This is something I want to share with those having acid reflux and is overweight, it is time to lose weight! You know, being overweight can worsen your acid reflux symptoms. A study has also shown that weight loss programs can not help one to lose weight, it can also improve the acid reflux condition one has. Hence in order to lose weight effectively, you need to avoid eating too much fatty food and plan a healthy acid reflux diet that is low in fat content.

Fatty food will weaken the lower esophageal sphincter muscle, hence it will promote stomach acid from flowing up. This is especially true when the high fat meal is high in calories. The volume or the amount of food you eat will also aggregate the situation. Hence, after a heavy meal of high calorie food, the food fat in the small intestines will stimulate an acid reflux attack.

Usually we tend to overeat foods like fries, buggers, pizzas, meat, chocolates, and fizzy drinks. All these are high fat, high calories food. So the problem here is 2 sided. First, you eat high fat food. Secondly you overeat. And that is why it can worsen your acid reflux condition. You can eat a same normal, regular amount of food as anybody, but what you need to do is to cut down the fat content in the food by choosing low fat ingredients. Same dish, same volume of food, but with lower calories will be great for you.

And if you do eat high fat food, then you should not overeat. Even if you are doing lots of exercise to lose weight, if you do not avoid high fat content in your acid reflux diet it will still be bad for your condition. Hence if you want to lose weight, you should at the same time reduce your calories intake.

One of the big factors that many talk about when searching for the correct ways to gain weight and build muscle is the type of exercises selected for each muscle group.

Exercises such as the bench press (for the pecs), squats (for the quads), deadlifts (for the back), military presses (for the shoulders), and bent-over barbell rows (for the lats) have for the longest time been praised as the main "mass builders".

Everyone says that if you want to build the largest amount of muscle in the shortest amount of time, focus on these compound exercises in your workout routine.

To make it clear, a compound exercise is any exercise that forces more than one muscle group to work.

For example, in the bench press, which everone thinks is hands down the best movement for building a thick chest, is considered a compound exercise because not only does the chest have to work, but the shoulders and triceps come into play a great deal as well.

A compound exercise would be considered different from an isolation exercise, which only uses 1 muscle group for the movement.

An example of an isolation movement would be the flyes, which works the chest almost exclusively.

Now, here's where the whole "compound exercises are the best muscle mass builders to gain weight and muscle" myth starts...

When you compare the amount of weight that you can lift with a compound exercise and an isolation exercise, there is almost no comparison.

You can lift far more weight with a compound exercise than an isolation exercise.

So, everyone seems to reason "Hey, if I can lift 250 pounds when I bench press, as opposed to 90 pounds with flyes, then because I'm lifting a lot more weight in the bench press then I must be building more muscle!!!".

Sorry to be the bearer of the truth, but that isn't how it works.

Sure you can lift way more weight with a compound exercise. But why is that?

Because with a compound exercise you have 2-3 different muscle groups, sometimes more, all helping to lift weight.

Of course you are going to lift more, since with an isolation exercise you are only using 1 muscle group.

But here's where the reality of the situation comes in...

Sticking to the example of the bench press: 9 times out of 10 if you are performing the bench press it's because you are trying to build a bigger chest.

Well, realize that out of the total amount of weight that you may be lifting, the muscles that do most of the work are the

triceps, then the shoulders,......then, and only then, does the chest come into the picture.

You're chest is not doing even half of the work it takes to bench press, regardless of how well you perform that exercise and focus on the pecs.

Now, take flyes, the isolation exercise for the chest, into consideration.

With flyes the chest is forced to do over 90% of the work! Almost all by its little self.

You will focus more tension and work to the chest muscles from an isolation exercise, like flyes, then you will ever from any compound exercise, like the bench press, and as a result stimulate more muscle.

Just because you can lift overall more weight with a compound exercise than an isolation exercise, don't let your ego or overall numbers get in the way of you doing the right thing to help you build and gain muscle weight.

IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) is a chronic intestinal disorder, not a disease. The intestines of a person with IBS do not function properly which can lead to many symptoms. The most common include diarrhea, constipation, gas, bloating and abdominal pain. It is estimated that IBS affects as many as 20% of Americans, and affects women three times greater than it does men.

Depending on the types of symptoms a woman has, and the severity of her IBS, this disorder can be both physically and psychologically upsetting and cause plenty of anxiety. Some women worry that having IBS will affect their ability to become pregnant or cause problems during pregnancy.

Irritable bowel syndrome does not affect a woman’s chances of becoming pregnant, nor does it make her infertile. However, during pregnancy, IBS symptoms are generally worse than normal due to the hormonal changes a woman’s body experiences.

The following is a breakdown of what a woman with IBS can expect during pregnancy, and the different treatments she can try to help control symptoms.

First trimester – During this period, most women don’t feel the hormonal effects on their body, because they are too busy coping with morning sickness. At this time, IBS virtually disappears

Second trimester – As hormonal change becomes more apparent, IBS will usually strike. Women with irritable bowel syndrome will usually experience a stronger version of the symptoms they usually have.

Third trimester – Just as in the second trimester, IBS symptoms will continue due to hormonal changes. However, in many women, the symptom that is experienced the most is constipation, especially during the 8th month. The reason constipation is the most common symptom is because pregnancy causes the levels of the progesterone hormone to rise. This hormone causes muscles to relax, which can result in the digestive system slowing down. Other reasons why constipation occurs are from lack of exercise, diet change, and the physical pressure of the baby on the bowel. Thus, even pregnant women who don’t have IBS are prone to constipation. To help with constipation and other IBS symptoms during pregnancy, some women take medications. Not all medications that may be used to treat irritable bowel syndrome are safe for pregnancy. Therefore, you should discuss medical treatment with your doctor before taking any drug. However, the following is a list of medications that are usually safe to take during pregnancy:
• Acetaminophen (IE Tylenol) – helps with pain and discomfort
• Bentyl/Dicyclomine – prevents muscles spasms in the stomach and bladder and helps to relax them. It also reduces the production of stomach acid.
• Diclectin – helps with morning sickness
• Simethicone – helps to alleviate gas in the intestinal tract. Medications are not the only answer when it comes to helping pregnant women treat their IBS symptoms. Alternative treatments include:
• Drinking plenty of water – prevents dehydration and helps with digestion
• Regular and safe pregnancy exercises – helps aid in digestion and reduces stress
• Sufficient sleep – reduces stress
• High fiber diet – Helps move slow bowels. This includes foods such as fruit, vegetables, and high fiber cereals. Note: keep in mind that if your IBS symptoms occur because of certain fiber foods, don’t include these as apart of your diet.
• Soluble fiber supplements – may help with diarrhea and constipation
• Ginger tea – Ginger tea can help treat morning sickness
• Hypnosis – This psychological treatment can be used to individually treat the symptoms a woman is experiencing.

As you can see, there are plenty of ways a pregnant woman can deal with IBS. The trick is to know what treatments work best, and incorporate them into a healthy and active lifestyle.

One of the creepiest feelings associated with menopause, without a doubt, is skin crawling. In fact, during menopause, a number of skin/nerve related conditions might be experienced, including itchy or dry skin, tingling feelings, and skin sensitivity. These conditions are all normal, but there are also a number of treatments available for menopausal women who are experiencing pain or problems with their skin.

Flashback for a moment—probably around the time you were in middle school. Whether you were a member of the cheerleading squad or you spent most of your time in the library matters not; most girls this age battle a common problem: acne. It is no coincidences that this trouble starts to occur around the time girls first start menstruating. When this begins, the hormones in a young girl’s body are rapidly changing, and the skin reacts in a somewhat negative way. Hormone levels in an adult woman’s body are no different. As menopause begins, your skin reacts to the changing levels in your body, and the results can be sometimes unpleasant.

