Effective Treatment For Fibromyalgia Patients

 Fibromyalgia is a perplexing disorder that has just begun to make itself known in the medical community. Because of its wide range of symptoms and often intermittent nature, little is known about effective treatments for the condition, but there is evidence that something as simple as a memory foam mattress or topper can help some FMS patients. www.sleepaidfactory.com

Fibromyalgia is characterized by widespread, sometimes debilitating pain in muscles, tendons and other fibrous tissues. Other symptoms may include an overwhelming feeling of fatigue, and difficulty with concentration and complex mental tasks, sometimes referred to as "fibro-fog." As the medical community struggles to learn more about FMS, and to separate it from similar disorders like chronic fatigue syndrome, patients have been left largely to their own devices for treatment.

Through experimentation, many patients have found treatments that are effective on their own FMS. For example, there is much anecdotal evidence to suggest that regular massage therapy from therapists or mechanical massage chairs can help to reduce the muscle pain associated with FMS. Other treatments focus on improving sleep, through the use of pressure point relieving memory foam mattresses or toppers. There are a wealth of options out there, so the best thing for FMS sufferers to do is to seek as much information as possible.

Many doctors believe that the fatigue associated with FMS may be due in part to poor sleeping patterns. Clinical studies have shown that those suffering from FMS have repeated disturbances of phase IV sleep, the deep sleep that we need to feel rested during the day. There is even some evidence that this lack of deep sleep may be a major cause of FMS, and not just a symptom. Many FMS sufferers describe a cycle of sleep loss and muscle pain; those patients who sleep poorly experience more pain during the following day, and therefore sleep less at night, which leads to more pain, and so on.

There is anecdotal evidence that the right mattress can help FMS sufferers sleep more soundly and with fewer interruptions. When we lie down in our beds, our pressure points are always bearing more weight than other parts of our bodies. For example, if you are a side sleeper, most of your body weight will come to rest on your shoulder and hip. Discomfort from these pressure points is responsible for disturbing the sleep of even average individuals through a process called pressure point arousal. Because of already sore muscles, this disturbance is even more pronounced and frequent for FMS patients. Because critical deep sleep is constantly being interrupted, FMS patients may wake up feeling exhausted, even after getting a "full night's rest." Memory foam mattresses www.healco.com, www.A1mattress.com are unique in their ability to distribute pressure away from pressure points, thereby helping to eliminate pressure point arousal.

Doctors are still struggling to learn more about Fibromyalgia, and a cure may be many years away. Until the medical community can offer real solutions, Fibromyalgia patients will continue to find their own paths to wellness.

"DNA Diets" : Junk Science?

 Dieting and weight loss products and programs are such a big budget, big profit business today.  We've all heard dozens of sales pitches for diet and weight loss products, plans, books, and other items that will supposedly help us miraculously lose that extra weight we've gained with the least amount of effort possible.

Each of these programs, books and products also usually tout themselves as being based "unique" and strongly backed science and technology.

These hyped diet aids range anywhere from diet supplements that claim to burn fat and/or blast calories away, help to suppress the appetite, or even help to block carbs and fat from even entering the blood stream and being stored as fat or extra weight.  But how do we as consumers really know that any of this will actually work?

One of these so called scientifically based diet fads, which costs a fairly lofty sum of money, called the DNA Diet, has recently been in the news for allegedly preying on customers for astronomical sums of money.  The company which sells this idea is currently under government investigation for misleading consumers.

The DNA "kits" the company sells online are for swabbing the inside of your mouth and sending it in for "DNA analysis", along with an accompanying recommendation for your personally tailored diet.

The cost may be anywhere from $499 to $1,000, and a full year of this diet advice and accompanying diet supplements can cost you upwards of $1,800.

Investigators say there is not even any scientific proof that this method of diet advice and supplementation or anyalysis works, further casting doubt on the companies that offer this service.

This particular company also offers expensive diet supplements which are mostly made of concentrated vitamins, some of which analysts claim may actually cause more harm than good due to their high dosages.

Not only that, analysis done on the supplements showed there was no difference in the formula even when different DNA was sent in, so the idea that the supplements themselves are "custom tailored" genetically is assumed to be false.

The investigators created fourteen fake customers and purchased the DNA analysis kits from four different websites. They filled out the accompnaying questionnaires with varied client information, such as different lifestyles, age brackets, etc,.  All questionnaires were paired with the DNA sample of an infant girl and a grown male.

