently conducting many clinical trials related to HIV/AIDS to test treatments and therapies. These trials are sponsored and co-sponsored by various Institutes, including the NICHD.

The NICHD supports and conducts research related to HIV/AIDS in specific groups of people, including pregnant and non-pregnant women, infants and children, and adolescents and young adults. The information below applies to those groups.

How does HIV/AIDS affect women?

According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), 19.2 million women are living with HIV/AIDS throughout the world. In many countries, the rate of HIV infection in women is rising faster than in any other group.

Worldwide, more than 80 percent of HIV infections are spread by heterosexual sex (vaginal intercourse); women are particularly at risk of contracting HIV through this type of contact. HIV is increasing most dramatically among African American and Hispanic women.

Although most of the signs and symptoms of HIV infection are similar in men and women, some are more specific to females. For example:

* Vaginal yeast infections may be chronic, more severe, and difficult to treat in women with HIV infection than in women who are uninfected.
* Pelvic inflammatory disease, an infection of the female reproductive organs, may also be more frequent and severe in women with HIV infection.
* Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections, which cause genital warts, may occur more frequently in HIV-infected women, and can lead to pre-cancerous lesions of the cervix or cancer of the cervix.

The NICHD, along with other Institutes, supports studies to determine what aspects of HIV are specific to women and the best treatments for these symptoms.

How does HIV affect pregnant women and infants?

Women can give HIV to their babies during pregnancy, while giving birth, or through breastfeeding.

But, there are effective ways to prevent the spread of mother-to-infant transmission of HIV:

* Taking anti-HIV drugs during pregnancy—either a drug called zidovudine or AZT alone or in combination with other drugs called highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)—a mother can significantly reduce the chances that her baby will get infected with HIV.
* Delivering the baby by cesarean section, and doing so before the mother’s uterine membranes rupture naturally, reduces transmission that may occur during the birth process. Use of anti-HIV drugs during pregnancy and delivery, combined with a cesarean section in women with certain levels of HIV in their blood, can reduce the chance that the baby will be infected to less than 2 percent.
* Avoidance of breastfeeding by an HIV-infected mother. HIV can be spread to babies through the breast milk of mothers infected with the virus. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that, in countries such as the United States, where infant formula is safe and is often available and affordable, HIV-infected women feed their infants commercially available formula instead of breastfeeding.

Approximately one-fourth to one-half of all untreated pregnant women infected with HIV will pass the infection to their babies. HIV infection of newborns is very rare in the United States because women are tested for HIV during pregnancy, and women with HIV infection receive anti-HIV drugs during pregnancy, cesarean delivery if their HIV blood levels are high, and are advised not to breastfeed their infants.

How does HIV affect children and adolescents?

It is estimated that approximately 10,000 children are living with HIV infection in the United States. In the United States, the number of infants born with HIV infection has dramatically decreased from about 2,000 a year to fewer than 200 a year due to identification of HIV infection in pregnant women and use of anti-HIV drugs during pregnancy, cesarean delivery, and avoidance of breastfeeding.

In contrast to the United States, mother-to-child transmission in developing countries remains a major problem; about 700,000 infants are newly infected with HIV each year because most women are not screened for HIV during pregnancy, anti-HIV drugs are not available, and safe alternatives to breastfeeding are not available.

Prior to 1985, when screening of the nation’s blood supply for HIV began, some children as well as adults were infected through transfusions with blood or blood products contaminated with HIV, but this is now rare in the United States.

In contrast to the dramatic decrease in mother-to-child transmission of HIV infection, the number of cases of HIV infection in adolescents and young adults continues to increase in the United States. About one-third to one-half of new HIV infections in the United States are among adolescents and young adults.

Most HIV-infected adolescents and young adults are exposed to the virus through unprotected sex; some teens and young adults are also infected through injection drug use. In addition, an increasing number of children who were infected as infants are now surviving to adolescence.

Health Articles.

AIDS is an acronym for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome it causes a destruction of the immune system. It is the most advanced stage of the HIV virus (HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus). AIDS is defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as the presence of a positive HIV antibody test and one or more of the illnesses known as opportunistic infections.

The HIV virus, type 1 or 2 is widely known to be the cause of AIDS. HIV breaks down and attacks your T cells so your body is unable to defend itself against different infections. The HIV virus also attacks your peripheral nervous system, this causes nerve and muscle pain, especially in the feet, legs, and hands.

HIV is spread through direct contact with semen or blood of an individual that is infected. This can be transferred in many ways the most common is unprotected sexual intercourse. Other means of infection are infected blood transfusions, mother to infant (at time of birth, or through breast milk), sharing needles with an infected person, and rarely a healthcare worker that gets pricked with an infected needle.

Often people who are infected with HIV have few symptoms and in some cases there are none. Other times, symptoms of HIV are confused with other illnesses such as the flu. This may be severe, with swollen glands in the neck and armpits, tiredness, fever and night sweats. This is where as much as 9 out of 10 of the infected individuals will develop AIDS. At this point the person may feel completely healthy and not even know that he/she has the virus. The next stage begins when the immune system starts to break down and the virus becomes more aggressive in damaging white cells. Several glands in the neck and armpits may swell and stay swollen for an extended period of time without any explanation. As this disease progresses boils or warts may spread over the body. They may also feel tremendously tired, night sweats, high fevers, chronic diarrhea, and they may lose a considerable amount of their body weight. Most cases have shown thrush as a symptom as well. At this point the person is in the final stages of HIV–AIDS. Severe chest infections with high fever are common and survival rate is above 70% but decrease with each recurrence.

