Lower Testosterone

When you're hoping to conceive a girl it's important to lower certain hormones. The most important hormone to lower is testosterone. It may come as a surprise, but even women have some testosterone in their bodies. Mothers and fathers-to-be should try and lower their levels before they try to conceive to maximize their chances of getting pregnant with a girl.

Suggestions to Lower Your Levels

The first place to start is with your diet! That's right, what you eat can be causing your levels to go up. You want to drastically drop your protein levels, lower your calories, and reduce fat in your diet.

Doing this is a recipe for several things -- first it lowers your overall nutrient intake. That's shown to increase your chances of a girl. Secondly, it helps you start to lose weight, which can also help you get a girl.

Having a lower protein, lower fat diet also helps reduce your testosterone levels. The protein that you do eat should be plant-based protein like beans. Stay away from red meats and animal fats. Instead, go for plant oils. Try to stick to beans because nuts are high in fat and often very salty -- two things that will increase your chances of a boy.

Another dietary change to lower testosterone is soy, which is high in phyto-estrogens. Personally I would not take soy, however, since it can have negative effects on any baby (girl or boy) conceived.

Lifestyle Changes

You can also make some changes to your lifestyle. Try to stay awake more! That's right, a good night's sleep helps to produce testosterone, so you want to try and get a shorter night in.

This is also a time to let goals and projects slide. Just take it easy and let life carry you along. Trying to conceive a girl is, of course, a project, but try and make it the only big one. Working towards goals raises testosterone.

Exercise is another way to increase your chances of getting pregnant with a girl. You don't want to do exercises with weights, however. Resistance training boosts testosterone. Your best bet is very vigorous "cardio" exercise which can cause loss of muscle mass and weight. Both of these contribute to lowering testosterone and boosting your chances of having a girl.

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Lower Body Workout For Women - What To Eat And 3 Moves To Get You Started

A lower body workout for women is focused primarily for the look of the legs and butt. Women who want to get in shape don't always focus on a great physique above the waist like men do.
Women focus more on accentuation and toning, and not on being bulky. A great feminine physique should be both strong and lean.
When trying to accentuate the curves of a woman, a special food plan is needed. It is not necessary that you eat less if you want to shape the body the healthy way. They should try and follow these ideals when attempting to shape the body.
Incorporate more fruits and veggies. They provide fiber, good carbs, as well as an abundance of vitamins and minerals. Try and cut out any bread that isn't whole grain, and even then still, try and reduce your bread intake. Juice as many meals as you can stand to eat. This gives you all the nutrients without losing any in the digestion process.
Eat every two and a half hours, drink plenty of water, and try to incorporate as many good fats such as nuts and avocados. Having protein as well will help you when using your muscles, during this powerful lower body workout for women.
1. Floor Press - Lie flat on floor. Keep arms on floor when you thrust your pelvis in the air using only your legs and butt. When you get to the top with your pelvis squeeze the buttocks and hold while you exhale.
2. Jumping Squat - Start down in the squat position, with legs parallel to the floor. Then explode up, catching yourself back on the ground, on your toes. Repeat until exhaustion.
For a challenge lower your butt down to the floor while still on your feet, then explode upwards extending your arms and your legs, and then bringing them back in as you land.
3. Magic Ninja Squat - These moves will become more difficult to complete as you use all of your legs muscles to do the exercise as well as support yourself. You will also need a chair, or something to lean on.
While holding on to chair, stand behind it. Start behind it with your legs spread beyond shoulder length apart. Squat down until your thighs are parallel with the floor, and your toes are pointed out. Begin to press your knees toward the back of you, opening up your thighs more, and squeezing your buttocks as you press your knees back, them release. Do this move 5 times, then get up on your toes while still holding the chair. Do 5 more on your toes. While doing this press, breath out as you press the knees back, and breath in as you release. This move is hard, so take your time. Supporting your weight as you do this will prove to be a challenge. This move alone can also be a great lower body workout for women.
Create sets with as many reps as you feel comfortable. Then do as many sets as your energy and time permit. Then try and stick with that amount until you are able to do more.
Eat more protein in your meals with other healthy things, and you can expect to be losing weight quickly. This lower body workout for women involves many important facets to it. Losing weight and shredding fat on the lower body, you will discover will dramatically change the way you look in those jeans.

