Date - A Wonder Fruit of Arabia

Dates are the fruits of the date palm tree which is a food of high nutritional value. They are used abundantly in the month of Ramadan when Muslims fast from dawn to dusk. The sweetness of the date takes the edge off hunger and this is another reason why fasts are opened with dates. This prevents a person from overeating after he has opened his fast.

Dates contain calcium, sulphur, iron, potassium, phosphorus, manganese, copper, magnesium, volatile oils, Vitamin-B6, folic acid, Potassium, Iron and Magnesium, proteins, sugars, vitamins and are rich in natural fibers which contribute to a healthy body and mind.

Dates provides natural sugar in the form of glucose and fructose which is ready for immediate absorption and, is infinitely far superior to cane-sugar.

Eating dates has great benefits which can be illustrated as follows:

Prevents Cancer: Dates are very nutritious and contain natural fibres. Modern medicine has shown that they are effective in preventing abdominal cancer. In general Bedouin Arabs, who eat them on a regular basis, show an extremely low incidence rate of cancer.

Weak heart: Dates are an excellent remedy for weak heart. Dates soaked overnight should be taken twice a week which strengthens the heart.
Bedouin Arabs who regularly consume dates have shown an extremely low rate of heart disease.

Treatment for Obesity: The wide variety of nutritious elements in dates makes it hunger-resistive! So treatment by eating few dates when feeling hungry helps reduce hunger and be filled. These dates will provide the body with the necessary sugar and stimulate the intestine which reduce hunger greatly, and eventually, reduce food consumption.

Eases child-birth: Eating dates eases the pain of childbirth. Scientifically they are known to contain hormones which strengthen the uterus, help produce milk for nursing mothers and also prevent blood loss after childbirth. (The ripe fruit contains a substance that urges uterine spasms and increases contractions especially in the time of delivery. This substance resembles 'oxytocin' that is secreted by pituitary gland, which encourages contractions of the uterus. Dates contain some stimulants which strengthen the muscles of the uterus in the last months of pregnancy. This helps the dilation of the uterus at the time of delivery and reduces post-natal bleeding).

Ideal for breast-feeding mothers: Dieticians consider dates the best food for breast-feeding mothers. This is because dates contain elements that assist in alleviating depression and enrich the breast milk with the nutrients needed to make the child healthy and resistant to disease.

Bones: Calcium is important for strong bones so this is an additional benefit that dates provide. As dates are rich in calcium, they contribute to healthy bones. For this reason it is recommended that children and older adults, especially women, eat plenty of dates to strengthen their bones.

Modern science has also proved the effectiveness of dates, in preventing diseases of the respiratory system.

Intestinal Disturbances: Eating dates in the morning on an empty stomach kills intestinal worms and other parasites, for dates have an antidotal potency which restrains their growth. According to Metchnikoff, a great Russian scientist, liberal use of dates keeps in check the growth of pathological organisms and helps to establish a colony of friendly bacteria in the intestines.

Improves Eye sight: Dates are also important in maintaining good vision and are effective in guarding against night-blindness.

Cures constipation: Dates are also highly beneficial in the treatment of constipation as the roughage provided by it stimulates sluggish bowels. They should be immersed in water at night and taken after making them into fine syrup the next morning to secure laxative effect.

Remedy for Sexual Debility: Date syrup can be used as a treatment for weak heart. It can also be use for the treatment of sexual weakness. When it's mixed with milk and honey, dates can be used as a tonic for the treatment of sexual disturbances for both sexes. And such syrup strengthens the body and raises its energy levels. The elderly would benefit from this syrup too. It improves their stamina and purges their bodies from the toxins that have accumulated in their cells along the years.

Remedy for Liver and Inflammations: Dates remedy Lever and purge it from toxins, Breaking the fast with dates, is one of the most magnificent of natural remedies for the maintenance and purging the Lever from accumulated toxins. And also drinking dates juice could be used in the treatment of sore throat, various types of fever, rhinorrhia and common cold.