A person is diagnosed with AIDS when he/she has one or more positive HIV screening and the presence of an AIDS defining condition. Some of the common conditions include but are not limited to: Meningitis, Encephalitis, Dementia, Pneumonia, Kaposi sarcoma, and Lymphoma. There is also a blood test called an Immune Profile that can be done. This test is used to measure the loss of immunity and help decide on the best treatment. There is a test that is rarely used due to its high cost, it is known as a Viral Load: This test detects the virus itself, and also measures the amount of HIV in the blood. It shows how quickly the HIV infection is likely to advance. A high viral load suggests that the person may progress rapidly to AIDS.

Although there is no cure for AIDS there are medical treatments that aide in prolonging, and maintaining the best quality of life possible. These include two nucleoside inhibitors, lamivudine and zidovudine. Actual treatment plans will vary with each patient, along with the physical aspect of this disease. The psychological side has to be addressed in order for a treatment plan to be effective.

The easiest way to escape contracting this disease is to avoid the risk factors that you are in control of. Such as: unprotected sex, not sharing a needle, and if you are in the healthcare field be sure to use all precautions necessary to avoid an accidental prick from a possible infected needle (remember that in this diseases early stages it is common for the person not to even know they are infected). Today AIDS is the fifth leading cause of death among all adults aged 25 to 44 in the United States. Among African-Americans in the 25 to 44 age group, AIDS is the leading cause of death for men and the second leading cause of death for women. Our society needs to become aware that by not protecting ourselves we are killing ourselves and that this has to stop.

Vitamins for Acne - Will It Work?
Acne is the most common skin diseases. A lot of people all over the world have experienced some form of acne at some point of their lives; some have experienced more acne and some less. The reasons for the appearance of acne can be: genetic, environmental, hormonal imbalance, and others.

Lack of zinc, vitamin C, vitamin B, vitamin A, and other vitamins and minerals may lead to acne.
Since the cause of acne is natural and effected by the body’s hormonal imbalance, the person who suffers from acne should check the individual reason for his / her acne and take care of the problem naturally.
There are many more causes of acne that should be treated along with vitamin consumption. Some of the causes are: smoking, sweat, dirt, excess testosterone, metabolism, genes, nutrition, and more.

Some of these causes can be treated by simply changing the person’s basic life style and taking care of oneself.
Supplements can help the body to get its balance back.

The supplements can be vitamins and mineral:
Vitamin C: essential for collagen formation, a protein that helps the skin to build connective tissues and is also anti-inflammatory.
Vitamin B: Helps to produce new body cells and improves the neural functioning.
Vitamin A: essential for the body’s hormonal balance and effects the skins health.
Zinc: Helps to better absorb vitamin A, essential for the body’s immunity system, anti-inflammatory, and also helps to keep hormonal balance.

There are many more vitamins and minerals which can be used in order to treat acne. The way to deal with it is to check what the body is missing in order to keep its balance.

It is very important to notice that excess of vitamins can sometimes become toxic, and can also hurt the person who consumes it, can cause stomachaches and other bad symptoms, therefore the best advice would be to go to the doctor and check the body’s hormonal balance and get his opinion.

Like everyone else, we’ve all suffered from acne; only thing is this time it’s years past puberty. If this has happened to you, rest assured, you’re in good company. 1 in 5 women between the ages of 25 and 40 suffer from adult acne. Here are 3 critical facts about adult acne that could change the way you battle acne for good.

Fact #1: Cheese and chocolate have nothing to do with your acne. Although adult acne is often a cause of bad diets, it is more of a long term effect rather than short. Indulging in a few late night cravings has nothing with the acne that might sprout a few weeks later. Instead acne is often caused by an inefficient digestive system – resulting from years of an improper diet, causing stress to your intestines. What can you do? The best way to combat adult acne is to start by a proper detoxification diet, to properly cleanse out any waste and toxins that have built up over the years.

Fact #2: There are several causes of adult acne. On top of a bad diet as mentioned above, stress, bad cosmetics, hormones and birth control pills are among many factors in the production of acne. Stress for instance, can cause your oil glands to overcompensate, while bad cosmetics lead to clogged pores filled with bacteria. There are many unsuspecting factors that cause adult acne to form, the best way to narrow it down is to start a log of your daily routine and review what goes on in your life that could use a change.

Fact #3 Acne usually begins with blackheads. Contrary to common beliefs, blackheads are not dirt. They are actually the result of oil and dead cells trapped in a pore mixed with bacteria, blocking the duct. Blackheads only turn black when they are exposed to air. When a blackhead becomes inflamed and spread when touched with dirty hands, a red pimple is formed – increasing the chance of breaking and causing a scar. How to deal with blackheads? Instead of a heavy and harsh facial scrub, look to use an alpha-hydroxy based cleaner, and gently massage it into your face. Salicylic acid based cleansers are also a good substitute, both types of cleansers clean out blocked pores and are highly recommended in place of facial scrubs.