Menopause, Hair Loss, and Too Much Estrogen

It's no secret that menopause means you will be experiencing lots of bodily changes. But what you may not have been expecting is for menopause to cost you your hair! It is true though, that most women will experience thinning hair during menopause. How much loss you experience and how long the loss lasts depends on a number of factors including genetic propensity, lifestyle, diet, and health.
Even though it is by no means rare for a menopausal woman to suffer from alopecia, many doctors don't seem to have a solution and can be unsympathetic. The condition is often overlooked as a normal part of the aging process. Sometimes, Rogaine is suggested; but while Rogaine has the potential to enhance existing hair it does not offer a real solution to the original and underlying cause of your hair loss. And it cannot prevent future thinning.
Finding The Cause
Alopecia can be caused by many conditions but most alopecia in women (and men) can be attributed to hormonal factors. It has become obvious that hair is very sensitive to large hormonal shifts. Think about getting on and off birth control, pregnancy, and yes, menopause. Changes in your body's levels of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone can and will likely affect hair growth. So much so that if a woman is experiencing a significant amount of loss, the first thing to consider is whether there has been any significant hormonal changes.
This is why doctors will say that it is "normal" for women to start thinning as they head into menopause. A better way to put it is that it is understandable that a menopausal woman experience hair shed. One great misconception about menopause is that the symptoms of menopause are always caused by an estrogen deficiency. The symptoms of perimenopause and menopause are caused by changes and fluctuations of hormones. When it comes to hormones, balance is key. Estrogen levels do fall as women head into menopause, but the hormone progesterone falls much more.
Hormonal imbalance is the primary cause of what is known as male pattern baldness when it occurs in women. This pattern of hair loss can be seen in women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, sometimes after pregnancy, and when heading into menopause. The problem is exacerbated when some women have a genetic predisposition to male pattern loss. If all this information has gotten you down a bit, there is some light at the end of the tunnel. The good news is that most cases of male pattern loss do not result in complete baldness. There's more good news; hormonal alopecia in women can be treated. Women who are able to balance their hormones can stop the hair shed and restore a full head of hair.
Hormonal Imbalance & Estrogen Dominance
Have you ever wondered why some women who are going through menopause still have a full head of hair while others are so thin on top? A lot of it has to do with lifestyle and how that lifestyle affects our hormones. We've already established that large fluctuations and imbalances in hormones can cause balding. With that, I'd like to introduce the term 'estrogen dominance'. Estrogen dominance is the state where the level of estrogen in the body outweighs the level of progesterone in the body.
In the west, it is estimated that half the women over 35 are estrogen dominant. Progesterone is estrogen's antagonist. Estrogen, for example will stimulate cysts in the breast and progesterone protects against cysts in the breasts. Estrogen will cause you to retain salt and water and progesterone acts as a diuretic. Breast and endometrial cancers are thought to be estrogen dependent while progesterone protects against those types of cancers. Estrogen is not all bad, but progesterone needs to be available to work synchronously with estrogen. Both are necessary for the proper and normal functioning of the female body.
It is not simply the estrogen deficiency that causes many of the health problems prevalent in women; it is the dominance of estrogen compared with the amount of available progesterone. Estrogen declines gradually as we age, but there is a dramatic difference in the rate of decline of estrogen as compared with progesterone. From the ages of 35 to 50, there is a 75 percent reduction in the amount of progesterone produced by the body, while estrogen declines only 35 percent during this same time period. When women finally reach menopause, the amount of progesterone in the body is severely low, compared to the amount of estrogen (which, is still present at about one half of premenopausal levels).
The world's authority on natural hormone replacement therapy, Dr. John Lee, stated that in order for women to have optimum health, the ratio of progesterone to estrogen should be about 250 to 1.
Besides menopause there are a lot of ways women can become estrogen dominant. Anytime a woman is prescribed estrogen without progesterone, she can become estrogen dominant. Many hormone replacement programs put women on estrogens such as Premarin. Despite many years of research that shows that women receiving unopposed estrogen from a hormone replacement therapy program can increase a woman's risk of breast and endometrial cancers. Other sources of extra estrogen include:
Xenoestrogens- these are estrogen-mimicking chemicals that are found in plastics, lotions, cosmetics, shampoos, hair products, room deodorizers, soaps, car exhaust, pesticides, nail polish, glues, dry cleaning chemicals, industrial waste, and fragrances. Xenoestrogens disrupt hormonal interactions in the body and act like estrogen.
Dairy and animal products that have been supplemented with hormones
A healthy liver helps to get rid of excess estrogen, but an overwhelmed liver will not be able to do this.
An unhealthy gut will allow excess estrogens to be reabsorbed in the digestive tract.
Birth control pills
Obesity is another contributor. Fat cells can convert other hormones into estrogen.
Stress can cause adrenal gland exhaustion, which will lead to reduced progesterone production.
An unhealthy diet can cause estrogen dominance. Studies show that both estrogen and progesterone levels decreased in women who changed their diets to a low fat, high fiber diet- even if they did not lower their caloric intake. Plant foods contain compounds that act as progesterone to counter balance estrogen. Women who eat healthier will have less severe menopause symptoms because the level of hormones in their bodies does not change as significantly.
Caffeine intake is linked to increased levels of estrogen.
You may be shocked at all of the external factors that can contribute to estrogen dominance. Almost all of us who live in the developed world are continuously exposed to estrogenic compounds.
How Estrogen Dominance Leads to Hair Loss
At this point you may be asking yourself, "How does estrogen dominance lead to hair loss?" Well, the estrogen dominant condition mimics the effects of hypothyroidism by interfering with thyroid hormones. Hair thinning is a well-known side effect of hypothyroidism. Hair loss is not the only hypothyroid mimicking symptom of estrogen dominance; other symptoms include water retention, dry skin, loss of memory, and some autoimmune disorders.
Estrogen increases Thyroid Binding Globulin in the blood, which stops thyroid activity. Thyroid Binding Globulin (TBG) is a protein that carries thyroid hormones. Increasing levels of TBG reduces the amount of thyroid proteins available to bind to their receptors because they are being "bound" by TBG. This means less available thyroid proteins to regulate and maintain metabolism. What is particularly interesting is that if you are tested, blood thyroid levels will test normal or high because the problem is not the amount of thyroid hormones available in the body, it is that they are being bound by TBG.
Women who are estrogen dominant will require more thyroid hormone for normal function because of the high levels of estrogen compared to progesterone. Effectively, estrogen dominance causes a decrease in thyroid secretion and decreases sensitivity to thyroid hormones. This is what estrogen is meant to do. High levels of estrogen are meant to cause fat build up to prepare the body for pregnancy. The way that estrogen does this is by lowering your body's sensitivity to thyroid hormone.
Make Lifestyle Changes That Will Promote Hair Growth
If you think that estrogen dominance could be the cause of your hair loss you can start by talking to your health care provider about getting the following tests:
Full hormone panel - look at levels of estrogen, progesterone, and testosteroneThyroidFasting InsulinMetabolic Panel - Liver functionFerritin - Iron deficiencyAllergy
Once you have established that estrogen could be contributing to your thinning there are many things you can do to recover. No one knows the absolute cure for hair loss, at the same time menopause does not have to be a hair death sentence. If and when you begin to notice thinning hair please do not yet resign yourself to wigs, hair thickeners, and a lifetime of Rogaine- not just yet. You have many choices that really do work. Here is a piece of information that I would like for you remind yourself of when you begin to doubt- hair is amazingly adaptive and resilient. Most women notice huge improvement with just paying a bit of extra attention to nutrition, stress levels, and lifestyle. Here is what we recommend:
1. Diet is where you should start. Make sure that you are eating plenty of plant foods that will support your body, and give your hair the nutrients that it needs. Also, hair loss and stress can be caused and exacerbated by insufficient vitamins and minerals. Taking a multivitamin containing B vitamins (biotin, B6, and B12), zinc, selenium, and copper can help.
Studies show that diets high in fats and refined carbohydrates tend to increase estrogen levels. Women who eat wholesome meals and exercise frequently have a much lower incidence of menopausal symptoms. Foods that have high caffeine content are also linked with higher estrogen levels.
2. Balance your hormones. This can be really difficult and you may not know how to begin. An easy way is to get rid of items that may be introducing xenoestrogens into your body. You may also want to supplement with natural progesterone. The specific dosage will depend on how severe your condition is. Try to find a health care provider that has experience with natural hormone therapy. A look online can help you to find saliva tests, which can help you to determine your estrogen progesterone balance. A normal female body produces about 20 mg of progesterone daily. This is the amount of progesterone in natural cream form that is most often suggested. Again, it is recommended that you speak with a physician who has experience treating hormonal conditions with naturally derived hormone substitutes.
3. Maintain Ideal Body Weight. Remember that fat cells can increase estrogen production. Exercise has been shown to help balance hormones.
Despite what many conventional doctors may tell you, there is help for alopecia. You do not have to settle to "live with it." Start by taking a look at your hormonal health. This may leave clues as to what may be contributing to your hair loss (and other menopausal symptoms). Begin with making small changes; these can have a much larger impact on your hair and health than you expect.