The prickly crawling feeling that many women experience is called formication. Women usually experience this one to two years after their last period and during the end of perimenopause and the beginning of menopause. While doctors are still largely unsure of its cause, formication goes away on its own in a relatively short period of time for most women. Many speculate that the cause of this is an overworked, hot liver, which happens when your hormones are changing rapidly, as they are at the onset of menopause.

However, itchy, dry, sensitive skin can last much longer and become painful if it goes untreated. For treatment, see a dermatologist. Often times, the same remedies that worked when you were a teenager also work now—moisturizing your skin, washing sensitive areas like your face very gently and with special washes, using prescription acne medications, washing your pillowcases often, and using less oily makeup.

Unlike formication and sensitive skin, tingling in the extremities might be a cause to worry. Although many menopausal women experience tingling in their feet, hands, legs, and arms, they can also be signs of more serious problems, like diabetes, vitamin deficiency, depletion of calcium, depletion of potassium, or blood vessel/circulation problems. Be safe—always see a doctor if you experience the tingling for an expended period of time.

Seeing a doctor is simply your best bet in the end for any type of menopausal problem, skin related or not. He or she can suggest a number of treatment options, including medication, natural remedies, therapy, diet change, exercise programs, and alternative treatment options. Testing for menopause is difficult—your hormones during this time period change rapidly from day to day—but what doctors can do is rule out any other medical reasons for the skin problems you are experiencing. Sometimes menopause can be confused with the onset of a serious disease or disorder, so if you have any doubts in your mind, talk to a health care professional about your crawling, dry, itchy, or tingling skin sensations.

Do you ever wonder why you lack so much energy at certain times? If so, most likely your experiencing a sudden drop of sugar level in your blood. Here's why.

When the body absorbs too much concentrated and refined sugar, the pancreas is confronted with an unusual situation; hyperglycaemia. It must act immediately by massively secreting insuline, otherwise a high concentration of sugar in the blood would lead to diabetic coma and death.

The problem arises when the level of sugar in the blood starts dropping, the pancreas itself isn't slowing down fast enough, which now makes the level of sugar drop dramatically: hence, hyperglycaemia and all its symptoms - shaking, shivers, irritability, dizziness, fatigue, and so on...and your lack of energy.

Too often we make the error of rushing to eat something sweet, made of refined sugars. Refined sugar is a concentrated chemical product, which makes it comparable to opium, because of its addiction ingredients.

Natural, also called simple sugars, are glucose, fructose, and galactose which are found in fruits and green vegetables, and honey. Other sugars, also referred to as double sugars, are of the concentrated type and are found in sugar cains, beets, syrops, molasses, malt, and table sugar. These sugars will regulate (slow down) the liver and pancreas, so that you regain your usual energy.

The starch types are complexe and are found in cereals (wheat, rice, rye, barley, oats, birdseeds, buckwheat etc., - as well as starchy foods such as (potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, peas etc.

So now you clearly understand your sudden lack of energy, but instead of reaching out for chocolat, cake, or something else of the sort, just grab an apple or some other fruit to slow down your overactive pancreas. The poor thing didn't know any better and was trying to save your life. In time it would slow down by itself end allow you to regain that normal energy. But if you lack energy and don't want to wait after your pancreas to catch on, give it a nudge!

We are now at the position where we can discuss more exactly the process that if followed will normalize your breathing. We have seen in earlier chapters that our breathostat or respiratory centre has somehow become set at the wrong level.

How did they become set at the wrong level? One major factor is the false idea of the usefulness of deep breathing, which is often combined with deep breathing exercises. A big long deep breath with a good stretch is good to relax. If you do it repeatedly, it will turn your breathostat the wrong way.

Another factor which increases breathing intensity is over eating, especially high protein. Protein will increase your depth of breathing considerably. Animal proteins in particular are capable of producing powerful changes. If we use dairy products as an example, we can see the effect of all foods.