The advice varied greatly, the first sign this was an unreliable or simply fake analysis, and many of the pieces of advice received contained generalities such as smoking leads to heart disease and other already well known facts.

The investigation is ongoing, and there has been no announcement whether the company will be forced to close or change their methods and practices.

This is a perfect example of why a consumer must be vigilant when purchasing or researching any claims of diet products, or any other self improvement products for that matter.  You never know when the next phony product might come along.

"Different Types of Anxiety Disorders"

 Anxiety is a common occurrence when a person faces potentially problematic or dangerous situations. It is also felt when a person perceives an external threat. However, chronic and irrational anxiety can lead to a form of anxiety disorder. There are different types of anxiety disorder depending on their causes or triggers. 

Common forms of anxiety disorders 

Generalized anxiety disorder

A person who has this type of anxiety disorder usually experience prolonged anxiety that is often without basis. More accurately, people with generalized anxiety disorders cannot articulate the reason behind their anxiety. This type of anxiety usually last for six months and often affect women.  Due to the persistence of the anxiety, people affected with generalized anxiety disorder constantly fret and worry. This results to heart palpitations, insomnia, headaches, and dizzy spells.  

Specific phobia

Unlike someone with generalized anxiety disorder, a person who has a specific phobia experiences  extreme and often irrational fear of a certain situation or object. When exposed to the object or situation they fear, people with specific phobias exhibit signs of intense fear like shaking, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, and nausea. Common specific phobias include fear of heights, enclosed spaces, blood, and animals. The fear a person with phobia feels can be so extreme that he or she may disregard safety just to escape the situation.  

Panic disorder

Also known as Agoraphobia, panic disorders are characterized by recurring panic attacks which are often unexpected. Symptoms are usually shaking, chest pains, dizziness, fear of losing control, and reluctance of being alone. People with panic disorder are aware that their panic is usually unfounded  and illogical. This is why they avoid public situations and being alone. A panic attack can be so severe that people may lose control and hurt themselves.  

Social phobia

Alternatively called social anxiety, a person with social phobia may exhibit similar symptoms like those of panic disorder especially in social situations. Shaking, dizziness, shortness of breath, and heart palpitations may ensue when a person with social phobia finds his or herself at the center of attention or in the company of many people, regardless whether they are strangers or not.  

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

People with obsessive-compulsive disorder experience anxiety caused by a persistent obsession or idea. They tend to avoid experiencing anxiety by resorting to repetitive actions or behaviors that prevent anxiety. For example, a person who is obsessed about cleanliness may experience anxiety at the mere sight of a vase placed slightly off-center. To prevent anxiety, he or she will clean and organize everything compulsively or without reason.  

PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder may occur after a person experienced a severely traumatic event. He or she may relive the experience in his or her mind which causes stress and anxiety. If a person with PTSD comes into contact with stimuli (any object, person, or situation) that he or she associates with the traumatic event, he or she may literally re-experience the event by crying uncontrollably, panicking, or losing control. Subtler symptoms include insomnia and avoidant behavior. PTSD may manifest itself immediately after the traumatic event or even years after.  

Determining the type of anxiety disorder a person has is crucial to seeking treatment and recovery.  Techniques and methods that are used to help a person cope with a certain anxiety usually target not only the management of symptoms but coping mechanisms when exposed to triggers. Only after thorough diagnosis can treatment and recovery for anxiety disorders really commence.

"Dieting" Toture By Another Name, It Doesn't Need To Be That Way

 I have tried many “diets” here in the USA and in England and to me they all felt like self inflicted torture. They were boring, tasteless, and restrictive. Like many of you I work hard, I don’t ask for much in the way of pleasures when I get home at night. The one thing that does give me enormous pleasure is eating, I love food and yes, I like the odd drink too. 

I was not and never have been a very large person, 186lb at 5’8” tall. Not huge but always feeling bloated, I had the “carry on luggage” hanging over the belt and always felt tired and lethargic. Then one day my wife and I heard about the Atkins torture, I mean, diet. I thought what the heck; I might as well give it a go. Well, to my surprise I lost weight and I lost it quite quickly, I still lacked energy but nevertheless I was very impressed. It was like every man’s dream come true, meat, meat, and more meat, and losing weight. I was doing well but yes you probably guessed it, I got bored, bored, bored. The weight went back on far quicker than it came off. I have learned that most if not all diets will help you lose weight. The trick is being able to stick to it. 