Menopause and Low Libido

It can be very debilitating to say the least, coping with the onslaught of menopause and all the trials and tribulations that come with it. Sometimes gradually but oftentimes suddenly, like overnight, it's like 'what the hell happened to me, what's going on here!!'. Not funny, not easy and to say it's a challenge is an understatement of epic proportion.
Unless and until you have experienced menopause and it's negative symptoms, then you could not possibly know or be able to relate on any level. Just like a man could never imagine what it's like to be pregnant - 'nuff said! Anyway, back to menopause and the many symptoms that can come with it. Low libido is one just symptom and it's serious and can have huge impact, not just on us as individual women, but on our relationships with our husband or loved one as well.
They (the menfolk) don't see any physical change overnight (but they sure as hell know 'that look') that says 'don't even think about it' when he's feeling frisky and you're like 'not happening buddy'! It's almost like the faucet has been turned off... one minute you're 'normal' and have your moments of 'being in the mood and just plain right up for it' with your hubby...
Next thing you know and it's nothing, nada, zip, squiddly, absolutely zilch! No warning at all, nothing to tell you this is coming and all of a sudden you feel nothing from the waist down - not to mention no feelings of 'even wanting' to get fruity with your loved one. What's even worse is, you don't know how long this is going to go on for, it's frightening and it can be a nightmare. Your hubby's being patient and doing his best (bless him) to try and say the right things, but you know he's desperate (for some intimacy with you) and just don't feel a thing in that department.
Take heart girlfriend, there 'are' things you can take (natural) and certain paths you can follow to alleviate the symptoms of menopause and indeed fix 'the problem'. Millions of women around the world are not relying on themselves to get through this phase (for however long it might take); they've had enough and seek out something that will work for them personally. Just know that you are 'not' alone, there are many many women suffering just like you and bottom line is, you don't have to - it's just like dieting on some level, you have to make the decision to 'do something about it'. As the Nike ad says, 'just do it' - for yourself (and your husband!)

Natural Relief From Hot Flashes

They can (and do) come on so suddenly, you wonder what the hell happened. You can go through peri menopause (ie the start of the menopause journey) with little to no symptoms. And then bam, on comes the onslaught of the horrible symptoms that we've all heard about from others. And if you've never experienced any of the symptoms of 'going through the change', it is very difficult to even imagine what these women are going through. In reality, it is a nightmare.
Hot flashes are one of the worst symptoms - they can, at their very worst, come every 15 to 30 minutes, on the clock, around the hour - no kidding; you really can set your clock by your body rising in temperature. These flashes can last anywhere from a couple of minutes typically, to half an hour in some cases.
Some women have the flashes through the night, which of course interrupts one's sleep (or lack thereof), because there is no way to have a good night's sleep when all this is going on. You wake up in the night, 'very' hot from head to toe, and this, despite doing all the things one is supposed to do.
The advice supposed to help is wear light weight clothing, sleep with the window open, have light covers on the bed, sleep with your feet out of the bed and so on - it's just ridiculous. And I say that because even if you do all the above, and the hot flashes have taken root, they generally don't just disappear because you are doing all the 'right' things. That's what is so damn frustrating about this whole menopause nightmare.
Of course there are other symptoms too in addition to the hot flashes - they vary from woman to woman but typically include (and are not limited to): sleep deprivation (mentioned above), incredible mood swings (understatement), depression, tearfulness, lethargy, lack of libido (remember that one!) and good old weight gain, just for good measure - ladies, we really do get the full whack don't we - what on earth did we do to deserve this lot, I ask you!
So, in dealing with the hot flashes, you have options and these are split into basically three camps. You can either fight through the whole menopause without taking anything to help. Not many women choose this route and I don't blame them. You can see your doctor and have him prescribe you HRT (understandably many women don't want to go down this route) or, you can check out natural remedies which will give you peace of mind, knowing that you're not bombarding your body with chemicals.

Microdermabrasion: How Does It Work And What Are Its Benefits?

Microdermabrasion is the latest treatment which has made its way from Hollywood to the public. Most people consider the treatment as one of the most efficient technology for beautification of the skin. In people's day-to-day living, we tend to imagine how we look and how presentable we are from the eyes of other people. A few wrinkles might cause a person to become timid. In other words, physical looks have an enormous impact on one's confidence.
In order to make sure the smoothness and the younger appearance of the skin over the face, neck, hands, and arms, people would try many treatments such as plastic surgery, injection of Botox, and chemical peels. Aside from being expensive, these treatments have more undesirable effects to the skin in the future. The best choice that experts would suggest is the Microdermabrasion; however, how does it work?
How Microdermabrasion Works?
There are two layers that skin has: the epidermis and the dermis. The upper layer, which is the epidermis, is a set of dead skin cells above the dermis which is the layer of premature skin cells. The epidermis includes the outer skin that we see and skin deficiencies are typical in this skin layer. Longer skin deficiencies such as scars go through the epidermis down to the dermis while others only occur in the epidermis. In other words, all goals of skin treatment are to remove the dead skin cells and allow the dermis generate a new set of epidermis.
The Microdermabrasion treatment has the same goal in mind. It targets the epidermis and removes them in order for the dermis to revitalize the outer layer. In this way, the skin will look younger, smoother, and healthier. The treatment works with crystals. The crystals will penetrate the epidermis and pull out all the dead skin cells so that the dermis layer will be able to do its job. In professional treatment, they use a metallic or a plastic wand to shoot and vacuum the crystals. On the other hand, home-treatment for Microdermabrasion does the same thing only without the device to shoot and vacuum the crystal. Home treatment is a set of creams and solutions with crystals as their ingredient. When people began to use the cream on their skin, the crystals will collect the dead skin cells and bring these cells once wash. In other words, the secret of this treatment lies on the crystals that do the magic.
What Are The Benefits?
The main benefit of the treatment is with regards to skin flaws such as many signs of aging, acne, dark spots, and so on. Because the treatment will remove the dead skin cells, younger and healthier new skin cells will replace them in a remarkably short time. This will give people with smooth, radiant, and beautiful skin. The treatment goes together with accompanying creams to help the dermis in producing skin cells quickly. In addition, regular treatment of Microdermabrasion may lead to fewer skin flaws in the future.

Natural Brazilian Butt Lift - Growing Trends And 2 Secret Moves For More Butt With Less Cuts

In Brazil, a unnatural or even natural Brazilian butt lift is highly coveted. A sexy voluptuous rear end is a status symbol, a sex symbol, as well as an on going trend in modern beauty.
Not only have the Brazilians taken this very seriously, but other people around the world as well. People go to Brazil for this, and also possibly a greater extent to the United States.
The California Center For Plastic Surgery in Los Angeles admits that the focus and desire of having a sexier posterior is all the rage now. Most women (and even some men) go for the fast surgical buttocks lifting procedure as opposed to a cheaper, healthier, and less risky natural Brazilian butt lift.
In addition, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons also claims that more than a third of plastic surgeries between of 2010 and 2011 have been procedures to accentuate the buttocks particularly.
While the surgery factor is becoming greatly more popular, so are the methods that can bring you the same dramatic results. This has been known as the natural Brazilian butt lift. Which simply is just a large library of lower body exercises designed to bring out your inner butt potential. Some Brazilian experts have perfected these moves and the Brazilian take on the rear ends transformation trend, is indeed great even without going under the knife.
Try these secret moves for a more shapely bum.
1. Jumping Lunge
Start standing up. Extend right leg in front and bend the knee as a standard lunge. Go down so your bent leg is at a 90 degree angle. Instead of coming up slow, use the bent leg to jump up, and fall in the same position with the other leg. Make sure you dip down on the other leg after the jump, low to a 90 degree. Alternate legs until you have done both legs 5 times.(5 reps on each leg = 1 set)
2. Door Knob Squat
This fancy squat focuses on your glutes for a perfect natural Brazilian butt lift. Stand up holding a door knob. Make sure you have room to squat and stick your butt out, because you will need a little room. Hold the knob, while slightly leaning back. Make sure your feet are spread a little beyond shoulder length with your toes pointing out and heels pointing in. Squat down with legs still spread slightly outside shoulders. Use your glutes (and your glutes alone!) to push yourself back up. Remember to breath out when you push up, and breath in when you go down.
Use these move to help you achieve a natural Brazilian butt lift. Shaping your bum is perfectly within reach.