Remedy for Intoxication: Dates are an excellent remedy for alcoholic intoxication. In such a case, drinking water in which fresh dates have been rubbed or soaked will bring quick relief

Children's Disease: Dates tied to a wrist of the baby and allowed to be sucked during teething period hardens the gums and also prevents other complaints like restlessness and diarrhea.

In short sentence, one date satisfies the minimum requirements of a balanced and healthy diet - so cultivating a healthy habit of eating dates miraculously preserves our health and attains longevity.

Health Insurance During Pregnancy - Finding Out Your Coverage

Your newborn needs to be taken care of on arrival. When you choose a good maternity hospital, you also need to have good insurance during pregnancy. Costs of normal delivery are comparatively lesser as compared to a cesarean section. It is not only the delivery expenses that you have to consider. There will also be various examinations, tests and various other expenses which need to be looked into besides the delivery charges. Once you have planned the pregnancy, the best thing to do is investigate details about and find out more about your coverage.

Covering financial hassles during pregnancy:

Pregnancy as well as delivery involves a lot of hassles financially and after the baby is born there are a lot of visits to be made to the pediatrician, getting the baby immunized etc. Due to any reason if you have to give up your job while you are pregnant, you may find it strenuous to maintain your budget. Not many women get themselves insured when they are pregnant and it may become difficult getting insured after they're pregnant. As per the rules of many providers any pre-existing pregnancy related condition is considered as a 'category', which has its own fine print. Many a times, emergency medical treatment is needed, because of which many healthcare providers hesitate to cover pregnant women.

Waiting periods could extend over a couple of months and higher premiums are required to be paid in health insurance coverage for pregnancy. A better idea would be to obtain a health insurance policy before you get pregnant since then the premium amount is not very high. An important issue to be considered however is the duration of the waiting period. Once a woman is pregnant, she has to go for periodic checkups, tests and diagnosis of the trimesters on a regular basis which cannot be avoided at any cost and this makes consideration of special health care insurance still more important.

Individual and group health insurance plans:

Many of the health insurance companies also charge something called the optional rider which is a kind of extra premium. Each time a premium is paid, the optional rider also has to be paid but you have the option of dropping the rider, for which you need to understand details of health insurance during pregnancy - finding out your coverage, and other essentials of the fine print.

Employers these days provide health insurance coverage to all those employees who have worked for a specified number of years in the company. This includes maternity coverage. Make necessary inquiries with officials at your company so that you can obtain coverage while you are pregnant. Once you obtain such health insurance you don't have to worry as all medical bills and all expenses related to pregnancy are covered by the health insurance plan. Many companies also provide group insurance which is comparatively less expensive than the individual health insurance plan. Just in case you change your job, the old insurance plan can be continued at the new company you will be joining, once provisions for timely payouts are made.

How To Prevent Stretch Marks in Pregnancy

Most women will get stretch marks somewhere on their body during pregnancy. Stretch marks or striae gravidarum are thick, linear bands that present on the abdomen, bottom and thighs, arms and breasts. When they first appear they will usually look like angry streaks that are red, purple or pink in colour. Stretchmarks usually appear in the final months when women have a sudden abdominal growth spurt and changes in hormone levels which may have an effect on the skins elasticity and strength.

It is no surprise that the main site for stretchmarks are the abdomen and breasts, both being areas that see an expansion. There are other specific indicators to being more susceptable to getting stretch marks. These are;

•younger maternal age during pregnancy
•family history of striae, non-white race
•excess weight gain during pregnancy
•higher maternal body weight, carrying a larger baby

Preventing and Managing Stretch Marks

Most women may have a genetic disposition to stretch marks and this is something we can do little about however there are ways to support the skin in order to limit their severity. Good nurtrition, exercise and using a good moisturiser can help deal with stretch marks and even prevent them.

Excessive Weight Gain

Since excessive weight gain appears to be a contributing factor to the development of stretch marks, it is important for women to maintain a healthy and appropriate weight during their pregnancy. The NHS suggests that women should gain anywhere between 8 and 14 kilos during pregnancy depending on if they are underweight or overweight at the start of their pregnancy.There are also added benefits for not gaining excess weight during diabetes - these would include the development of gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia - both being high risk factors for pregnancy.