Like all the other diets I had tried, Atkins was restrictive, repetitive and after a while tasteless. To be fair to the other diets I had tried, including Atkins, there are recipes that can help to ease the pain but who wants to start experimenting with their culinary talents when they get in from a hard day at the office. I can tell you now, I do not. I know it sounds great having steak every day but we have all heard the saying “too much of a good thing” and very quickly that “good thing” can turn into a very bad thing. Atkins almost put me off steak for life!

Now I am losing weight again and I am down to 172lb, I know it’s only 14lb or a “stone” as we say in England but I am not bored, I feel great, and when I get in from work at night I eat what I want. How I hear you all cry, well I will tell you; I found a way of giving my body the nutrition it needs to stay healthy and I have been able to lose weight at the same time.

I started using and then marketing an all natural nutritional program that incorporates weight loss for those that need it, weight gain for those that want it and many other beneficial products for skin health, major organ health and male and female personal health solutions.

Many people get stuck in the boom and bust cycle. We have all tried many diets but most of us have failed. Ask yourselves a question and answer honestly. What caused you to fail? If you are being honest you must answer “will power” All of the diets I have tried have caused me to lose weight. I cannot say they were not effective at achieving this. I can say however that they were boring and restrictive and that the boredom probably did not help my chances of sticking to the diet. I am not without some will power but as they say “Variety is the spice of life”.

As I said earlier I love food and the thing I like most about it is the sheer variety of foods available. I do not want to have to pick and choose what I am and am not allowed to eat. Since myself and my family moved to the USA we have been able to eat out more times in the last five years than I was able to do in England in the previous thirty. The cost of eating out here is so much more affordable. I am like a kid in the candy store, I love it. Unfortunately that makes putting on weight very easy, and so the diet cycle begins. 

Of course any sensible attempt at weight loss has to have an element of sacrifice, we have to eat a sensible amount of food while at the same time supplying our bodies with all of the vitamins and nutrients that it needs but the goals that we set ourselves must be attainable otherwise we doom ourselves to failure. Do we need to eat meat and nothing else? Do we have to eat salad and nothing else? Does anyone out there honestly think that microwave meals are satisfying?

Being overweight is now being linked with many health problems, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, the list goes on. It is also well documented that obesity is the fastest growing health problem on the planet. It is crucial that overweight people who wish to lose weight are encouraged and helped to break the vicious cycle of eating and dieting. Let me say this “you are not alone”. 

I often see overweight people who are obviously desperate to lose weight forcing themselves to jog around the streets in a desperate attempt to burn calories. If they understood what harm they are doing to their joints and heart they probably would not attempt this form of exercise. I am not saying do not exercise but we must make sure we are fit enough for exercise. If you are carrying far too much excess weight then you will do yourself more harm than good. Start by getting the food and nutrient intake under control and incorporate some light exercise such as walking then as you begin to lose weight you can start to gradually increase the amount and intensity of the workout. 

Most of the overweight people I have seen jogging are probably doomed to failure because they cannot possibly be enjoying the torture of forcing their bodies to do something that, lets face it, has been totally alien to it for years. Start slowly, that is the key. Do not expect instant results, the quick fix does not exist. It took time to get out of shape it will take time to get back in shape. Be patient.

If overweight people are ever to be able to lose weight and keep the weight off they must look for a more scientific way of maintaining healthy, nutritional eating patterns. Help is out there, there is an army of very dedicated people, who were all customers once, just like me, that are now helping thousands of people lose weight and become healthier, happier people.

These people understand that proper nutrition is the key to a healthier life. They understand that the never ending cycle of torturous dieting or joint busting exercise simply does not work for most of us and are nearly always doomed to failure. Some people are very strong willed and can stick to even the most demanding of diets to achieve their goals. I am afraid that like many people out their, I am not one of those people. 

If you are like me and do not possess a will of iron, get help. It will change your life as it has changed mine.

Do yourself and your loved ones a huge service. Choose a nutritional program you can stick to without destroying your taste buds. 

You won’t regret it. Oh and by the way, it definitely is not boring!