Preimplantation Genetic Diagnostics (PGD) and FISH, Method for Genetic Diagnosis

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) refers to the procedure that is performed on embryos prior to implantation, sometimes even on oocytes prior to fertilization. This is one of the forms for prenatal diagnosis. PGD is an adjunctive procedure to In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF). PGD starts with embryo biopsy which can be performed on day 3, day 4 or day 5 of development. It is used to prevent genetic diseases or to select the most suitable embryos for transfer to establish a pregnancy. Therefore, controlled ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval, fertilization and embryo development occur as usual with IVF. Usually embryos are biopsied by our experienced embryologists using micromanipulation techniques to remove one cell without impacting the further development of the embryo. PGD is a safe procedure, it is used for screening for a specific genetic disease, is usually performed on women who are at a higher risk of an unhealthy birth. The removed cell can be tested by several methods including:
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for possible gene disordersFluorescence in Situ Hybridization (FISH)Chromosomal Microarray Analysis (CMA)
Let's cover in more details the Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization (FISH) method.
FISH
FISH is the most commonly used test to determine the chromosomal constitution of an embryo. This method identifies certain regions on chromosomes using fluorescent DNA probes. FISH tests can find small pieces of chromosomes that are missing or have extra copies. These small changes can be missed by the overall karyotype test (another type of chromosomal test). FISH analysis can, for instance, be used to reveal the missing fragments of DNA on chromosome 22 that are characteristic of velocardiofacial syndrome. In contrast to karyotyping, it can be used on interphase chromosomes, so that it can be used on PBs, blastomeres and TE samples. The cells are fixated on glass microscope slides and hybridised with DNA probes. Each of these probes are specific for part of a chromosome, and are labelled with a fluorochrome. There is a limited number of fluorochromes, therefore the number that can be analyzed concurrently is severely limited.
When the X-linked chromosome disorder is not present, the X and Y chromosomes are used instead as an internal FISH control for sex determination. More probes can be added to check for aneuploidies, particularly those that could give raise to a viable pregnancy (such as a trisomy 21). The use of probes for chromosomes X, Y, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 21 and 22 has the potential of detecting 70% of the aneuploidies found in spontaneous abortions.
Three consecutive rounds of FISH can be carried out on the same chromosomes. In the case of chromosome rearrangements, specific combinations of probes have to be chosen that flank the region of interest. The FISH technique is considered to have a low error rate.
The main problem of the use of FISH to study the chromosomal constitution of embryos is the elevated mosaicism rate observed at the human preimplantation stage. More than 800 embryos were tested and the result from the analysis showed that approximately 75% of preimplantation embryos are mosaic, of which approximately 60% are diploid-aneuploid mosaic and approximately 15% aneuploid mosaic. Li and co-workers found that 40% of the embryos diagnosed as aneuploid on day 3 turned out to have a euploid inner cell mass at day 6. Staessen and collaborators found that 17.5% of the embryos diagnosed as abnormal during PGS, and subjected to post-PGD reanalysis, were found to also contain normal cells, and 8.4% were found grossly normal. However, it is questionable as to whether two cells from an embryo can result in proper test result. And the question remains as to whether viable embryos are being wasted due to the constrictions of the techniques used.
Who is the best candidate for preimplantation genetic diagnosis? PGD is indicated for patients with:
Advanced maternal ageImplantation failuresPrevious miscarriagesFamily history (including previous child born with chromosomal and genetic disorder)Parental aneuploidyBalanced translocationSome male factor infertilityFamily balance and sex selection
Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis can be used to help:
Decrease miscarriagesReduce the occurrence of Trisomic or Turner Syndrome offspring and other chromosomal abnormalitiesReduce multiple pregnanciesDetermine when to use donor eggs in poor prognosis patients (For example: Advanced maternal age)

The Benefits of Being Fitted For a Bra

I cannot think of one issue more universal to women than finding a great fitting bra. In fact, every bra fitting website and television show segment makes mention of the fact that 85% of American women are wearing the wrong size bra. Some of you may be scratching your heads and wondering what the big deal is. After all, it's just underwear. But you are wrong!
Some women have high breasts with fuller tissue up top. Some, like me, have lower breasts with very little fullness on top. Many women have "side breasts" and need more support to push the tissue in and up a bit, while other women do not need that support. Add in the fact that we need to wear these bras for 12-15 hours a day so they need to be comfortable, and you have an engineering nightmare.
Put in too much wire and women get stabbed and poked; not enough wire and the girls sag. Put in too much Lycra and they have no support, not enough and the bra is uncomfortably stiff. Then there is the issue of where most of the support should come from. While for many years the reigning wisdom stated that support came from the shoulders (useless if you have heavier breasts because the straps dig into your shoulders), the current line is that the support comes from the strap around the body, putting many of us into a smaller number size than before.
I started out life as a 34B, which is still the most popular wrong size bra. By the time I was 35, after years of hormonal issues and weight changes, I sized as a 38D via Lucille the bra lady at Bala Cynwyd, PA's Saks Fifth Avenue (immortalized in Sex and the City). But then even those crazy expensive Wacoal bras didn't fit right and I was in limbo again.
It occurred to me that in Manhattan I should be able to find a good bra fitter and bra, and that landed me first at the Upper East Side's Linda the Bra Lady. I entered the tiny shop and was immediately swooped upon and measured to a 36DD, but then all the bras they sold me were high end Fs (DDDs) which they said I somehow needed, but as I thought in the dressing room, they were too big. Exactly one year later I went to the Upper West Side's venerable Bra Smyth, where they sized me back to a 38D, and I spent a year falling out of the extremely expensive too small cups.
One day I was discussing this with a friend who works for Victoria's Secret and she suggested that I check them out. She told me that the bra engineering was sound, the new fabrics (including memory foam) were light and supportive, there were good sports bras as well as every day bras, the prices were good, and they had sizes up to a DDD cup. So I trucked on over to Soho to see Linda, their top bra fitter.
Linda took one look at me and put me in a 36DD. It fit perfectly (since I am neither a DDD or a D; somehow Linda's sized me correctly but then sold me the wrong size) and was literally half the price of the more expensive lines I had been wearing. Ladies, wearing a correctly fitted bra is like losing a few pounds and getting better posture. You will look better and feel more comfortable.
The moral of this story is that all women should be wearing a great fitting bra. That bra should be light, supportive, comfortable, and most of all should make you feel like you look your best! Go to good store where they train their bra specialists to be fitted, but do not be swayed by sales people or supposed experts. If the bra feels weird in the fitting room it will not get any better on your body as you wear it, so don't waste time and money. This experience opened my eyes to the fact that it is not necessary that I wear the most expensive bras, but the bras that fit me the best.