It is commonly known that consumption of milk products tends to promote the formation of mucus. This is almost correct. What happens is that the milk causes an increase in the depth of breathing, which in turn causes a loss of CO2. We now know that reduced CO2 will tell the mucus factories [glands] in our airpipes and sinus cavity to produce more mucus. So the problem is not with the poor cow, but simply that the high protein levels cause an increase in breathing.

Since the industrial revolution the amount of protein consumed has steadily increased, along with so called diseases like asthma and hypertension.

Other factors that increase the breathing include lack of physical work, narcotics, and exposure to many chemical agents.

As your breathostat is exposed to greater levels of breathing and lower CO2 levels, it becomes conditioned to a lower level. Then further deep breathing, perhaps as part of a fitness or health training, can turn it even lower. This training effect continues until such a low breathostat level is reached that your body takes defensive action to avoid a catastrophe. In asthmatics it restricts the breathing.

It is a relatively simple strategy to reset your breathostat by exposing it to higher levels of CO2 than it is used to. This is the opposite of the approach which lowered the breathostat CO2 level, which was to expose it to lower levels of CO2.

We want an approach that will:

a. Be easy and comfortable to do,
b. Be able to be done anywhere by anyone,
c. Be combined with other tasks so we do not need to take time from your busy day.

The most effective way to do this is to use an indirect approach. This means not trying to control the size or length of holding of each breath, as that requires huge concentration and very careful training. It does mean using simple muscle relaxation which will make the depth of breathing less, and requires no control of the rate of breathing which is difficult. The key instruction is simple and short.

Shallow Breathing is: A gradual reduction in the depth of breathing, by relaxing the diaphragm and breathing muscles, until a tiny shortage of air is felt and then maintained.

There are several key points. The first is that we are reducing the depth of breathing. When we do this the frequency or rate at which we breathe increases by itself. This is correct, and the rate should not be interfered with. That would be direct control of the breathing, which is far harder to maintain, and usually leads to a huge shortage of air which is followed by gasping. This is not the goal. So reduce the depth only.

The next point is that the way we do it is by relaxing the breathing muscles, not holding them. The more relaxed they are the more still you become. The more still you become the less deeply you can breathe. [If you become still by holding or tensing you will develop sharp pains in your ribs as the muscles complain.]

The other key point is that our goal is to develop a training that can be done anywhere, is comfortable so it will not be avoided, and can be combined with other tasks. The way to this goal is to allow only a tiny shortage of air to develop. It is all that you need. If it feels awful and suffocating you have created a large shortage, and should relax and start again. If you feel no shortage at all, become more and more still until you do.

As part of this process, recognize that there is no rule that says you have to be breathing all the time. If you find yourself breathing away with no real need or desire to stop.

An alternative way to start your shallow breathing is to do a measurement pause without holding your nose. This really means that you stop breathing until you feel a tiny shortage of air. All you have to do then is be relaxed and still enough to maintain that shortage.

Am I Doing It Properly?

This is the most common and natural question. You are shallow breathing if you feel a tiny shortage of air, and you are comfortable. A shortage of air is a sensation that you would like to take an extra breath, but to maintain the shortage do not. If you are suffocating, you have too great a shortage ó remember unless it feels comfortable; you will not do it enough and will get poor results.

If you are one among the individuals afflicted with acid reflux, you may be very well familiar with all the agonizing symptoms associated with this condition. All that heartburn, bile rising up from your stomach and leaving an acid or bitter taste in your mouth and enduring the chest pains associated with it. The list goes on and on.

You may also experience difficulty in swallowing solid and even liquid foods, excessive salivation or you may find it difficult to sleep after eating. Sometimes, some people even develop asthma.

There's that heartburn again! So what do you do? Since our society has been dependent on drug medication for quite some time now, your first impulse might be to reach out for a pill.