Nutrition and Exercise

Having regular exercise and making sure you eat the appropriate foods in pregnancy can help you put on weight gradually and adequately for your benefit and for the health of your growing child.

Natural Skincare Products

One way of managing or preventing stretch mark scaring is to use a product designed specifically for the purpose - the focus of which would be to smooth and toning the skin as well as restoring vital lost moisture. There are some lovely ingredients that are used for scar reduction, moisturisation and firming and toning the skin. These include rosehip oil, shea butter, olive oil and frankincense.

Rosehip
Rosehip seed oil is high in the essential fatty acids linoleic fatty acid and linolenic fatty acid otherwise known as Vitamin F. Rosheip oil is great for cell regeneration, a must for helping the body prevent and heal stretch marks.

Shea Butter
Shea buttter comes from processing and extracting the oil from the nut of the karite tree. It is a rich and grainy butter that has excellent moisturising properties and has been used for centuries by the people of Africa for cooking and for caring for the skin. It is also good for people who suffer from dry and irritable skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis, helping to protect and aid in healing.

Olive Oil
Olive oil ontains squalane,a emmolient that closely resembles human sebum; Oleocanthal- a non steroidal anti inflammatory and antioxindent agent; Phenols which are also antiinflammatory and anticoagulant and chlorophyll, thought to help heal the skin. All helping to regerate and make the skin glow.

Frankincense
Found from East Africa, the middle east (Oman, Yemen) and India, Frankincense oil comes from the gum of the tree. The oil is high in boswellic acid, a substance that has proven anti-inflammatory activity. There is reliable evidence that boswellic acid, when introduced into beauty products can improve the texture and elasticity of skin.

When applied topically these creams can have great benefit for keeping the skin supple, moisturised and aid with toning the skin.

Am I Too Old to Get Pregnant? 5 Ways to Conceive at Any Age

If you are of "advanced maternal age" and your doctor is refusing you the opportunity to get pregnant, because he thinks you're "too old", think about all of the women who naturally got pregnant over 50 years of age:

• 
  Aracelia Garcia, aged 54 became naturally pregnant with triplets in 1994
  
  
  


• 
  Frances Harris, aged 59, became naturally pregnant with twins in 2004
  
  
  


• 
  Annie Leibovitz was 52 when she gave birth to her daughter Sarah in October 2001
  
  
  


• 
  Elizabeth Edwards gave birth to son Jack in 2000 at the age of 51
  
  
  


• 
  Ruth Kistler of Portland, Oregon gave birth to a daughter on October 18, 1956, at the age of 57 (this is before IVF was even invented!!)
  
  
  


• 
  Kathleen Campbell of Kimberley, Nottinghamshire gave birth to a son in 1987 at the age of 55, having conceived naturally
  
  
  


• 
  Dawn Brooke of Guernsey gave birth to a son on August 20, 1997, at the age of 59

As you can see, women can get pregnant at any age without the assistance of drugs or surgery. Personally, and in my own experience as a kinesiologist, I've never had a client aged 50 or over, but I've helped several women aged 44, 46, 47, 48, and 49 to get pregnant.

You can take control of your fertility and your health with natural remedies, and I recommend anyone over 35 who is having problems conceiving should do the following:

1. 
   Start taking an antioxidant formula - antioxidants help to repair free radical damage, and can reverse cellular aging. This is particularly important for improving the quality of your eggs, and keeping the reproductive organs young and healthy. I recommend AntioxiPlus
   
   
   


2. 
   Increase your intake of superfood fruits and vegetables - these fruits and vegetables are extremely nutrient dense, and provide your body with additional vitamins, minerals, macronutrients, as well as the energy required to reproduce. An easy way of doing this is by mixing a formula like AlkaGreens Plus into your morning juice.
   