Some Tell-Tale Signs of Postpartum Syndrome and Some Preventive Measures

Postpartum syndrome, more commonly known as the "baby blues", is one of the most common problems linked with children and was documented as early as the 19th century. This syndrome is best identified by the depression the woman experiences within four weeks after giving birth. It affects approximately 13% of women after childbirth, with one out of every eight deliveries in the US leading to this syndrome. It can also lead to more serious type of psychosis, which affects one of every thousand women.
Sadly, only half of the people with this syndrome are detected. And those who remain undiagnosed can result with devastating outcomes not only on themselves, but also on their family. What's more, postpartum syndrome is not just exclusive to women.
Contrary to common misconception, men can also experience this syndrome as well, with 10% of new fathers reported to experience such a condition. And much like with women, the symptoms of postpartum syndrome in men is the difficulty of caring for their children on their own while suffering from depression.
The said syndrome can be harmful to one's mental and emotional health as well as those people around you, so early detection and prevention is crucial in order to keep it from ruining what should be the joyful even of childbirth.
Symptoms
The onset of postpartum syndrome usually occurs within four weeks after giving birth. These include feelings of severe sadness, emptiness, and emotional numbness. People who suffer from this psychological disturbance are also easy to cry and do so often, as well as irritable and quick to anger. There is also the tendency to withdraw from relationships with family, friends and from activities that are normally pleasurable to the sufferer, as they feel a strong sense of failure or inadequacy. The depression may also cause a constant feeling of tiredness, sleep difficulties, overeating or loss of appetite.
In addition, postpartum syndrome can also cause the sufferer to experience intense concern and anxiety about the baby or lack of interest. In the worst cases, sufferers may have suicidal thoughts or fears of harming the baby, delusions and false beliefs, hallucinations, and other severe depressive symptoms.
Prevention
If you feel that you are prone to postpartum depression or have experienced it in the past, the first recommended course of action is to get in touch with your doctor, therapist, psychiatrist, and other professional healthcare provider. If you have experienced this syndrome before and treated successfully with medication, you may want to think about taking the medication again immediately after giving birth.
It is also important that you talk with your partner and other loved ones; let them know what you might go through and what might help in dealing with you suffering this type of psychological problem. You should also establish a support plan in case you do experience postpartum syndrome. Assign someone to help you take care of your baby, for example, or get in touch with a postpartum doula to help you ease through this troubled period of your life.
Adverse effects such as suicidal tendencies and psycho-somatic impacts can be mitigated if the problems are detected early. It is always best to seek the services of healthcare professionals such as psychiatrists.

Understanding Cervical Mucus and Natural Gender Selection

There are many different techniques to help choose your baby's gender naturally. Some of these techniques, like diet, take time to work in your body and make you "girl friendly" or "boy friendly." There, are, however, methods you can use just around the time of ovulation to help boost your chances even more. This article will cover a few of these methods.

Don't try to use just these techniques alone -- you really do want to take a month or two to follow diet, exercise, and lifestyle plans to choose your baby's gender. The below techniques will just enhance those plans even more.

Why These Methods Help

You're going to use diet and exercise for 6-12 weeks. If that's the case, why do you have some supplements that you use only around ovulation? It's because these supplements help influence your cervical mucus, which is not only important to getting pregnant, it's important for choosing your baby's gender.

Some women naturally have a buildup of cervical mucus, or fertile mucus. Their pattern starts out pretty dry or with just a baseline of slight, sticky vaginal lubrication. As they get closer to ovulation, that builds up and becomes milky or lotion-y. These fluid types are just building up to ovulation, and they're fairly acidic (low pH levels).

As you get close to ovulation, it's normal to get even more fertile fluid build-up. This cervical mucus is clearer, stretchy, and even slippery. It looks a lot like egg whites. In fact, it's called "egg-white fertile." Some women never get this fluid and some women get lots of it. Some women see a distinct build-up pattern, and some don't. This very fertile fluid is quite alkaline (high pH levels).

The supplements you take only around ovulation help because they can help you change the normal fluid patterns you see in your own cycle.

Taking Supplements for a Boy

You can take supplements especially for a boy just to influence your fertile fluid overall. It's also thought that having a high fat diet and a lot of the Omega-3's (take high-quality fish oils!) will help boost your cervical mucus levels, too.

The supplement you can take is Guaifenesin. It's the active ingredient in a lot of expectorant cough syrups, the ones that help you bring out drainage and mucus that gets lodged in your chest and lungs when you're sick. It loosens the mucus and the fluids. You don't want to take a cough syrup because it can also have things in it that can dry up fluids. You can get Guaifensein over the counter. Take that just in the 2-3 days around ovulation because it helps to loosen those fluids up, make more fertile fluids and make it more likely that you'll get a boy.

You can also use a lubricant when you actually try to conceive. Preseed, which is made especially for couples trying to get pregnant, is a good one. Actual egg white also works well, since it has a high pH and is very similar to fertile mucus.

Consider something like an antihistamine or Sudafed if you're planning for a girl. These help dry up cervical mucus. You want to be drier and have a more hostile environment if you're trying to get pregnant with a girl. Those little X-bearing sperm, the little girl-making sperm, are much heartier than the boy-making sperm. They're more likely to survive and get through to fertilize the egg.

You can also use a vaginal moisturizer like RepHresh, Replens, or Aci-jel in the few days around ovulation. These drop your vaginal pH levels way down and make your internal environment more acidic.

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The Best Strategy To Burn The Last 10 Pounds Fast

If you want to learn how to lose weight and finally shed those last few pounds that just won't seem to leave your body regardless of what you do, you need to learn some top notch strategies that will enable faster success.
Most people don't have too hard of a time learning how to lose weight when first beginning. Those initial pounds come off relatively quickly and easily as the body has a higher metabolic rate and isn't clinging onto stored body fat all that intensely.
But, as you get leaner and learner, it's perfectly normal to find things become far more difficult.
That's where the following strategies come into play to help you learn how to lose weight fast.
Let's look at what you should know.
Zigzag Your Calories
The very first tip to help you learn How to lose weight fast is to consider zigzagging your calorie intake. Rather than eating a very low calorie intake for an extended period of time and having the metabolic rate adapt to this, slowing down how many calories it burns daily, stagger your calorie intake across the week.
Have a few very low calorie days and then add in a few higher calorie days. The combination of this will keep your metabolism guessing as to what's coming next.
In return, you keep burning fat off at an accelerated pace. Plus, the diet is that much more enjoyable as well.
Go Very Low Carb/High Protein For One Week
Second, you might also consider going on a very low carb, high protein diet for a one week period. This is a fast way to jumpstart weight loss progress but you can only do it for a brief period of time.
Going too long without carbohydrates in the diet will have negative consequences, so limit yourself to just one week on this intense diet.
After that, go back to a more moderate fat loss program. As you go low carb, make sure that you are still eating plenty of fresh vegetables however as these are going to provide the nutrients that your body needs during this time.
Take A Break From Your Workouts
Finally, the last thing to consider is taking a break from your workouts. Often times too much exercise combined with an intense diet is what causes problems to occur, so by taking a short break, you ease up on the body slightly so it won't hold onto body fat stores as readily.
For the time being, simply focus on maintaining a good diet. If you do this, you should be able to maintain better dietary control and will feel better going about your workouts when you return back to the gym after the week off is up.
So there you have some quick ways to learn how to lose weight when you're struggling to get those 10 pounds off. Often times some program re-adjustment will be necessary as you get down to the final few to get them off your body for good.