The treatment of acid reflux has been centered on controlling and suppressing the acidity of the stomach. Numerous prescription and non-prescription drugs have been promoted extensively to relieve the symptoms associated with this condition. Among the non-prescription drugs which can be used for this purpose are magnesium hydroxide (Phillip's Milk of Magnesia), aluminum hydroxide (Amphojel), calcium carbonate (Tums) and aluminum-magnesium hydroxide (Maalox, Mylanta).

Among the prescription drugs used to control stomach acidity include histamine H2 inhibitors and proton pump inhibitors. Cimitidine (Tagamet), ranitidine (Zantac) and famotidine (Pepcid) belong to the histamine H2 inhibitors while omeprazole (Prilosec), lansoprazole (Prevacid) and esomeprazole magnesium (Nexium) are all proton pump inhibitors.

There really is no question about the effectiveness of these medications as far as relieving the symptoms associated with acid reflux. However, there are studies which point out that using these drugs may not be the best or the wisest thing to do. These drugs were found to drastically reduce the amount of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, which, in turn, hampers the effective digestion of food.

In two researches conducted by the scientists of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the University of Michigan Medical School, laboratory mice were used to determine the effects of reducing the acid levels in the stomach. When the results were analyzed, it indicated that lowering the acid levels of the stomach greatly reduces the digestive capabilities of the body. It also increases the possibilities of food poisoning since lowering the stomach acidity negatively affects the defense mechanism against food-borne infections.

So, popping up a pill to relieve the symptoms may provide relief for the mean time but it can drastically affect the normal functions of the body and worsen the problem even more over time. So now, what do we do?

Consider treating the problem naturally.

For most people, following a good detoxification diet, drinking a lot of filtered water (about a gallon a day) and supplementing their diets with high doses of probiotics may help restore the optimal conditions in the stomach. However, if the symptoms persist despite following this regime, try to drink more water to dilute the acid and normalize the stomach pH.

A lot of food and herbs may also be beneficial in establishing a good stomach environment. The humble garlic, for instance, is an effective tool against acid reflux. Garlic has the ability to encourage the growth of beneficial intestinal flora, which can help stabilize the stomach pH. It is also an effective weapon against the pathogenic microorganism known as Helicobacter pylori, a known cause of gastritis and the only bacteria in the stomach, which cannot be killed by hydrochloric acid.

Diet does not really directly cause acid reflux. But acid reflux can be aggravated by the food and drinks we take. Hence to look for a cure for acid reflux, we also need to create a good acid reflux diet plan that helps to ease the condition. And the number 1 tip we are going to learn today is to eat frequent, small meals instead of less frequent big meals.

There are 2 ways to carry out this step. You can either eat smaller and more frequent meals in a day, or avoid eating a big and heavy meal in a day. A lot of people, especially those who are always busy in work, tend to skip meals and eat 1 big meal at a time. This can perhaps be a tough habit to stop. Just try to remember this key point that may help you to keep your diet in check: eat when you are hungry and stop eating when you feel comfortable.

By constantly remind ourselves with this point, we will start to eat smaller sized meals over time. And by eating smaller meals we get hungry sooner and ends up eating more often, which is what we want to achieve. Keep your stomach full is not ideal if you have acid reflux condition. A stomach that is full is more like to have an acid reflux attack that cause stomach acid to flow into the esophagus, resulting in heartburn.

Hence eating more often and smaller amount at a time is particularly helpful for people with acid reflux. Smaller, low fat meals do not stay in the stomach for a long time and move more quickly into the intestines as compared to large meals. The shorter the time for food to be in the stomach reduce the chance for acid reflux to occur.

Also large meals are not welcomed because it put more pressure on the stomach, especially the esophageal sphincter and cause it to open easily. Once the sphincter opens, it will give the stomach acid a chance to splash up the esophagus. Researchers have confirmed that the large volume the food takes up in the stomach can easily induce an acid reflux attack.