   
   


3. 
   Do a body cleanse for fertility - older women have had a longer exposure to pollution than younger women... simply because they've been alive for longer. Gently detoxing the body, and strengthening the organs of elimination can double fertility, without the requirement for drugs or surgery
   
   
   


4. 
   Balance your hormones and triple your fertility with a herbal remedy like FertilPlus, which contains ingredients scientifically proven to increase fertility, and has had an excellent track record with helping women from countries all over the world to conceive. (There's even a FertilPlus for men that increases sperm counts, and improves sperm motility and morphology.)
   
   
   


5. 
   Reduce your stress levels, as it's been scientifically proven that the stress of trying to conceive is as harmful to your body as the stress of bereavement. Stress can put your hormones out of balance, which disrupts the menstrual cycle and ovulation, which prevent you from getting pregnant.

In my experience, women over 40 have more than one problem that is preventing them from getting pregnant. For example, there's fibroids, endometriois, PCOS, blocked fallopian tubes, PID, recurrent candida infections etc.

If this is you, my advice would be to tackle these conditions while trying to conceive, by combining a body cleanse with an organic herbal remedy specifically designed for the condition. This is because removing any of the obstacles to getting pregnant will help you to conceive at an advanced maternal age.

Beat Depression Naturally - Top 10 Secrets to Beat Depression Naturally

Beat depression naturally is an effective treatment method that could possibly give better results. Depression is a state of mental illness which can affect anyone and at any time. A mental state of depression might be the result of circumstances such as losing a closely related person, experiencing a traumatic condition, and facing severe financial problems. Many women suffer from this problem shortly after giving birth which is known as post natal depression. Curing depression naturally is a tough task to be carried out all alone. However, with persistent efforts and with the help of experts, it is always feasible to get good results.

It is recommended to stay away from chemicals as they might have harmful side effects. Treat depression naturally is all about tackling depression without the external help of medication. There are so many natural techniques to cure depression. It is said that prevention is better than cure. Similarly, one should have healthy life style to prevent himself from such defects. Lack of energy, sleeplessness, lack of interest in work and life, feeling alone and alienated are some of the symptoms. Natural depression treatments will try to cure these symptoms and help you to recover. Here are some of the healthy tips to beat depression naturally.

1. Be a self motivated person so that you will never run out of energy. This will eliminate unwanted situations where you will want to be alone or irritated.


2. It is good to have regular exercises everyday. This will take away the stress in life and will pump in lease of blood so that you remain active. Walking is considered to be the best exercise which is a natural cure for depression.


3. Eat lots of vegetables and fruits. This is a good way to remain healthy. Banana is rich in Vitamin B which is very good for health.


4. It is good take essential oil in the daily bath as a part of natural depression treatments to massage your body. Clary sage, ylang-ylang, geranium, basil oils are some of the essential oils which can be even burnt. Do not over use as it might have opposite effects in the body.


5. Do not remain in the house for a longer period of time. Just get out and walk at least for ten minutes. Enjoy the fresh air outside and chill out.


6. If you live alone then try to spend most of your time with your friends and neighbors. Being alone will leave you in a severe state of depression. Communicate frequently with people to avoid the state of loneliness and this is an integral part of curing depression naturally.


7. It is good to stimulate your mind to reignite your love and passion. If you engage your mind constantly then you will not think about your problems often.


8. Yoga and meditation can work wonders when practiced sincerely. This is one of the effective parts in treating depression naturally.


9. Eliminate all kinds of negative thinking from your mind which is the root cause of all the problems.


10. Avoid meeting people with negative mindset which will change your life altogether. This is one effective way to beat depression naturally.

3D Ultrasound - The Pros and Cons

A 3D ultrasound is able to achieve remarkably clear images by utilising the same sound waves used in a 2D ultrasound but bending them in different angles. The clarity of the images available offers many advantages over 2D ultrasounds, but it also comes with some disadvantages.

Pro

A 3D Ultrasound provides a more detailed image of the baby than a traditional 2D Ultrasound. The images are more lifelike and give a great indication of what your baby's physical features will look like. A 3D ultrasound is able to give a very clear image of the babys facial features after the fifth month.