The Harmful Effects of Smoking While Pregnant

Smoking during pregnancy is more common than many of us would like to think. There are some women in today's society who want to quit, but honestly don't know how. In other instances, there are a very few women who don't care to think about their unborn child and the health risks that are involved.
There are some women who are not aware of or don't understand how serious this matter is, or how serious is can become. With proper information, some expecting mothers may be willing to stop cold turkey or seek help for their addiction.
The Dangerous Side
Many mothers believe that they are safe because they aren't consuming or addicted to hard drugs, such as crack or cocaine, but in this instance, one isn't better than the other. Smoking cigarettes while you're pregnant can cause more problems than any mother can imagine. Some women are curious and want to know what's the harm in smoking while you're expecting. A lot of people aren't aware that cigarette smoke contains more than 2,000 different types of chemicals. Needless to say, these chemicals are not beneficial to the mother or her baby. Nicotine and carbon monoxide are the two ingredients that are found in cigarettes that are to blame for several pregnancy complications. In this instance, a few complications include premature birth, stillbirth, and low birth weight.
The Effects
Even though a few cigarettes here and there are a lot safer than one or two packs per day, it's crucial to the wellness of the mother and the baby for the mother to quit smoking altogether. As far as the weight and size of the baby is concerned, smoking can greatly affect this factor. Here, if the mother smokes a pack per day throughout her pregnancy, she will be putting her baby at risk to weigh half a pound less than it normally would. Here, if the mother had a two packs per day habit, the baby could weigh one pound or more less than it actually should. In this situation, there are a few mothers that will welcome the fact of having to deliver a small baby, but this could have long-term negative effects.
The Body and Lungs
When a baby is underweight, they have a body to match. Here, a baby's lungs may not be fully developed or able to operate on their own. Here, the baby will have to remain on a respirator during the first week or more of their lives. Due to the fact that the baby of a mother with a smoking addiction may have delayed development of the lungs, this can cause serious problems for the child later on during the course of their lives.
The Heart
For expecting mothers who smoked heavily during their first trimester, the baby will be at a greater risk for heart complications. In this event, it's best to quit smoking as soon as you find out that you're expecting. If you feel that you aren't able to quit, seek guidance from your doctor and programs that are set in place to help a person quit smoking.
The Brain
Contrary to popular belief, smoking while you're pregnant could have several long-term effects on a baby's brain. In this instance, the child could have behavioral issues, a low IQ, and even learning disabilities. The entire nine months of pregnancy is an important part of a baby's life. Every week of pregnancy marks an important milestone of growth and development.
The Solution
There are several methods that an expecting mother can use to quit smoking successfully. It's a good idea to ask your friends and family for help. In this situation, your close friends and loved one can create the awesome support group that you need to help you quit smoking once and for all. If you don't live close to any of your friends or relatives, join a group for smokers and make new friends. A lot of people feel better when they have a friend along for their tough journey.

Urinary Incontinence Products

Urinary Incontinence is a phenomenon where an individual suffers from involuntary leakage of urine. This may cause problems in the life of the patient due to the stress and embarrassment. People even feel embarrassed to report about the problem to their doctors; as a result it occurs due to underlying treatable medical condition which us under reported to the doctors. The main cause of this disease is uncontrolled diabetes, excessive consumption of fluids, not only this; aerated drinks such as cola beverages and also the ones which contain caffeine stimulate the bladder. In men one of the major causes might be enlargement of their prostate gland which might lead to cancer in later stages. It may also cause due to any damage done to the nervous system, like the brain, spinal cord, etc...
There are drugs available for people to help them control their problem. But there is a high risk of side effects which becomes an issue of concern among the drug users. Nowadays, people can cope up with the inconvenience caused to them with the help of Urinary Incontinence Products available in the markets. There are various types of catheters available along with absorbent pads which are thin and not bulk and hence are comfortable to wear regularly. There is even tight-fitting underwear available with thin liners on them to absorb the urine.
There are separate products available for both men and women. For men there is an external urine collection device. It is similar to a condom and is to be worn over the penis. It is called a condom or even a Texas catheter in some places. A tube is fixed to it which ends into a collection bag, which can be tied to the leg. This product holds a considerable amount of urine with little odor and minimal skin irritation.
Products for women are also available, but most of them are pads which are thin but have high storage capacities. They are available in various sizes such as small, medium and large. Some of these are also reusable. Mostly those are the absorbent underwear. There are also certain products available which can prevent the beds and sofas from becoming wet; these may be disposable or reusable. Some new products have the ability to absorb liquid away from the surfaces. The Urinary Incontinence Products are available broadly in the stores. One can also buy them on-line on reasonable rates.

What Are Polycystic Ovaries (PCOS)

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) was first described in 1935 as a hormonal disease that affects premenopausal women that may result in infertility. The main clinical features are:
Enlarged thickened ovaries with cyst-like folliclesAbsence of periodsAnovulationExcessive production of steroid hormones,AcnePigmentation of the skinSkin tagsPelvic painSleep apnoeaExcessive hair growth
However symptoms may vary in each patient, not all patients will show all symptoms making it more difficult to diagnose.
In PCOS the development of an egg in the ovary does not occur, instead multiple follicles form and continue to mature to form cysts. Pelvic pain may occur due to the inflammation of the abnormal cyst tissue.
Abnormal skin pigmentation is caused by increased levels of insulin in the blood, infiltrating the skin and causing pigmentation. It is seen behind the neck and in skin folds. It is a symptom for insulin resistance which is common in PCOS sufferers particularly where obesity is a factor.
Diagnosis of PCOS is made by investigating blood levels of Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Luteinising Hormone (LH) and Testosterone. FSH is expected to be either normal or below the normal range.
The relevant range depends on the stage of the menstrual cycle when the sample is taken. LH is expected to be increased in PSOS. The normal ratio for FSH and LH is expected to 1:1. A positive result for PCOS would show a ratio of 3 or more.
Testosterone levels are also expected to be high. Women with PCOS may also show abnormal lipid and insulin levels. Testosterone is responsible for the abnormal hair growth seen in PCOS. Ultrasound scans are also carried out to confirm the diagnosis.
PCOS has a connection to insulin resistance caused by a defect in the normal response to insulin. Studies show that there is a reduced insulin activity in adipose (fat storing) tissue and skeletal muscle. It is believed that high levels of fatty acids may affect the liver causing glucose intolerance and insulin resistance.
It is thought that, excluding polycystic ovaries, men may suffer from the same symptoms as women such as increased levels of steroid hormone, insulin resistance, abnormal hair growth and acne, particularly those with female relatives who have been diagnosed with PCOS. It may therefore be beneficial to check insulin resistance in male relatives of PCOS women.
Genetics and environmental influences seem to affect the prevalence of PCOS. The environmental issues such as obesity and a sedentary lifestyle can be reversed causing an improvement in insulin resistance. It can also reduce the probability of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus.
A diagnosis of PCOS means that other possible conditions need to be monitored for life eg. cardiac disease, metabolic syndrome, infertility, cancer and problems during pregnancy. There is a possibility of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus however this possibility can be reduced in obese women if they lose weight and maintain a health exercise regime.
Weight loss also improves cardiac function and so reduces the probability of developing cardiac disease. It is possible that cancer may develop with PCOS. This is more likely to be due to the hormone imbalance than polycystic ovaries.
It is therefore important to eat healthily and take regular exercise to reduce your risk of insulin resistance related diseases. It is also important to have regular health checks to monitor your weight and watch for the early signs of abnormal changes. Remember, if an abnormality is found sooner rather than later it is far more likely to improve the chance of successful treatment.
If you are in any doubt make sure you speak to your doctor.