So, start making this first change to your acid reflux diet plan by eating frequently and eating smaller meals each time. This is not only good for acid reflux, it is also good for health. A heavy meal in the afternoon always makes one feel sleepy right? Stay tune for more food tips to acid reflux.

Improving your overall fitness doesn't have to be either expensive or time-consuming. The Office Workout is simple, effective, produces results, and you don't have to work at an office to give it a go.

The first step toward the newer, fitter you is exactly that, a first step. If you can walk to work, do it. You will need shoes that are comfortable to walk in and that's all. Walk briskly. If you haven't done much exercise before this, choose a path that is relatively flat and easy to manage. Once you can reach your office desk and still breathe easy, step it up. Choose a path that has a hill in it. If you've got time, and the inclination, leave earlier and choose a longer path. Repeat all this for the trip home. Even with a simple 15-min walk, that's 30 minutes per day more exercise than you were getting previously.

Step Two is equally easy and doesn't require you to change shoes. Walk to other offices instead of making telephone calls or sending emails, walk upstairs [if you have an upstairs] a couple of times a day. Tackle the stairs sedately at first and as soon as you feel ready, jog up. Do be careful on the way down though.

The plan doesn't get any more difficult than this.

Step Three is to use break-times for an opportunity to go for a walk, get some fresh air if you can, stretch your muscles. A short walk around the building helps and this one doesn't have to be done at full speed. Plan a longer walk for your lunch-break. It can be a well-laid out plan of as much brisk walking as you can fit in or simply choose to purchase your lunch at a cafe further afield than usual. If you take your own lunch, find a park - not the closest one - and enjoy being outside.

You will start to notice increased fitness within a couple of weeks. With increased fitness comes increased energy, enabling you to extend your Three Step Office Work Out Plan to the Three Step Home Work Out Plan. And all without handing over wads of money in gym memberships, expensive shoes and gymwear.

Having trouble with heartburn? Well, research shows that you are not the only one suffering from this condition. In fact, studies indicate that approximately 1 in every 10 adults in the United States or an alarming 10% suffer every day from this condition and the numbers are expected to rise in the near future!

The occurrence of heartburns usually denotes that the person has a condition commonly known as acid reflux. Acid reflux, medically termed as "reflux esophagitis" or "gastroesophageal reflux disease" (GERD), is a condition whereby the contents of the stomach are regurgitated or are returned back into the esophagus.

What causes acid reflux?

To understand this disease, we must be aware of how our digestive system works. As food enters the stomach, it is acted upon by the stomach acids and various digestive enzymes whose primary function is to break down the food so that the body can use it. The partially digested food, which is now acidic in nature, is then transported to the small intestine for further digestion.

However, this is not the case in patients afflicted with acid reflux. Those with this condition have a weakened lower esophageal sphincter (LES) which makes the regurgitation or passing of acidic gastric juices back from the stomach and up into the esophagus possible. In some cases, the acidic gastric contents even rise up as high as the mouth of an affected individual.

Among the factors which may contribute to the development of acid reflux are obesity, pregnancy, delayed emptying of stomach contents and the excessive intake of fatty foods. Smoking and drinking increase the body's caffeine and alcohol load which are also known causes of acid reflux.

Acid reflux is not only painful and annoying. Frequent regurgitation irritates the lining of the esophagus, which may lead to ulceration and scarring. At worst, it may even lead to the development of esophageal cancer.

What are the other symptoms associated with acid reflux?

Aside from frequent and painful heartburn, a person suffering from acid reflux may have the following symptoms:

. Regurgitation or the rising up of partially digested food in the stomach back into the esophagus or at times, even as high as the mouth
. Chest pains
. Difficulty in swallowing
. Voice becomes hoarse
. Corrosion of the dental cavities
. Asthma
. Persistent coughing while lying down
. Increased production of saliva
. Difficulty in sleeping after eating

How is acid reflux treated?