Paul Freemantle

Independent Herbalife Distributor

Personal wellness mentor

Cool” or “Uncool

 Health experts believe that every year 2.5 million people around the world including 400,000 from America die because of smoking. And probably millions more suffer from smoke-related illness. According to studies, additional 3,000 deaths occur in America because of lung cancer due to inhaling second hand smoke. 

Smoking is linked to lung cancer which is the leading cause of cancer death. Studies show that smoking harms almost every organ of the body causing smokers to have poor health. Common diseases that may occur because of smoking are bronchitis, emphysema, and heart attacks. Smoking is also responsible for the rapid aging of skin, stained fingers and teeth because of exposure to nicotine.

But why do people smoke?  People smoke for various reasons. Some smoke because they think it’s cool. Others think that it will make them lose appetite and therefore lose some weight in the process. Many believe that nicotine intake calms the mind. 

Majority of smokers know the adverse effects of smoking but they just cannot or do not stop. Cigarettes contain nicotine which is a very addictive substance. Nicotine according to studies when taken in small amounts acts as a stimulant. In effect it may enhance brain activity which will be helpful in the cognitive process and also enhances one’s memory. Increase in heart rate and blood pressure are some of its harmful effects. That is probably the reason why smokers breathe faster compared to non-smokers. Large amounts of nicotine are used as pesticides.

People who don’t smoke are fitter and healthier compared to their smoking counterparts because their lungs and other organs are healthier. Also non-smokers tend to live longer than those who smoke. 

Smokers should try to quit smoking for it may lessen the possibility of having smoking-related illnesses such as lung cancer and emphysema. Making someone to quit smoking is always easier said than done for it needs discipline, commitment, and sometimes medication. 

Scores of “quit-smoking” products are available in the market. They come in different varieties and forms—patches, pills, and sprays. Unfortunately they are also pretty expensive.

Zyban is a drug that would help an individual quit smoking. And it is cheaper compared to its counter parts. Zyban’s side effects are generally tolerable. Dry mouth, increased sweating, headache, nausea, fatigue, and blurred vision may are some of the effects one may encounter while taking this drug. 

Zyban is taken orally. Each pill should be swallowed in full. It should not be crushed or chewed otherwise the effectiveness of Zyban will be spoiled and the chances of side-effect occurrences might increase. 

If Zyban overdose occurs, contact the nearest local poison control center or hospital. Symptoms of overdose may include blurred vision, confusion, nausea, and seizures. 

Though there are several “quit-smoking” products out in the market. One ought to realize that quitting smoking and being successful in that task is within. It will depend on the commitment and sincerity of the one trying to overcome this adversity. There is no magical “quit-smoking” product.

 Pregnant and breastfeeding women are advised to consult their physician before trying Zyban. Bupropion is the generic name of Zyban.

Como jugar al Backgammon

 El juego de mesa backgammon es uno de los juegos mas antiguos del hombre. Se dice que las primeras variaciones del juego comenzaron en el antiguo Egipto, Area Mesopotámica y Antigua Roma. Desde entonces, el juego ha evolucionado, cambiado de nombre varias veces y dispersado a diferentes partes del mundo. Actualmente es un pasatiempo original alrededor de los Estados Unidos, Asia del Este, Europa y Medio Oriente.

Para comenzar a jugar necesitas a un compañero, dos dados y una tabla de backgammon especial. La tabla esta dividida en dos lados con divisiones numeradas de 1 a 24. Puntos 1 a 6 son la llegada, 7 a 12 la salida. 13 a 18 el punto medio.

Al comienzo del juego, cada jugador tiene dos fichas en el punto 24, 3 fichas en el punto 8, 5 en el punto 13 y 5 en el punto 6. Cada jugador tira los dados y el puntaje mas alto comienza la jugada.

El que comienza mueve las fichas de acuerdo a la posición opuesta de las agujas del reloj, desde su punto de partida para llegar al punto de partido del oponente.

El objetivo del <a href="http://www.gambling-portal.com/backgammon.html">backgammon</a> es mover tus fichas hasta llegar al punto de partida de tu adversario y luego removerlas del tablero. La velocidad del progreso del juego es determinada por los resultados de los dados.

Cada jugador tira dos dados en cada turno, y deber una o dos fichas de acuerdo al número que salio en cada dado. Puede mover una ficha sumando el puntaje de los dos dados, o mover dos. Por ejemplo, si el resultado del dado es 5 y 4, puedes mover una ficha 9 lugares o mover una 5 y luego otra 4 para adelante.