What Does Mexican Wild Yam Do for Women?

The many uses of Mexican Wild Yam go back through the ages and cultures: it is not a new plant when it comes to traditional natural health, even though it only came to notice in America and Europe in the 1940s. North American Indians have been using this plant for centuries to assist with women's problems from menstruation through to menopause and since the late 1950s it was used to manufacture the first synthetic female contraceptive pill. Yet it is a product of Mother Nature and contains precursors to female hormones! In general, yams are a staple part of the Asian, African and Oceanian diet, where they are as versatile in used as potatoes. They are used in casseroles, chips, snacks, sweets and soups as they are nutritious and grow in abundance.
If you are familiar with the climbing vine, then you may well recognise the wild yam plant, which is itself a member of the vine family. Lightish green, medium-sized heart-shaped leaves weave and wrap their way around any available stake to as the wild yam loves to climb and loves to entwine itself with whatever local foliage is available. It is estimated that wild yam takes approximately 4 years to grow from seed to fully grown and prefers growing in woodlands.
Out of the estimated 600 varieties of wild yam, Mexican Wild Yam is one of the most well-known. Bought to us directly from Mother Nature, this plant keeps its best secrets hidden, underground! The actual fleshy roots or so-called tubers of the Mexican Wild Yam grow underground. The underground stem of a mature plant may have many tubers. These are the part of the plant that have the highest concentration of the plant's chemicals and it is these that are linked to having a positive impact on women's health.
The root of this plant is said to be rich in the plant substance known as diosgenin. Diosgenin has properties similar to progesterone which is why is it is often referred to as a natural progresterone. In fact, diosgenin is a plant steroid that is used to synthetize various hormones including progesterone, estrogen and testosterone.
Dioscorea villosa is the plant's scientific name. Dioscorea is the botanical name from the Greek physician, Dioscorides Pedanius (c.40-90 AD) and the word 'villlosa' means 'hairy' in Latin.
North American Indian women used this plant to help with the flushes of menopause, the pains of childbirth and those of menstruation. It was even used as a natural contraceptive. This tuber was used as an aphrodisiac and to assist vaginal dryness. Did it work for them? Well the answer is they used this plant for many generations...

Why You Need to Get Your Boobies Squeezed - Please Go Get Your Mammogram!

Yesterday was quite a day, three hours waiting and wondering. This is my 5th one, and I have just turned 40, which is the base line age for most women. Normally, I wouldn't share this but if it saves one life it will be worth it.
I had breast pain for about 3-4 weeks I had explained it away, but by Friday I knew it was at least worth a second look. I called the doctor, and they were able to fit me in that day, I found a lump.
I have a pretty strong family of breast cancer so I am always very conscious of how I feel, and I always pay very close attention to any changes in my body.
At 40 years old when most of my friends are going for their first breast cancer screening I'm already on mammograms number five. I don't live in fear, but I do believe in using wisdom, so screening, and early detection is key.
The doctor found the lumps I found and thought it was worth another look so he sent me for a mammogram and an ultrasound (make sure your doctors take care of you and check on any abnormalities, and if they don't YOU push it, don't play with your help). You never want to short change yourself and your family have a precious time so prevention is key.
Yesterday was the big day, 3 hours, my first 3D mammogram, and thank goodness they didn't find anything suspicious. Whew!
I'll be honest with you mammograms clearly have not made my top 100,000 but I realize the importance of honoring your body and paying attention to your health.
There's a standing joke at my house my husband always says that I'm using up all the health benefits, you betcha I am; I don't have a problem going to the doctor. Especially for something like this, having our boobies squeezed is not fun, but it's important. Everyday countless women find out that they wasted precious time by not getting their mammograms before the cancer spreads or grows. There is no reason for that these days. These screenings save lives!
Most women love to take care of other people but don't do a great job of taking care of themselves. I figured if nothing else, by sharing this story I could show women that getting a mammogram really isn't that bad, and that you shouldn't put it off any longer.
We've all heard stories of what mammograms are like. They are not great, but they are not that bad. A mammogram is an x-ray picture of your breast that allows them to see abnormalities before you can feel them. This allows for early detection of cancer, which opens up more options for treatment.
As I waited in the waiting room, there were women with many stories. Some of the women had been through this many times before, some were breast cancer survivors, and some were like me were just waiting for some kind of outcome and praying for the best. I told them I was writing an article about why women should get mammograms and I asked them if they had anything they could share. The survivor in the group shared one thing that was so poignant, you should get a mammogram because you love and care about yourself. I couldn't agree any more with her when she said that, I think about my aunt who died in her 30s, and her mother (my grandmother) who died when she was in her 40s. I imagine what those women and many more like them, would've done with just a couple more years of life.
I wonder about their children, my mom and her siblings, and my cousins who lost their mother so early in their lives, and all that they missed. If you can't do it for yourself, think about those you will leave behind if your fears or other stop you. Your life is precious, do what you need to do to take care of it.
Ladies love yourself enough to get your boobies squeezed. Make it a group exercise, go with your friends make a group appointment and then have lunch or dinner and get survivor shirts. Whatever you need to do, do it! I don't want any women in my circle of influence to be here one less day, because they didn't go and get their boobies squeezed!
Women your baseline mammogram should be done at 40 years old, and then you should get one every year. If you have a family of breast cancer, you start at 35. If you have breast, you should be doing monthly breast self-exams, every month period!

Who's Eating?