The symptoms associated with acid reflux greatly interfere with the performance of daily activities. The majority of the symptoms of this ailment bring such discomfort that the quality of life of a person with this condition is greatly affected.

Those who practice physically demanding sports such as soccer, rugby or even tennis, are at a very high risk of developing sports hernia. Sports hernia, or Gilmore's groin as some call it, is a very common type of hernia that affects the lower abdominal wall and can be encountered at those who practice sports.

Practicing the sports mentioned above weakens the muscles of the lower abdominal wall and causes the hernia to appear. Inguinal hernia appears in the same place, when a part of the lower abdomen slips through a small tear that is created in the muscles of the abdominal wall because they are weakened, and creates a visible and palpable bulge that sticks out. Sports hernia is similar to inguinal hernia, and they both appear in the same location, but the difference between them is that at sports hernia there is no bulge or lump that sticks out.

Anyone that practices sports can get sports hernia, it doesn't matter how strong their muscles are because sports hernia does not have anything to do with muscle strength, it appears because the muscular fiber from the abdominal wall is too thin.

The first symptoms of a sports hernia are light pain that appears in the abdominal region, followed by pain in the groin and sometimes at males pain in the testicles. The pain caused by sports hernia is worse when the patient sneezes, bends or coughs.

If you are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned above then consult a doctor for an accurate diagnosis. There are no medical tests that can diagnose sports hernia. The doctors usually perform tests to eliminate the other conditions that may cause the same symptoms, and based on the patient's medical history and on some physical examinations, the sports hernia diagnose is placed.

Once you get the sports hernia diagnose it is advised to begin the treatment soon before any complications can develop. Unfortunately, the only really effective way to cure a sports hernia is surgery. The first thing that doctors prescribe is a lot of rest. In some cases, if the hernia isn't too advanced, several weeks of rest can heal it, especially if you use ibuprofen and other muscle-pain relieving medication, but in most cases rest is not enough and surgery is required. Sports hernia surgery is a very simple operation that most doctors have done many times and are familiar with. Its goal is to reattach the abdominal muscles and fix any tearing that has occurred.

Sports hernia patients need to remember that they can't return to their sporting activities until their hernia is cured, because if they do it the hernia can appear again. The recovery rate is different from one person to another, so you need to visit the doctor if you want to know when you are fully recovered and can start practicing sports again.

Hernia is a disease that can affect anyone at any age, and that doctors encounter daily. It appears when a part of an organ protrudes through the muscular fiber that holds is and creates a small lump. There are several types of hernia. Inguinal hernia is one of the most common types of hernia, and millions have it. Each year more than a hundred thousand inguinal hernias are operated.

Inguinal hernia is caused by the fact that the muscles from the abdominal wall get weakened in time due to aging or intense physical activity. The soft tissue that the intestine is made of protrudes through a small opening that occurs in the muscles because of their weakness, creating a bulge or lump. The lump that appears is usually painful. In some cases the pain is very severe, and it gets worse when the patient coughs or sneezes.

The first symptom of inguinal hernia is a big lump that appears in the groin area. At men a lump can also appear on the testicles. At most patients the lump does not hurt when it is touched, but it can cause discomfort. It gets bigger when the patient coughs or sneezes and the pressure in the abdomen increases. The lump can in most cases be pushed back and then it will slowly re-appear. If it can't be pushed back then it means that a part of the intestine is strangled and it is trapped there. This is dangerous because the trapped intestine's blood supply gets cut off and that part will soon die. When this happens the patient experiences pain in that area, vomiting, sickness, and if nothing is done to treat it, a strangulated hernia can lead to serious complications.

If you experience any of its symptoms and suspect that you have an inguinal hernia, consult a doctor for a professional advice. He can place the diagnose after a few physical examinations. The best thing to do to if you have an inguinal hernia is to operate it. You can live with the affection, but it is uncomfortable and there's always a risk that it becomes strangulated, so doctors advise not to avoid the surgery. The procedure is very simple and common and the patient can return home the second day usually, but he/she must stay away from physical effort a few weeks until the body is fully healed.