Si los dados salen dobles, un numero dos veces, puedes mover las fichas 4 veces en vez de dos. Es decir, si sale un doble 2, moverás 2 lugares cuatro veces. En ese caso puedes o mover una ficha 8 veces, 2 fichas cuatro lugares, 4 fichas  dos veces o la combinación que elijas que requiera dos lugares 4 veces.

Puedes mover una ficha a un casillero que hay solo una de tu oponente, y así la "comes". Luego, esta ficha es ubicada en la mitad del tablero, llamada el bar.

Tu oponente puede volver a jugar una vez que puedo ubicar a la ficha en algún casillero de su llegada que no este ocupado por mas de una ficha tuya. Por ejemplo, si tira los dados y sale 2 y en ese casillero no hay ninguna ficha o solo una tuya, el puede entrar y seguir sus jugadas. De lo contrario, deberá esperar a su turno y volver a intentarlo.

Una vez ubicadas todas tus fichas en el casillero de llegada de tu oponente, deberás comenzar a removerlas del tablero. Es decir, si tiras los dados y sale 1 y 2 puedes mover una ficha del casillero 1, si sale 2, puedes mover una ficha del casillero 2 y así sucesivamente.

Si tu oponente no ha removido ninguna ficha mientras que tu has removido 15, tu ganas el juego y viceversa. Lo mismo ocurre si tu has removido 15 fichas y el tiene algunas en el medio comidas, (sin aun haber removido ninguna) tu ganas el juego.

El juego es muy entretenido e inteligente que te puede acompañar en muchas ocasiones. Disfrútalo!

Como Encontrar Pareja si Estas Solo o Sola

 Encontrar pareja es algo no tan fácil de hacer. Todo depende en las posibilidades y opciones de cada uno. Como buscar departamento por ejemplo, requiere saber como buscar, en que sitios, en que inmobiliarias, etc.

En el caso de una pareja, es importante tener en claro a donde buscar. Los sitios en Internet se han convertido en una de las mejores opciones en los últimos años de su popularidad. Gente como vos y yo que no encuentran al amor de su vida, encuentran en sitios para conocer gente en línea muchas opciones que en la vida cotidiana no pueden o no pretenden buscar.

La ventaja principal de estos sitios es que te permiten dejar atrás muchos prejuicios que  llevamos a la hora de encontrarnos con alguien cara a cara. No te importa decir lo que piensas o enfrentar a alguien que quieres porque sabes que no pierdes nada si lo haces, solo puedes ganar.

Los sitios también son divididos en inter-grupos, es decir si eres de alguna religión o origen étnico, nacionalidad, hobbies, preferencias sexuales, etc.  Si buscas a alguien que sea como tu, en los sitios de Internet lo puedes encontrar.

Otro de los beneficios de encontrar pareja en línea, es que lo puedes hacer en cualquier momento del día, desde cualquier computadora que desees. Si no puedes dormir, y estas sin nada que hacer, sabes que hay alguien del otro lado del monitor que se encuentra igual que ti. Puede ser en tu ciudad, o en cualquier otro lugar del mundo. Es también una manera muy prometedora para abrir tu mente y conocer otras culturas fuera de la tuya.

He oído muchas historias de parejas amigas que se conocieron por Internet en sitios como JDate, Date.com, y otros. Algunos viven juntos, otros están casados y muy felices, otros por supuesto no funcionaron pero lo intentaron.

Especialmente para aquellos que trabajan hasta tarde, y no tienen tiempo de salir a bares y conoces a alguien hacerlo en línea es ideal. (Especialmente sabiendo que en bares, la mayoría de la gente busca solo encuentros cortos de una noche, y no mas que eso.)

Otra de las ventajas de estos sitios es que la mayoría de los que están alistados realmente buscan pareja y no solo una noche de diversión. Algunos buscan solo diversión, pero encontraran a otros alistados en la misma sección, sin decepcionar a los que buscan pareja. Es todo muy organizado y fácil de llevar a cabo.

Este sistema es desde ya un gran cambio para los mayores de 40, que estaban acostumbrados a otro tipo de interacción para encontrar pareja. Sin embargo, no hay duda que Internet hace este proceso mucho mas fácil y posible para muchos. Pruébalo y veras!