Who's really at the table when you're eating? Is it the adolescent you? The teenage you? The rebel? I find that one of the most overlooked aspects of eating is knowing who is in charge at meal time, yet undeniably there's more than one identity involved and determining who they are and what drives them can help dissect your eating behaviors.
As a kid, I had carte blanche with food. There were some limitations, but very few, and whenever I was upset, crying or sad, I got food to make me feel better. Cookies, candies and cakes were always top of the list, but almost any food would do and I learned that as long as I was eating, I wasn't focused on how I really felt.
It became very clear to me one day that this was a pattern I carried with me into adulthood. After an incredibly trying day, my spirits were down, so I decided to go shopping. Food shopping that is. While browsing the aisles, making my selections, I found a package of chocolate-covered caramel pretzels, and I stuck them in my basket.
Almost as soon as I did, I had an immediate flashback and I instantly made the connection that when I felt that same way as a child, I was soothed with something sweet to snap me out of it. When I realized it, I was shocked and yet it was so obvious. I had never noticed this pattern with food before until that moment.
There was no denying it though. I wanted to feel better, and one of the ways I learned to pacify myself was with food. Rather than feel the feelings, I focused on food instead and forced the feelings I wanted to avoid down into my body. Into my organs, my tissues, and ultimately my fat.
So often, it's not what we eat but why we eat that fuels our need for food. The little girl in me was in dire need of comfort in that moment, and so I turned to food which was a behavior I developed as a young child. I was so oblivious to it too that it never crossed my mind before that I wasn't really hungry for food a lot of the time but rather attention, caressing, and love to assure me that everything would be ok.
But when no one's around to do it, food's always there, ready and willing.
Other times, if I'm angry, I might eat out of rebellion, as in, "I can have whatever I want and you can't stop me." Or when I feel deprived, I binge eat as I did when I was a teen, enduring the pressure of being thin yet longing for foods I love.
The awareness I now have with my multiple personality disorder around eating helps me make wiser choices with food so that my eating is less chaotic and isn't a vain attempt to fill an emotional void, one food can never fill.
I also look to use non-food sources of nourishment to feed my hunger too, such as reading, writing, or walking.
Weight loss doesn't happen in an instant. You didn't gain weight overnight and you won't lose it overnight either, and the true breakthroughs come in the most unexpected ways, when you're not really expecting them at all.
When I opened myself up to approaching weight loss in a way I never had before, which was more about slowing down, breathing, and just being OK with it, where I was, not always focused on where I wanted to be, and not focused on numbers or scales, a refreshing way of reconnecting to my body was revealed.
And there was no going back, because my body began to resist every attempt I made to push myself, deprive myself, or neglect myself.
I finally got what people meant about the wisdom of your body, which carries so much more wisdom than your head when it comes to what it wants. For years, I ignored it, muddling through diets and workouts that I dreaded, dismissing the fact none of it ever pleased me. I fell in line with the belief that there's only one way to weight loss, and it required struggle and misery.
What a relief it was to realize I was wrong. Way wrong.
Now when I sit to eat, I ask myself, "Who's eating?" and whoever shows up takes their rightful place beside me. Although now, the adult me takes over and keeps the kid, rebel, and teen in line when it comes to what I eat so that eating is for eating only, slow, relaxed, and pleasurable.

Why Painful Intercourse Isn't Normal and What You Should Do About It

Pain during sex is not normal. You may feel like it's not worth talking to your doctor about because you are embarrassed, or you may simply have always had painful intercourse, but by ignoring it, you risk missing a larger issue.
Your OB/GYN has seen and heard it all before. It's his or her job to treat the conditions that cause painful intercourse, so put your embarrassment aside and get ready to have a serious conversation.
Your painful intercourse could be the result of a cyst, infection or sexually transmitted disease
Simple, benign and treatable issues are usually the first place your OB/GYN will look when you report pain during sex. Often, this pain is related to inflammation caused by an infection that can be treated easily with the use of antibiotics.
Infections in the vagina, vulva and even urethra can cause your reproductive organs to become inflamed. When this occurs, the surrounding area becomes susceptible to pain, not just from sex, but from other activities like inserting a tampon.
Sexually transmitted diseases like Chlamydia can also cause painful inflammation of your reproductive organs. All of these issues, however, can be treated easily with medication prescribed by your OB/GYN. Symptoms usually resolve within a couple of weeks of beginning treatment.
Pain during sex may have a non-medical cause
For some women, the cause of painful intercourse is not medical at all. Instead it is the result of a previous psychological trauma or the lack of proper arousal.
Women who have been sexually abused may have spasms or difficulty becoming aroused. These issues will make sex more difficult, and in some cases painful. If you suspect this may be the reason for your problems with painful intercourse, therapy may help you resolve these issues. You should also consider discussing your history with your partner. Being open can result in making the situation more comfortable for you both.
If the issue is lack of arousal, you may also need to address your problems with your partner. If you feel too embarrassed to do so, realize that your partner wants you to enjoy the process, and is likely to be willing to make adjustments that will make that possible.
In lieu of these options, or if therapy and talking with your partner don't help the situation, you may also need to use an over-the-counter water-based lubricant.
Cysts, endometriosis and other structural issues can result in painful intercourse
If inflammation and psychological components have been ruled out, you may have a problem with the internal structure of your reproductive organs, such as endometriosis, cysts or thinning of the vaginal wall. All of these issues require medical intervention, and you may need to undergo a surgical procedure to resolve your problem. Most of the procedures involved, however, are minor in nature.
Since some of the structural causes can be the result of more serious medical issues, it is very important that you move past your embarrassment and discuss your painful intercourse with your OB/GYN.
Pain during sex is both a medical and quality of life issue
You don't have to go through life not enjoying sex. Discuss your issues with your doctor, be willing to be open with your partner, and you will likely be able to end your painful intercourse.

Why Infertility Occurs in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Infertility is a very common issue faced by both men and women nowadays. The condition occurs when the reproductive organs lose its capacity to produce sperms (in men) and eggs (in women). Fertilization does not occur when one of the two is absent and as a result leads to none-formation of new life. Thus, infertility is also known as the inability of a person to conceive.
A couple who cannot conceive a child can be affected by infertility in several ways. A classic example is when the condition was not discovered earlier (or addressed earlier, if that's the case). Arguments may arise between husband and wife in line with the issue. However, infertility should never be considered as a painful experience, nor should it be disliked. Although the primary issue here is the inability to bear a child, there are still many ways you need to consider in an attempt to cope with this problem. A very viable option is to legally adopt a child that was perhaps abandoned in an orphanage. Adopting a child will surely make you forget your infertility issue and will once again welcome joy into your life. Adopting can even let you help homeless children grow up to be mature individuals. Medical science in the one hand also offers several options you can choose from.
There are several syndromes that were suspected as the culprit for infertility in women. One example of this is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) which is thought as one of the most common infertility causes in women. Formation of small cysts in the ovaries is mostly associated with PCOS. Signs and symptoms of PCOS include but are not limited to obesity, acne problems and irregular menstrual periods. Your blood pressure along with your cholesterol levels also has the tendency to shoot up if you have PCOS.
The most effective way still to prevent Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is to consult your doctor before infertility even starts to manifest. There is still a good chance that infertility will be averted before it's too late if PCOS is detected at its earliest stage. A healthy lifestyle is definitely one of the best ways to keep you physically fit and to avoid any medical illnesses.
Moreover, eating a complete, balanced diet and exercise every day is a good way to be healthy. Move those muscles to avoid strain. Moderate exercises should first be done so your body won't violently react to the stretching. You can then gradually increase your exercise regimen as soon as your body has adjusted to the exercises performed daily. Vices such as drinking and smoking, excessive or not, should also be avoided for a healthier lifestyle.