Assessing Your Health: Sleep May Be More Important Than You Think

Title:Assessing Your Health: Sleep May Be More Important Than You ThinkWord Count:363Summary:If counting sheep is not working for you, here are some facts you may want to sleep on--chronicsleep deprivation can do more than make you tired. It can significantly affect your health, safety,performance, and lifestyle.Keywords:Assessing Your Health: Sleep May Be More Important Than You ThinkArticle Body:If counting sheep is not working for you, here are some facts you may want to sleep on-chronicsleep deprivation can do more than make you tired. It can significantly affect your health, safety,performance, and lifestyle.Most people are surprised to learn that sleeping less than six or seven hours a night can increasetheir mortality risk more than smoking, high blood pressure or heart disease.Losing as little as one and a half hours of sleep for just one night could result in a reduction ofdaytime alertness by as much as 32 percent. This loss can impair memory and the ability tothink and process information effectively.Decreased alertness can also affect your life by limiting your participation in activities thatrequire sustained attention, such as reading a book or watching your favorite TV show. And therisk of receiving an occupational injury more than doubles when a person is sleepy.Car accidents are another problem. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA) estimates conservatively that each year drowsy driving is responsible for at least

100,000 automobiles crashed, 71,000 injuries and 1,550 fatalities.As many as 70 million Americans have sleep disturbances-which include taking a long time toget to sleep, sleeping less and waking up frequently.Sleep disturbances may in fact be a symptom of a much larger problem, especially if they areassociated with irritability and mood swings. Emotional stress, racing thoughts and restlessnesscan be signs of something more serious, such as bipolar disorder.\"If someone is experiencing restlessness and irritability, along with sadness or emotional upsand downs for more than two weeks,\" said Dr. Ellen Frank, professor of psychiatry andpsychology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the Western Psychiatric Institute andClinic, \"they should seek medical attention from a specialist who is trained to diagnose orperhaps just rule out depression or bipolar disorder.\"The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) has launched a new Web site, www.sleeplessinamerica.org, which offers educational resources that provide screening forsleeplessness, information on when to see a doctor and a questionnaire to determine whensleeplessness might be symptomatic of a more serious illness. The Web site is also available inSpanish.Title:Healthy Lifestyles Can Fight AcneWord Count:661Summary:If you're seriously interested in knowing about acne, you need to think beyond the basics. Thisinformative article takes a closer look at things you need to know about acne.Keywords:acne, pimples, clear face, treating acne, beautiful skin, skin careArticle Body:If you're seriously interested in knowing about acne, you need to think beyond the basics. Thisinformative article takes a closer look at things you need to know about acne.This information is simple. Make certain you don't let important acne information slip by you.I am sure that every one of you is familiar with acne. Almost all of us got this skin disorder,right? Well, technically known as acne vulgaris, this skin disorder affects millions of peoplefrom different walks of life, annually. Studies have found out that most of the adolescents arethe usual target of this disease, although infants and adults are also affected. It is even found outthat about 80 percent of the teenagers develop acne, particularly for women.