Unlike a traditional 2D Ultrasound it is not necessary to have a full bladder in order to obtain a clear image. Needless to say this is a great relief to expectant mothers.

Con

The remarkably clear images can provide a false sense of reassurance that there are no underlying physical problems with the unborn baby. Mothers to be may decide that getting a 3D ultrasound is the cheap alternative to a more substantial prenatal care program and may discontinue this prenatal care under the assumption "everything is ok." While a good tool for determining the physical condition of an unborn baby. 3D ultrasound should never completely replace all other prenatal care options.

Can give a false indication of the health of the baby i.e. does not always accurately represent physical deformities. These "false positives" can become more of an issue with an inexperienced ultrasound technician. For example; harmless fetal cysts detected by 3D ultrasounds, may lead to further and more invasive tests can contribute to additional anxiety by the mother. There is also the possibility of "scanning artifacts" such as duplicated body parts, holes and unusual clefts, which usually go away after the ultrasound probe has been moved slightly. An inexperienced technician might be guilty of making this error. Again this can cause undue stress and anxiety to the mother.

Ultimately the decision to go for 2D or 3D ultrasound is influenced by the level of information the expected mother wishes to receive. Sometimes too much information is not a good thing, however, and it can lull you into a false sense of security. Sometimes it is exactly what you need. In the end the choice is yours.

Is Pregnancy Brain Real?

Have you forgotten any important information lately? Telephone numbers? Names? Appointments? Places you've put things?

If so, you're probably experiencing PREGNANCY BRAIN!

For those of you who, in the past, might have laughed at your girlfriend who suggested it was a REAL excuse - let me tell you, pregnancy brain is a REAL phenomenon and it affects over 50% of women.

There is research out there that suggests that a woman's brain does SHRINK during pregnancy! The question is - does it grow back? (Keep reading for my opinion on that one!).

Research or not - I know I had PREGNANCY BRAIN! I could hardly remember where I parked my car never mind where I actually put the keys for it (and normally I'm very responsible with things like that!).

I also found that not only was I forgetful, I was also clumsy and sloppy (every time I drank water I had a hard time finding my mouth!)

So, worry no more, cut yourself some slack, and chalk your "forgetfulness" up as yet another pregnancy symptom!

In fact, with all the changes you've got going on in your body, not to mention all of the important decisions you've got to make (pregnancy tests, cloth diapers vs. disposables, epidural or not, color of your baby's room etc.), it's no wonder you're not 100% mindful!

And what happens to your "shrunken" brain after delivery? Based on my personal experience, I am sorry to say it, BUT the forgetfulness doesn't completely go away the moment you deliver (nuh-uh!). Take it from me - my daughter is 19 months and I still often find myself going to the grocery store for diapers, coming home and THEN realizing I have bought everything else BUT what I went in for!

On a more serious note - I really believe that your degree of Pregnancy Brain (or not!) is reflective of the level of stress, overwhelm, and/or "busyness" in your life. So, here are some TIPS to help you take charge of your life:

8 Ways to Reduce the Pregnancy Brain Drain...

1. Keep a small notebook - jot down reminders, names, appointments;

2. Write a daily "to-do" list - this will help you remember what you need to get done (like buying diapers!);

3. Relax - plan time every day to do things like read a book or take a bath (lukewarm, of course!);

4. X-or-size (if you can) - move your body and breathe in the fresh air, O2 does wonders for your body and your mind. Check out my pregnancy and post pregnancy exercise program

5. Take a break - "time outs" work wonders for gathering your thoughts;

6. De-stress - unload that negative energy with a treat, like a massage or a mindless movie;

7. Grab a few winks - rejuvenate with a little sleep; and last, but not least...

8. Put your car keys in the same place each day (sound like a familiar frustration?)!

Pregnancy brain is real. It's also a great excuse - so have FUN using it for the next 40+ weeks!

For lots more TIPS to on HOW to take charge of your pregnancy, specific exercises you CAN and CANNOT do safely, and which foods are beneficial to eat and which to AVOID, read my kit at...