Inguinal hernia can't be prevented but it is known that those that are overweight and involve in many demanding physical activities are at a higher risk of developing an inguinal hernia than others.

Have you ever been disappointed in how you perform, feel or look?

Most people have... and they decide to participate in a fitness program of some sort.

Some join gyms, some experiment with the latest fitness fad and some look into buying fitness equipment.

Unfortunately, regardless of which fitness avenue they decide to take... most people fail to dramatically improve their fitness, health and physique.

Don't be one of the many that fails to perform, feel and look their best... be one of the few that exceeds their expectations by answering these 3 questions.

Question Number One

What kind of fitness level and body do you want?

Just don't say, "I need to get in shape."

Set specific goals for yourselves.

If you want a lean, strong, athletic body void of unwanted fat so you can perform and look your best... say so!

After all, if you don't know what the final outcome is to be... how do you hope to achieve it?

Question Number Two

Why do you want this fitness level and body type?

Once you know what you want, reveal the true, honest reasons for wanting it.

Do you want to outperform your peers, or look your best for a special occasion... say so!

This burning desire you have to transform yourself will keep you going during the hard times... and what motivates you often determines your success.

Question Number Three

What are you willing to do to achieve your fitness and physique goals?

Answering this question will determine whether you will be successful or not.

It's easy to figure out what you want to do and how you want your body to look.

If your honest with yourself, it's easy to figure out why you want to be fit and attractive.

But you must determine to what degree you are willing to work for what you want.

If you know what the outcome is to be, have a burning desire to achieve this outcome and are willing to do what it takes to achieve it... you will succeed, every time!

Conclusion

When many people decide to improve their physical abilities and transform their bodies they focus on the methods... gym, equipment, class, etc.

And when they fail, they blame the method.

But success comes from deciding what you want, why you want it and what you're willing to do to get it.

If you develop a crystal clear vision of the final outcome, have a burning desire to achieve it and are willing to do what it takes... you can completely transform yourself without gyms, equipment or classes.

Your success is determined by what you do with what you have at your disposal... NOT by how much equipment you have at your disposal.

Hernias are very common affections and millions of people suffer from them. They appear when a muscular wall is weakened and the organ that is near that muscular wall protrudes through a tear that it creates in it because of the pressure it puts on the muscular fiber.

Both young babies and elder people can suffer from hernia, and it has several different forms. One of these forms is umbilical hernia. Umbilical hernia is the least dangerous type of hernia and it is encountered at new born babies because of a problem with the umbilical cord. The umbilical cord is a strong tube that has the role of transporting vital substances from the mother to the child while he is still inside her. This tube enters the child's body through the belly button, a small hole in the abdomen designed exactly for this purpose. After the child's birth the doctors remove the umbilical cord and the belly button hole usually closes. In some cases, it doesn't close, and the tissue that is underneath it protrudes through it creating a small bulge or lump. This lump gets bigger if the child is coughing or sneezing. It is usually as big as a cherry or strawberry.

The little bulge can be pushed back when the baby is relaxed. Some parents think that if they repeatedly push the lump back with a coin it will disappear in time. This fact has not been proven to be effective by any scientifical studies, so doctors do not recommend it. The only symptom of umbilical hernia is the swollen 'cherry' that appears, it does not cause any pain and it is not contagious.

The good news is that in most cases it disappears during the first year of life. The bulge pushes itself back and the belly button closes. However, in a few rare cases it does not heal itself and it needs surgery. This happens if the belly button hole's diameter is bigger than 2 centimeters after the child reached one year old. The surgery is a very simple procedure that many doctors can easily do and that can't cause any complications.

So, umbilical hernia is not a severe disease at all, and you have nothing to worry about if your child has one. All you need to do is wait for it to heal itself, and consult a doctor for his advice from time to time.