"Car Accidents: The Expressway to The Next Life"

 According to a recent study, car accidents ranked ninth out of the top ten causes of death world wide.  It also ranked first among the top ten accident-caused deaths.  Over 40,000 Americans die in car crashes every year. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, someone is involved in a car accident every ten seconds. It is estimated that every 12 minutes, a person dies in a car crash. Car accidents are the leading cause of death for Americans 35 years old and younger.  In 2002 alone, there has been a reported 43,005 deaths caused by car accidents.

What are the leading causes of car accidents?

Car accidents can often be attributed to driver recklessness or negligence, the vehicles involved in an accident, and road and weather conditions at the time of the accident.  

Driver Negligence.

Driver negligence may manifest in many forms.  It may be because of rubbernecking, driving under the influence of alcohol, the driver’s lack of experience, or an aggressive driving behavior.  

Under driver negligence, rubbernecking had been reported as the top cause of car accidents.  This happens when motorists stop to look at other accidents they pass by and lose concentration on the road ahead.  This distraction ends up in a chain of accidents that could have been avoided.  Driving under the influence of alcohol is strictly prohibited in the US. This is considered as a criminal offense and is not taken lightly.  A reported forty percent of all traffic-related deaths have been attributed to driving while intoxicated. Inexperienced drivers who aren’t accompanied by an adult with a valid driving license also contribute to car accidents.  One quarter of reported car accidents involved teenage drivers. Aggressive driving behaviour like challenging other drivers to a street race in the middle of the road, forcing to cut into a lane, not giving way to other cars also contribute to the growing statistics of car accidents.  

Vehicles.

Defective auto parts, vehicle design, and/or car maintenance are also major causes of car accidents. Defective door latches, seat belts, airbags, seat backs, roofs, ignition systems, and fuel systems are all contributing factors in the damage caused in vehicular accidents.  The overall faulty design of a car makes accidents and damages more likely. SUV designs make a car less stable on the road and four times more likely to rollover in an accident as compared to passenger cars.

Road and weather conditions.

It is understandable that this cause isn’t really something man can have any control of.  However choosing to come out on the road without first taking into consideration the weather and road condition may also be considered negligence on the part of the driver.

How can I avoid car accidents?

Responsible driving is the key to avoid getting yourself involved in a car accident.  For teenage drivers, don’t go out driving unsupervised.  Avoid ingesting too much alcohol when you’re driving, not only will you be able to see the road clearer, your concentration will be better, too.  Concentrate on the road, disregard any distractions while driving.  If it is really necessary that you take a moment to acknowledge any distractions, park your car on a safe area and then attend to what ever needs your immediate attention.  Drive defensively instead of being aggressive on the road.   Always keep yourself abreast to weather conditions before going out.  Make sure and check your vehicle for any problems even before you hit the road.  It is better to be prepared and safe than getting into an accident on the road.

‘But I Don’t Want Muscles!’ - Part 1: What Muscle is, and how to Build (or Avoid) it

 One of the common comments I hear from my female clients is, “Please don’t give me any weights work – I don’t want any muscle, I just want to tone.” The reasons differ from client to client, but it most often they seem to be based on a misunderstanding of what muscle is, how we build it, what it has to do with weight loss – or some combination of the above. There’s a lot of misinformation outside of the fitness world about muscles and what they do, so I’d like to spend the next two articles exploring the realities behind the myths.

WHAT IS MUSCLE?

When I was younger, I’d never really thought about what the ‘stuff’ between my skin and my bones was made of. I understood that muscles were what bodybuilders had, and fat was something that made you fat, and that I had some of each. I think, though, that I believed that they existed inside some kind of other substance that filled the space between my skin and my bones. Then, in secondary school, I learned that, in a healthy person, most of this magical substance was just muscle. In fact, I learned that, aside from my body’s networks of organs, blood vessels and nerves, and my skeleton there isn’t really much under my skin except for muscle and fat. 

I learned that muscles were an incredible network of fibres that allowed me to move my limbs, to stay sitting or standing upright, to talk, breathe, and pretty much to translate any thought I had into action of some kind. I learned that if I didn’t use them, muscles would shrink and weaken, and if I did, they’d grow stronger. And I learned that as my muscles grew stronger, so did I.

All of this was quite a revelation for me at the time, so I can understand the initial confusion that exists amongst so many of my clients – why they want to tone without building muscles. The truth though, is that muscle is the only thing under their skin that can be toned, and that ‘toning’ often simply means that muscles become slightly more visible (which then makes the whole body look smoother and firmer). So without enough muscle to start with, there’s nothing there that can be toned.