What is acne?According to certain studies, acne varies from quite mild to tremendously severe. It typicallyforms when the lining of the skin duct as well as the sebaceous glands start to work overtime.With the onset of acne, the lining of the duct actually shed cells which are then transportedaway to the shell of the skin by the sebum. Once the duct is blocked, it is when the sebum andcells start to amass, forming a plug known as comedo.Once the plug stays below the plane of the skin, whiteheads or \"closed comedo\" occurs. If theplug boosts and pops out of the skin duct, it is called \"open comedo\" or blackhead since the topis dark. As you may know, this is not absolutely dirt, thus it will not wash away.There are a lot of factors that contribute to the formation of acne, but in terms of its real cause,no one is actually certain as to what exactly causes acne to develop or why it starts inadolescence. However, factor like hereditary top the list. It has long been deemed as the mostimportant factor that plays a large role in the acne's development. As what most people believe,if a member of your family had acne, there is a great possibility that you will have acne too.Although acne is very prevalent among teenagers, acne should not control your life. There are alot of ways to fight acne, and one of those is maintaining a healthy lifestyle.Healthy Lifestyle ChangesExperts have said that when treating a person for acne, the only way to obtain results fromeffective treatments is through various healthy lifestyle changes. When I say \"healthy lifestylechanges\", it includes the way you eat, sleep, work, play, etc. As much as possible, you shouldtry to focus on all areas that need changing. This is very important in order for a sustained effortto be completed. If your goal is to treat your bothering acne, then try to treat your whole self asmany ways as possible.Overcoming StressOne of the most common dilemmas that face people is stress. Stress that is not normal. So whathappens when the body gets too stressed out? Experts have found out that in this case, theadrenal cortex converts adrenal androgens to the hormone testosterone in both men and women,which in turn results in overactive sebaceous glands. As found out, the ovaries of women arecapable of producing 25 percent of the testosterone, while 75 percent of the hormone comesfrom the adrenal androgens.When the body of both male and female is stressed, more adrenal androgen is released, causinga double amount of testosterone. It is this doubling effect that causes the T zone of the face tobe oily, while other areas are still dry from dehydration. Also note that adult acne is sometimesthe by-product of stress and dehydration. And, water and estrogen are the factors that calm thebody's stress alarm system.Now you can be a confident expert on acne. OK, maybe not an expert. But you should havesomething to bring to the table next time you join a discussion on acne.

Title:Prevent constipation and other health ailments with papayaWord Count:464Summary:Constipation is a condition whereby the fecal matter traveling through your colon remains toolong in your colon before traveling out of the rectum. You become aware that you areconstipated if you have difficulty passing motion or take a few days to do one purge. For fruit,have you considered having papaya as a constipation remedy or including it as part of yourregular diet?Keywords:constipation, papaya, natural remedy, natural remedies, natural food remedy, food diet, nutritionArticle Body:Constipation is a condition whereby the fecal matter traveling through your colon remains toolong in your colon before traveling out of the rectum. You become aware that you areconstipated if you have difficulty passing motion or take a few days to do one purge.That said, if you are suffering from constipation, you have been advised to eat more fruits andvegetables to increase your fiber intake.For fruit, have you considered having papaya as a constipation remedy or including it as part ofyour regular diet?As a natural remedy, papaya not only aids digestion but also helps prevent constipation. Itprovides relief from piles and also has anti-cancer properties. Papaya has also been shown to抯lower cholesterol levels, prevents the formation of urinary stones, prevents intestinal infectionby parasites and aids in the proper functioning of the body immune system. For lactatingmothers, according to traditional beliefs, papaya also helps to stimulate milk production.Papayas contain papain, an enzyme that helps digest proteins (especially food with gluten).Concentrated amounts can especially be found in unripe papaya. This enzyme helps prevent theaccumulation of mucoprotein (partially digested protein) in the body and lymphatic system. Infact, papain has been extracted to make dietary supplements for digestion. Thus, the unripepapaya is considered to have more healing powers for constipation than the ripe one.Papayas are a good source of fiber. Its fiber is able to keep cancer-causing toxins in the colon抯away from the healthy colon cells. Those who are experiencing constipation or at risk ofcolon cancer should consider taking more papaya. Papaya folate, vitamin C, vitamin A,beta-carontene and vitamin E have been linked with reduced risk of colon cancer.Additionally, the antioxidant nutrients found in papaya have also been proven to reduce muscleinflammation and the healing of burns and wounds.The papaya fruit is slightly sweet, with a musky smell to it. It is now mainly cultivated in thewarm tropical parts of the world but can easily be found in many supermarkets.

To prevent constipation and for all stated health benefits, here are three simple papaya recipes:1. Papaya Milk Energy drink. Cut papaya and blend with milk in a 50/50 mix. Add honey ifdesired. Papaya milk is a good energy drink for growing children.2. Papaya Salad (Thai Style). Shred green papaya and cut some tomatoes. For dressing, addchopped garlic, 2 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon lime juice, cilantro, Thai basil, 1 teaspoonchopped mint, chili padi (optional) and sugar to taste.3. Unripe papaya juice. Peel off skin and put in blender. This recipe is especially good forthe lymphatic system and after a meal that is heavy in gluten.Including papaya as part of your regular diet is a great idea for a healthy functioning body.