BULIDING THE RIGHT SIZED MUSCLES

Often, the clients I speak to don’t have a problem with the idea of a little muscle. The problem is that many don’t realise it isn’t an ‘all or nothing’ thing. Unfortunately, because of the lack of clear information out there in the media, the only image they have to associate ‘women’ with ‘muscle’ is one of a female bodybuilder at the peak of her competition physique. Not that there’s anything wrong with wanting such a physique if that’s a client’s aim, but for most of the women I speak to, the possibility of developing such large, defined muscles is really quite scary!

Those kinds of muscles, however, don’t happen quickly or easily. Really large muscles require long, intense workouts over a period of time, and a base level of testosterone – a hormone most women don’t have in sufficient quantities (without the use of steroids, anyway) for size to become a problem. Granted, there are women with naturally high testosterone levels (and I’m one!), who will put on muscle more quickly. But even for me, muscles don’t suddenly appear, fully-formed overnight. So if I notice I’m gradually building size in an area I don’t want it, it’s not difficult for me to change my training in that body area to gradually reduce the size again.

Also, many people believe any kind of weights work will automatically increase muscle size. The truth is that not all training produces size increases. There are a number of variables you can play with in strength training – the heaviness of the weight, the number of repetitions of the movement, and the time you allow yourself to rest between groups of repetitions (or sets). Very generally speaking, training with a heavy weight and low repetitions in each set will increase strength; training with a medium-to-heavy weight and medium repetitions will increase muscle size; and training with a lighter weight with high repetitions per set will increase endurance. 

In practice, it’s not actually quite this simple, and there are other factors to consider. The important point is that not all training will increase muscle size, that some muscle is necessary if you want to tone, and that working with a competent trainer will help ensure you get only the results that you want from your training.

"Breaking Point: The Factors Behind Insanity"

 What can drive someone to insanity? Certainly, insanity is something that is commonly understood (or misunderstood) and usually carries some sort of stigma in the popular consciousness. If you believe in modern psychology and psychiatry, there are literally thousands of forms of insanity that a person can end up developing over a lifetime. Some of them, like depression, are temporary, while others, like social anxiety, require more work for a person to get through. However, there appears to be some commonality as to what actually brings about most of the forms of insanity that people go through. Which brings the question to bear: is there a common, underlying trigger that compromises the stability of a person's mental health?

Things like stress and anxiety are often cited, as most of the common (and several uncommon) mental health issues are triggered by one of the two. Continued exposure to stress can eventually push someone beyond their “breaking point,” with the form of insanity afterwards being affected by external factors. This is often a long, strenuous process because most people have some level of resistance to such things, allowing them to at least survive the stressful period with their sanity intact. Additionally, the process may not even really result in insanity, with most of the population serving as proof of this theory. Prolonged stress can affect a person's behavior and outlook, but it is also known that several other factors can increase or reduce the impact of this. In some cases, stress and anxiety can merely even have the opposite effect, depending on the person's personal outlook.

Emotions are also said to play a critical role in driving or pushing people into insanity, with feelings being so closely tied to mental health. A person's emotional state can often be a reflection of a person's relative state of mental stability, but may also become an effect of fractured sanity. There is no doubting that emotions can disrupt and affect a person's thought processes and make them do things that they normally would not do. It has also been noted that extremely emotional situations and heavy emotional trauma can permanently affect a person's mind, often resulting in a condition that requires therapy to eventually overcome. However, it is rather arguable that emotions are merely augmenting the effects of stress and pressure, not a factor in itself.

Trauma is also frequently cited as having drastic effects on a person's sanity, particularly if it occurs during the formative years. The extreme psychological and emotional impact that trauma victims have to endure can often force some past the breaking point, having permanent effects on their mental health. However, it should be noted that trauma tends to be little more than a combination of stressful and emotional factors, usually mixed in with extreme circumstances. The vulnerability of the person's psyche plays a larger role here than in other potential causes of insanity, which explains why trauma encountered later on in life does not have the same general effect as similar events encountered during childhood.

Ultimately, insanity is something that, like sanity, must be defined on an individual basis. What is sane for one person in a given society may not be considered such by a different person within the same society. Insanity is a matter of context in this case, which is the assumption that some psychological texts make.